Implementable Wireless Access for B3G Networks - III: Complexity Reducing Transceiver Structures

This article presents a comprehensive overview of some of the research conducted within Mobile VCE’s Core Wireless Access Research Programme,1 a key focus of which has naturally been on MIMO transceivers. The series of articles offers a coherent view of how the work was structured and comprises a compilation of material that has been presented in detail elsewhere (see references within the article). In this article MIMO channel measurements, analysis, and modeling, which were presented previously in the first article in this series of four, are utilized to develop compact and distributed antenna arrays. Parallel activities led to research into low-complexity MIMO single-user spacetime coding techniques, as well as SISO and MIMO multi-user CDMA-based transceivers for B3G systems. As well as feeding into the industry’s in-house research program, significant extensions of this work are now in hand, within Mobile VCE’s own core activity, aiming toward securing major improvements in delivery efficiency in future wireless systems through crosslayer operation

Channel Estimation for MIMO MC-CDMA Systems

The concepts of MIMO MC-CDMA are not new but the new technologies to improve their functioning are an emerging area of research. In general, most mobile communication systems transmit bits of information in the radio space to the receiver. The radio channels in mobile radio systems are usually multipath fading channels, which cause inter-symbol interference (ISI) in the received signal. To remove ISI from the signal, there is a need of strong equalizer. In this thesis we have focused on simulating the MIMO MC-CDMA systems in MATLAB and designed the channel estimation for them

A Linear Multi-User Detector for STBC MC-CDMA Systems based on the Adaptive Implementation of the Minimum-Conditional Bit-Error-Rate Criterion and on Genetic Algorithm-assisted MMSE Channel Estimation

The implementation of efficient baseband receivers characterized by affordable computational load is a crucial point in the development of transmission systems exploiting diversity in different domains. In this paper, we are proposing a linear multi-user detector for MIMO MC-CDMA systems with Alamouti’s Space-Time Block Coding, inspired by the concept of Minimum Conditional Bit-Error-Rate (MCBER) and relying on Genetic-Algorithm (GA)-assisted MMSE channel estimation. The MCBER combiner has been implemented in adaptive way by using Least-Mean-Square (LMS) optimization. Firstly, we shall analyze the proposed adaptive MCBER MUD receiver with ideal knowledge of Channel Status Information (CSI). Afterwards, we shall consider the complete receiver structure, encompassing also the non-ideal GA-assisted channel estimation. Simulation results evidenced that the proposed MCBER receiver always outperforms state-of-the-art receiver schemes based on EGC and MMSE criterion exploiting the same degree of channel knowledge (i.e. ideal or estimated CSI)

MIMO-aided near-capacity turbo transceivers: taxonomy and performance versus complexity

In this treatise, we firstly review the associated Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) system theory and review the family of hard-decision and soft-decision based detection algorithms in the context of Spatial Division Multiplexing (SDM) systems. Our discussions culminate in the introduction of a range of powerful novel MIMO detectors, such as for example Markov Chain assisted Minimum Bit-Error Rate (MC-MBER) detectors, which are capable of reliably operating in the challenging high-importance rank-deficient scenarios, where there are more transmitters than receivers and hence the resultant channel-matrix becomes non-invertible. As a result, conventional detectors would exhibit a high residual error floor. We then invoke the Soft-Input Soft-Output (SISO) MIMO detectors for creating turbo-detected two- or three-stage concatenated SDM schemes and investigate their attainable performance in the light of their computational complexity. Finally, we introduce the powerful design tools of EXtrinsic Information Transfer (EXIT)-charts and characterize the achievable performance of the diverse near- capacity SISO detectors with the aid of EXIT charts

On receiver design for low density signature OFDM (LDS-OFDM)

Low density signature orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (LDS-OFDM) is an uplink multi-carrier multiple access scheme that uses low density signatures (LDS) for spreading the symbols in the frequency domain. In this paper, we introduce an effective receiver for the LDS-OFDM scheme. We propose a framework to analyze and design this iterative receiver using extrinsic information transfer (EXIT) charts. Furthermore, a turbo multi-user detector/decoder (MUDD) is proposed for the LDS-OFDM receiver. We show how the turbo MUDD is tuned using EXIT charts analysis. By tuning the turbo-style processing, the turbo MUDD can approach the performance of optimum MUDD with a smaller number of inner iterations. Using the suggested design guidelines in this paper, we show that the proposed structure brings about 2.3 dB performance improvement at a bit error rate (BER) equal to 10-5 over conventional LDS-OFDM while keeping the complexity affordable. Simulations for different scenarios also show that the LDS-OFDM outperforms similar well-known multiple access techniques such as multi-carrier code division multiple access (MC-CDMA) and group-orthogonal MC-CDMA

