Multi-antenna OFDM systems in the presence of phase noise and doubly-selective fading

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), which has been very attractive for future high rate wireless communications, is very robust to channel multipath fading effect while providing high transmission data rate with high spectral efficiency. Multiple antennas can be combined with OFDM to increase diversity gain and to improve spectral efficiency through spatial multiplexing and space-time coding (STC). This dissertation focuses on performance analysis and detection schemes of multi-antenna OFDM systems in the presence of phase noise and doubly-selective fading where channel is both time-selective and frequency-selective. In space-time coded OFDM (ST-OFDM), channel time variations cause not only intercarrier interference (ICI) among different subcarriers in one OFDM symbol, but also intertransmit-antenna interference (ITAI). We quantify the impact of time-selective fading on the performance of quasi-orthogonal ST-OFDM systems by deriving, via an analytical approach, the expressions of carrier-to-interference ratio (CIR) and signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR). We also evaluate the performance of five different detection schemes and show that all these schemes suffer from an irreducible error floor. Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas combined with OFDM are very attractive for high-data-rate communications. However, MIMO-OFDM systems are very vulnerable to time-selective fading. We apply frequency-domain correlative coding in MIMO-OFDM systems over doubly-selective fading channels and derive the analytical expression of CIR to demonstrate the effectiveness of correlative coding in mitigating ICI. When applied in fast fading channels, common ST-OFDM receivers usually suffer from an irreducible error floor. We apply frequency-domain correlative coding combined with a modified decision-feedback (DF) detection scheme with low complexity to effectively suppress the error floor of quasi-orthogonal ST-OFDM over fast fading channels. Similar to single-antenna OFDM, MIMO-OFDM suffers from significant performance degradation due to phase noise and time-selective fading. After characterizing the common phase error (CPE) caused by phase noise and ICI caused by phase noise as well as time-selective fading, we derive a minimum mean-squared error (MMSE)- based scheme to mitigate the effect of both phase noise and Doppler frequency shift. We also evaluate and compare the performance of various detection schemes combined with the proposed CPE mitigation scheme. Throughout the dissertation, theoretical performance analysis is always presented along with corroborating simulations.Keywords: OFDM, space-time coding, doubly-selective, MIMO, phase nois

Capacity, coding and interference cancellation in multiuser multicarrier wireless communications systems

Multicarrier modulation and multiuser systems have generated a great deal of research during the last decade. Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is a multicarrier modulation generated with the inverse Discrete Fourier Transform, which has been adopted for standards in wireless and wire-line communications. Multiuser wireless systems using multicarrier modulation suffer from the effects of dispersive fading channels, which create multi-access, inter-symbol, and inter-carrier interference (MAI, ISI, ICI). Nevertheless, channel dispersion also provides diversity, which can be exploited and has the potential to increase robustness against fading. Multiuser multi-carrier systems can be implemented using Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), a flexible orthogonal multiplexing scheme that can implement time and frequency division multiplexing, and using multicarrier code division multiple access (MC-CDMA). Coding, interference cancellation, and resource sharing schemes to improve the performance of multiuser multicarrier systems on wireless channels were addressed in this dissertation. Performance of multiple access schemes applied to a downlink multiuser wireless system was studied from an information theory perspective and from a more practical perspective. For time, frequency, and code division, implemented using OFDMA and MC-CDMA, the system outage capacity region was calculated for a correlated fading channel. It was found that receiver complexity determines which scheme offers larger capacity regions, and that OFDMA results in a better compromise between complexity and performance than MC-CDMA. From the more practical perspective of bit error rate, the effects of channel coding and interleaving were investigated. Results in terms of coding bounds as well as simulation were obtained, showing that OFDMAbased orthogonal multiple access schemes are more sensitive to the effectiveness of the code to provide diversity than non-orthogonal, MC-CDMA-based schemes. While cellular multiuser schemes suffer mainly from MAI, OFDM-based broadcasting systems suffer from ICI, in particular when operating as a single frequency network (SFN). It was found that for SFN the performance of a conventional OFDM receiver rapidly degrades when transmitters have frequency synchronization errors. Several methods based on linear and decision-feedback ICI cancellation were proposed and evaluated, showing improved robustness against ICI. System function characterization of time-variant dispersive channels is important for understanding their effects on single carrier and multicarrier modulation. Using time-frequency duality it was shown that MC-CDMA and DS-CDMA are strictly dual on dispersive channels. This property was used to derive optimal matched filter structures, and to determine a criterion for the selection of spreading sequences for both DS and MC CDMA. The analysis of multiple antenna systems provided a unified framework for the study of DS-CDMA and MC-CDMA on time and frequency dispersive channels, which can also be used to compare their performance

