Real-time dynamic spectrum management for multi-user multi-carrier communication systems

Dynamic spectrum management is recognized as a key technique to tackle interference in multi-user multi-carrier communication systems and networks. However existing dynamic spectrum management algorithms may not be suitable when the available computation time and compute power are limited, i.e., when a very fast responsiveness is required. In this paper, we present a new paradigm, theory and algorithm for real-time dynamic spectrum management (RT-DSM) under tight real-time constraints. Specifically, a RT-DSM algorithm can be stopped at any point in time while guaranteeing a feasible and improved solution. This is enabled by the introduction of a novel difference-of-variables (DoV) transformation and problem reformulation, for which a primal coordinate ascent approach is proposed with exact line search via a logarithmicly scaled grid search. The concrete proposed algorithm is referred to as iterative power difference balancing (IPDB). Simulations for different realistic wireline and wireless interference limited systems demonstrate its good performance, low complexity and wide applicability under different configurations.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures. This work has been submitted to the IEEE for possible publicatio

Optimal multi-user spectrum balancing for digital subscriber lines

Crosstalk is a major issue in modern digital subscriber line (DSL) systems such as ADSL and VDSL. Static spectrum management, which is the traditional way of ensuring spectral compatibility, employs spectral masks that can be overly conservative and lead to poor performance. This paper presents a centralized algorithm for optimal spectrum balancing in DSL. The algorithm uses the dual decomposition method to optimize spectra in an efficient and computationally tractable way. The algorithm shows significant performance gains over existing dynamic spectrum management (DSM) techniques, e.g., in one of the cases studied, the proposed centralized algorithm leads to a factor-of-four increase in data rate over the distributed DSM algorithm iterative waterfilling

A Near-Optimal Linear Crosstalk Precoder for VDSL

Crosstalk is the major source of performance degradation in VDSL. In downstream transmission crosstalk precoding can be applied. The transmitted signal is predistorted, such that the predistortion annihilates with the crosstalk introduced in the binder. Several crosstalk precoders have been proposed. Unfortunately they either give poor performance or require non-linear operations, which results in a high complexity. In this paper we present a simple, linear diagonalizing crosstalk precoder with low run-time complexity. A lower bound on the performance of the DP is derived. This allows performance to be predicted without explicit knowledge of the crosstalk channels, which simplies service provisioning considerably. This bound shows that the DP operates close to the single-user bound. So the DP is a low complexity design with predictable, near-optimal performance. The combination of spectra optimization and crosstalk precoding is also considered. Spectra optimization in a broadcast channel generally involves a highly complex optimization problem. Since the DP decouples transmission on each line, the spectrum on each modem can be optimized through a dual decomposition, leading to a significant reduction in complexity

A Near-Optimal Linear Crosstalk Canceler for VDSL

Crosstalk is the major source of performance degradation in VDSL. Several crosstalk cancelers have been proposed to address this. Unfortunately they suffer from error propagation, high complexity and long latency. In this paper we present a simple, linear zero forcing (ZF) crosstalk canceler. This design has a low complexity, no latency and does not suffer from error propagation. Furthermore, due to the well conditioned structure of the VDSL channel matrix, the ZF design causes negligible noise enhancement. A lower bound on the performance of the linear ZF canceler is derived. This allows performance to be predicted without explicit knowledge of the crosstalk channels, which simplies service provisioning considerably. This bound shows that the linear ZF canceler operates close to the single user bound. So the linear ZF canceler is a low complexity, low latency design with predictable, near-optimal performance. The combination of spectral optimization and crosstalk cancellation is also considered. Spectra optimization in a multi-access channel generally involves a highly complex optimization problem. Since the linear ZF canceler decouples transmission on each line, the spectrum on each modem can be optimized independently, leading to a signicant reduction in complexity.