Implementation of a Combined OFDM-Demodulation and WCDMA-Equalization Module

For a dual-mode baseband receiver for the OFDMWireless LAN andWCDMA standards, integration of the demodulation and equalization tasks on a dedicated hardware module has been investigated. For OFDM demodulation, an FFT algorithm based on cascaded twiddle factor decomposition has been selected. This type of algorithm combines high spatial and temporal regularity in the FFT data-flow graphs with a minimal number of computations. A frequency-domain algorithm based on a circulant channel approximation has been selected for WCDMA equalization. It has good performance, low hardware complexity and a low number of computations. Its main advantage is the reuse of the FFT kernel, which contributes to the integration of both tasks. The demodulation and equalization module has been described at the register transfer level with the in-house developed Arx language. The core of the module is a pipelined radix-23 butterfly combined with a complex multiplier and complex divider. The module has an area of 0.447 mm2 in 0.18 ¿m technology and a power consumption of 10.6 mW. The proposed module compares favorably with solutions reported in literature

Multiuser MIMO-OFDM for Next-Generation Wireless Systems

This overview portrays the 40-year evolution of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) research. The amelioration of powerful multicarrier OFDM arrangements with multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems has numerous benefits, which are detailed in this treatise. We continue by highlighting the limitations of conventional detection and channel estimation techniques designed for multiuser MIMO OFDM systems in the so-called rank-deficient scenarios, where the number of users supported or the number of transmit antennas employed exceeds the number of receiver antennas. This is often encountered in practice, unless we limit the number of users granted access in the base station’s or radio port’s coverage area. Following a historical perspective on the associated design problems and their state-of-the-art solutions, the second half of this treatise details a range of classic multiuser detectors (MUDs) designed for MIMO-OFDM systems and characterizes their achievable performance. A further section aims for identifying novel cutting-edge genetic algorithm (GA)-aided detector solutions, which have found numerous applications in wireless communications in recent years. In an effort to stimulate the cross pollination of ideas across the machine learning, optimization, signal processing, and wireless communications research communities, we will review the broadly applicable principles of various GA-assisted optimization techniques, which were recently proposed also for employment inmultiuser MIMO OFDM. In order to stimulate new research, we demonstrate that the family of GA-aided MUDs is capable of achieving a near-optimum performance at the cost of a significantly lower computational complexity than that imposed by their optimum maximum-likelihood (ML) MUD aided counterparts. The paper is concluded by outlining a range of future research options that may find their way into next-generation wireless systems

Interference-Mitigating Waveform Design for Next-Generation Wireless Systems

A brief historical perspective of the evolution of waveform designs employed in consecutive generations of wireless communications systems is provided, highlighting the range of often conflicting demands on the various waveform characteristics. As the culmination of recent advances in the field the underlying benefits of various Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) schemes are highlighted and exemplified. As an integral part of the appropriate waveform design, cognizance is given to the particular choice of the duplexing scheme used for supporting full-duplex communications and it is demonstrated that Time Division Duplexing (TDD) is substantially outperformed by Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD), unless the TDD scheme is combined with further sophisticated scheduling, MIMOs and/or adaptive modulation/coding. It is also argued that the specific choice of the Direct-Sequence (DS) spreading codes invoked in DS-CDMA predetermines the properties of the system. It is demonstrated that a specifically designed family of spreading codes exhibits a so-called interference-free window (IFW) and hence the resultant system is capable of outperforming its standardised counterpart employing classic Orthogonal Variable Spreading Factor (OVSF) codes under realistic dispersive channel conditions, provided that the interfering multi-user and multipath components arrive within this IFW. This condition may be ensured with the aid of quasisynchronous adaptive timing advance control. However, a limitation of the system is that the number of spreading codes exhibiting a certain IFW is limited, although this problem may be mitigated with the aid of novel code design principles, employing a combination of several spreading sequences in the time-frequency and spatial-domain. The paper is concluded by quantifying the achievable user load of a UTRA-like TDD Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system employing Loosely Synchronized (LS) spreading codes exhibiting an IFW in comparison to that of its counterpart using OVSF codes. Both system's performance is enhanced using beamforming MIMOs

Near-Instantaneously Adaptive HSDPA-Style OFDM Versus MC-CDMA Transceivers for WIFI, WIMAX, and Next-Generation Cellular Systems

Burts-by-burst (BbB) adaptive high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) style multicarrier systems are reviewed, identifying their most critical design aspects. These systems exhibit numerous attractive features, rendering them eminently eligible for employment in next-generation wireless systems. It is argued that BbB-adaptive or symbol-by-symbol adaptive orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) modems counteract the near instantaneous channel quality variations and hence attain an increased throughput or robustness in comparison to their fixed-mode counterparts. Although they act quite differently, various diversity techniques, such as Rake receivers and space-time block coding (STBC) are also capable of mitigating the channel quality variations in their effort to reduce the bit error ratio (BER), provided that the individual antenna elements experience independent fading. By contrast, in the presence of correlated fading imposed by shadowing or time-variant multiuser interference, the benefits of space-time coding erode and it is unrealistic to expect that a fixed-mode space-time coded system remains capable of maintaining a near-constant BER