Mitigating PAPR in cooperative wireless networks with frequency selective channels and relay selection

The focus of this thesis is peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) reduction in cooperative wireless networks which exploit orthogonal frequency division multiplexing in transmission. To reduce the PAPR clipping is employed at the source node. The first contribution focuses upon an amplify-and-forward (AF) type network with four relay nodes which exploits distributed closed loop extended orthogonal space frequency block coding to improve end-to-end performance. Oversampling and filtering are used at the source node to reduce out-of-band interference and the iterative amplitude reconstruction decoding technique is used at the destination node to mitigate in-band distortion which is introduced by the clipping process. In addition, by exploiting quantized group feedback and phase rotation at two of the relay nodes, the system achieves full cooperative diversity in addition to array gain. The second contribution area is outage probability analysis in the context of multi-relay selection in a cooperative AF network with frequency selective fading channels. The gains of time domain multi-path fading channels with L paths are modeled with an Erlang distribution. General closed form expressions for the lower and upper bounds of outage probability are derived for arbitrary channel length L as a function of end-to-end signal to noise ratio. This analysis is then extended for the case when single relay selection from an arbitrary number of relay nodes M is performed. The spatial and temporal cooperative diversity gain is then analysed. In addition, exact form of outage probability for multi-path channel length L = 2 and selecting the best single relay from an arbitrary number of relay nodes M is obtained. Moreover, selecting a pair of relays when L = 2 or 3 is additionally analysed. Finally, the third contribution context is outage probability analysis of a cooperative AF network with single and two relay pair selection from M available relay nodes together with clipping at the source node, which is explicitly modelled. MATLAB and Maple software based simulations are employed throughout the thesis to support the analytical results and assess the performance of algorithms and methods

Timing and Carrier Synchronization in Wireless Communication Systems: A Survey and Classification of Research in the Last 5 Years

Timing and carrier synchronization is a fundamental requirement for any wireless communication system to work properly. Timing synchronization is the process by which a receiver node determines the correct instants of time at which to sample the incoming signal. Carrier synchronization is the process by which a receiver adapts the frequency and phase of its local carrier oscillator with those of the received signal. In this paper, we survey the literature over the last 5 years (2010–2014) and present a comprehensive literature review and classification of the recent research progress in achieving timing and carrier synchronization in single-input single-output (SISO), multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), cooperative relaying, and multiuser/multicell interference networks. Considering both single-carrier and multi-carrier communication systems, we survey and categorize the timing and carrier synchronization techniques proposed for the different communication systems focusing on the system model assumptions for synchronization, the synchronization challenges, and the state-of-the-art synchronization solutions and their limitations. Finally, we envision some future research directions

Super-orthogonal space-time turbo coded OFDM systems.

Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.The ever increasing demand for fast and efficient broadband wireless communication services requires future broadband communication systems to provide a high data rate, robust performance and low complexity within the limited available electromagnetic spectrum. One of the identified, most-promising techniques to support high performance and high data rate communication for future wireless broadband services is the deployment of multi-input multi-output (MIMO) antenna systems with orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). The combination of MIMO and OFDM techniques guarantees a much more reliable and robust transmission over a hostile wireless channel through coding over the space, time and frequency domains. In this thesis, two full-rate space-time coded OFDM systems are proposed. The first one, designed for two transmit antennas, is called extended super-orthogonal space-time trellis coded OFDM (ESOSTTC-OFDM), and is based on constellation rotation. The second one, called super-quasi-orthogonal space-time trellis coded OFDM (SQOSTTCOFDM), combines a quasi-orthogonal space-time block code with a trellis code to provide a full-rate code for four transmit antennas. The designed space-time coded MIMO-OFDM systems achieve a high diversity order with high coding gain by exploiting the diversity advantage of frequency-selective fading channels. Concatenated codes have been shown to be an effective technique of achieving reliable communication close to the Shannon limit, provided that there is sufficient available diversity. In a bid to improve the performance of the super orthogonal space-time trellis code (SOSTTC) in frequency selective fading channels, five distinct concatenated codes are proposed for MIMO-OFDM over frequency-selective fading channels in the second part of this thesis. Four of the coding schemes are based on the concatenation of convolutional coding, interleaving, and space-time coding, along multiple-transmitter diversity systems, while the fifth coding scheme is based on the concatenation of two space-time codes and interleaving. The proposed concatenated Super-Orthogonal Space-Time Turbo-Coded OFDM System I. B. Oluwafemi 2012 vii coding schemes in MIMO-OFDM systems achieve high diversity gain by exploiting available diversity resources of frequency-selective fading channels and achieve a high coding gain through concatenations by employing the turbo principle. Using computer software simulations, the performance of the concatenated SOSTTC-OFDM schemes is compared with those of concatenated space-time trellis codes and those of conventional SOSTTC-OFDM schemes in frequency-selective fading channels. Simulation results show that the concatenated SOSTTC-OFDM system outperformed the concatenated space-time trellis codes and the conventional SOSTTC-OFDM system under the various channel scenarios in terms of both diversity order and coding gain

Rate enhancement and multi-relay selection schemes for application in wireless cooperative networks

In this thesis new methods are presented to achieve performance enhancement in wireless cooperative networks. In particular, techniques to improve transmission rate, mitigate asynchronous transmission and maximise end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio are described. An offset transmission scheme with full interference cancellation for a two-hop synchronous network with frequency flat links and four relays is introduced. This approach can asymptotically, as the symbol block size increases, achieve maximum transmission rate together with full cooperative diversity provided the destination node has multiple antennas. A novel full inter-relay interference cancellation method that also achieves asymptotically maximum rate and full cooperative diversity is then designed which only requires a single antenna at the destination node. Extension to asynchronous networks is then considered through the use of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) type transmission with a cyclic prefix, and interference cancellation techniques are designed for situations when synchronization errors are present in only the second hop or both the first and second hop. End-to-end bit error rate evaluations, with and without outer coding, are used to assess the performance of the various offset transmission schemes. Multi-relay selection methods for cooperative amplify and forward type networks are then studied in order to overcome the degradation of end-to-end bit error rate performance in single-relay selection networks when there are feedback errors in the destination to relay node links. Outage probability analysis for two and four relay selection is performed to show the advantage of multi-relay selection when no interference occurs and when adjacent cell interference is present both at the relay nodes and the destination node. Simulation studies are included which support the theoretical expressions. Finally, outage probability analysis of a cognitive amplify and forward type relay network with cooperation between certain secondary users, chosen by single and multi-relay (two and four) selection is presented. The cognitive relays are assumed to exploit an underlay approach, which requires adherence to an interference constraint on the primary user. The relay selection is performed either with a max-min strategy or one based on maximising exact end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio. The analyses are again confirmed by numerical evaluations

Channel estimation for SISO and MIMO OFDM communications systems.

Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.Telecommunications in the current information age is increasingly relying on the wireless link. This is because wireless communication has made possible a variety of services ranging from voice to data and now to multimedia. Consequently, demand for new wireless capacity is growing rapidly at a very alarming rate. In a bid to cope with challenges of increasing demand for higher data rate, better quality of service, and higher network capacity, there is a migration from Single Input Single Output (SISO) antenna technology to a more promising Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna technology. On the other hand, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) technique has emerged as a very popular multi-carrier modulation technique to combat the problems associated with physical properties of the wireless channels such as multipath fading, dispersion, and interference. The combination of MIMO technology with OFDM techniques, known as MIMO-OFDM Systems, is considered as a promising solution to enhance the data rate of future broadband wireless communication Systems. This thesis addresses a major area of challenge to both SISO-OFDM and MIMO-OFDM Systems; estimation of accurate channel state information (CSI) in order to make possible coherent detection of the transmitted signal at the receiver end of the system. Hence, the first novel contribution of this thesis is the development of a low complexity adaptive algorithm that is robust against both slow and fast fading channel scenarios, in comparison with other algorithms employed in literature, to implement soft iterative channel estimator for turbo equalizer-based receiver for single antenna communication Systems. Subsequently, a Fast Data Projection Method (FDPM) subspace tracking algorithm is adapted to derive Channel Impulse Response Estimator for implementation of Decision Directed Channel Estimation (DDCE) for Single Input Single Output - Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (SISO-OFDM) Systems. This is implemented in the context of a more realistic Fractionally Spaced-Channel Impulse Response (FS-CIR) channel model, as against the channel characterized by a Sample Spaced-Channel Impulse Response (SS)-CIR widely assumed by other authors. In addition, a fast convergence Variable Step Size Normalized Least Mean Square (VSSNLMS)-based predictor, with low computational complexity in comparison with others in literatures, is derived for the implementation of the CIR predictor module of the DDCE scheme. A novel iterative receiver structure for the FDPM-based Decision Directed Channel Estimation scheme is also designed for SISO-OFDM Systems. The iterative idea is based on Turbo iterative principle. It is shown that improvement in the performance can be achieved with the iterative DDCE scheme for OFDM system in comparison with the non iterative scheme. Lastly, an iterative receiver structure for FDPM-based DDCE scheme earlier designed for SISO OFDM is extended to MIMO-OFDM Systems. In addition, Variable Step Size Normalized Least Mean Square (VSSNLMS)-based channel transfer function estimator is derived in the context of MIMO Channel for the implementation of the CTF estimator module of the iterative Decision Directed Channel Estimation scheme for MIMO-OFDM Systems in place of linear minimum mean square error (MMSE) criterion. The VSSNLMS-based channel transfer function estimator is found to show improved MSE performance of about -4 MSE (dB) at SNR of 5dB in comparison with linear MMSE-based channel transfer function estimator

Secure OFDM System Design for Wireless Communications

Wireless communications is widely employed in modern society and plays an increasingly important role in people\u27s daily life. The broadcast nature of radio propagation, however, causes wireless communications particularly vulnerable to malicious attacks, and leads to critical challenges in securing the wireless transmission. Motivated by the insufficiency of traditional approaches to secure wireless communications, physical layer security that is emerging as a complement to the traditional upper-layer security mechanisms is investigated in this dissertation. Five novel techniques toward the physical layer security of wireless communications are proposed. The first two techniques focus on the security risk assessment in wireless networks to enable a situation-awareness based transmission protection. The third and fourth techniques utilize wireless medium characteristics to enhance the built-in security of wireless communication systems, so as to prevent passive eavesdropping. The last technique provides an embedded confidential signaling link for secure transmitter-receiver interaction in OFDM systems

Advanced Trends in Wireless Communications

Physical limitations on wireless communication channels impose huge challenges to reliable communication. Bandwidth limitations, propagation loss, noise and interference make the wireless channel a narrow pipe that does not readily accommodate rapid flow of data. Thus, researches aim to design systems that are suitable to operate in such channels, in order to have high performance quality of service. Also, the mobility of the communication systems requires further investigations to reduce the complexity and the power consumption of the receiver. This book aims to provide highlights of the current research in the field of wireless communications. The subjects discussed are very valuable to communication researchers rather than researchers in the wireless related areas. The book chapters cover a wide range of wireless communication topics