Partial Crosstalk Precompensation in Downstream VDSL

Very high bit-rate digital subscriber line (VDSL) is the latest generation in the ongoing evolution of DSL standards. VDSL aims at bringing truly broadband access, greater than 52 Mbps in the downstream, to the mass consumer market. This is achieved by transmitting in frequencies up to 12 MHz. Operating at such high frequencies gives rise to crosstalk between the DSL systems in a binder, limiting achievable data-rates. Crosstalk is typically 10-15 dB larger than other noise sources and is the primary limitation on performance in VDSL. In downstream transmission several crosstalk precompensation schemes have been proposed to address this issue. Whilst these schemes lead to large performance gains, they also have extremely high complexities, beyond the scope of current implementation. In this paper we develop the concept of partial crosstalk precompensation. The majority of the crosstalk experienced in a DSL system comes from only a few other lines within the binder. Furthermore its effects are limited to a small subset of tones. Partial precompensation exploits this by limiting precompensation to the tones and lines where it gives maximum benefit. As a result, these schemes achieve the majority of the gains of full crosstalk precompensation at a fraction of the run-time complexity. In this paper we develop several partial precompensation schemes. We show that with only 20% of the run-time complexity of full precompensation it is possible to achieve 80% of the performance gains

Enhanced multi-user DMT spectrum management using polynomial matrix decomposition techniques

This thesis researches the increasingly critical roles played by intelligent resource management and interference mitigation algorithms in present-day input multiple output (MIMO) communication systems. This thesis considers the application of polynomial matrix decomposition (PMD) algorithms, an emerging broadband factorisation technology for broadband MIMO access networks. Present DSL systems’ performance is constrained by the presence of interference (crosstalk) between multiple users sharing a common physical cable bundle. Compared to the traditional static spectrum management methods that define their survival to the worst-case scenarios, DSM methods provides some degree of flexibility to both direct channel and noise parameters to improve evolvability and robustness significantly. A novel crosstalk-aware DSM algorithm is proposed for the efficient management of multi-user DSL systems. Joint power allocation procedures are considered for the proposed single-channel equalisation method in DSL access networks. This thesis then shows that DSM can also benefit overdetermined precoding-equalisation systems, when the channel state information (CSI) parameters call for a specific decision feedback criterion to achieve a perfect reconstruction. A reasonable redundancy is introduced to reformulate the original multi-user MIMO problem into the simplest case of power management problem. DSM algorithms are primarily applied to solve the power allocation problem in DSM networks with the aim of maximising the system attribute rather than meeting specific requirements. Also, a powerful PMD algorithm known as sequential matrix diagonalisation (SMD) is used for analysing the eigenvalue decomposition problem by quantifying the available system resource including the effects of the crosstalk and its parameters. This analysis is carried out through joint precoding and equalisation structures. The thesis also investigates dynamic interference mitigation strategies for improving the performance of DSL networks. Two different mitigation strategies through a decision feedback equalisation (DFE) criterion are considered, including zero-forcing (ZF) and minimum mean square error (MMSE) equalisers. The difference between ZF and MMSE equalisations is analysed. Some experimental simulation results demonstrate the performance of both ZF and MMSE equalisation under the DFE equalisation constraint settings. Model reduction on the MMSE equalisation is thus applied to balance the crosstalk interference and enhance the data-rate throughput. Finally, the thesis studies a multi-user MIMO problem under the utility maximisation framework. Simulation results illustrate that the power allocation of multi-user DSL transmission can be jointly controlled and the interference can often be mitigated optimally on a single user basis. Driven by imperfect CSI information in current DSL networks, the research presents a novel DSM method that allows not only crosstalk mitigation, but also the exploitation of crosstalk environments through the fielding of versatile, flexible and evolvable systems. The proposed DSM tool is presented to achieve a robust mitigating system in any arbitrary overdetermined multi-user MIMO environment. Numerical optimisation results show that the mitigation of crosstalk impairment using the proposed DSM strategy. The design and implementation of the proposed DSM are carried out in the environment of MATLAB