Channel Estimation in Coded Modulation Systems

With the outstanding performance of coded modulation techniques in fading channels, much research efforts have been carried out on the design of communication systems able to operate at low signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). From this perspective, the so-called iterative decoding principle has been applied to many signal processing tasks at the receiver: demodulation, detection, decoding, synchronization and channel estimation. Nevertheless, at low SNRs, conventional channel estimators do not perform satisfactorily. This thesis is mainly concerned with channel estimation issues in coded modulation systems where different diversity techniques are exploited to combat fading in single or multiple antenna systems. First, for single antenna systems in fast time-varying fading channels, the thesis focuses on designing a training sequence by exploiting signal space diversity (SSD). Motivated by the power/bandwidth efficiency of the SSD technique, the proposed training sequence inserts pilot bits into the coded bits prior to constellation mapping and signal rotation. This scheme spreads the training sequence during a transmitted codeword and helps the estimator to track fast variation of the channel gains. A comprehensive comparison between the proposed training scheme and the conventional training scheme is then carried out, which reveals several interesting conclusions with respect to both error performance of the system and mean square error of the channel estimator. For multiple antenna systems, different schemes are examined in this thesis for the estimation of block-fading channels. For typical coded modulation systems with multiple antennas, the first scheme makes a distinction between the iteration in the channel estimation and the iteration in the decoding. Then, the estimator begins iteration when the soft output of the decoder at the decoding iteration meets some specified reliability conditions. This scheme guarantees the convergence of the iterative receiver with iterative channel estimator. To accelerate the convergence process and decrease the complexity of successive iterations, in the second scheme, the channel estimator estimates channel state information (CSI) at each iteration with a combination of the training sequence and soft information. For coded modulation systems with precoding technique, in which a precoder is used after the modulator, the training sequence and data symbols are combined using a linear precoder to decrease the required training overhead. The power allocation and the placement of the training sequence to be precoded are obtained based on a lower bound on the mean square error of the channel estimation. It is demonstrated that considerable performance improvement is possible when the training symbols are embedded within data symbols with an equi-spaced pattern. In the last scheme, a joint precoder and training sequence is developed to maximize the achievable coding gain and diversity order under imperfect CSI. In particular, both the asymptotic performance behavior of the system with the precoded training scheme under imperfect CSI and the mean square error of the channel estimation are derived to obtain achievable diversity order and coding gain. Simulation results demonstrate that the joint optimized scheme outperforms the existing training schemes for systems with given precoders in terms of error rate and the amount of training overhead

Transmit and Receive Signal Processing for MIMO Terrestrial Broadcast Systems

[EN] Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology in Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) networks has the potential to increase the spectral efficiency and improve network coverage to cope with the competition of limited spectrum use (e.g., assignment of digital dividend and spectrum demands of mobile broadband), the appearance of new high data rate services (e.g., ultra-high definition TV - UHDTV), and the ubiquity of the content (e.g., fixed, portable, and mobile). It is widely recognised that MIMO can provide multiple benefits such as additional receive power due to array gain, higher resilience against signal outages due to spatial diversity, and higher data rates due to the spatial multiplexing gain of the MIMO channel. These benefits can be achieved without additional transmit power nor additional bandwidth, but normally come at the expense of a higher system complexity at the transmitter and receiver ends. The final system performance gains due to the use of MIMO directly depend on physical characteristics of the propagation environment such as spatial correlation, antenna orientation, and/or power imbalances experienced at the transmit aerials. Additionally, due to complexity constraints and finite-precision arithmetic at the receivers, it is crucial for the overall system performance to carefully design specific signal processing algorithms. This dissertation focuses on transmit and received signal processing for DTT systems using MIMO-BICM (Bit-Interleaved Coded Modulation) without feedback channel to the transmitter from the receiver terminals. At the transmitter side, this thesis presents investigations on MIMO precoding in DTT systems to overcome system degradations due to different channel conditions. At the receiver side, the focus is given on design and evaluation of practical MIMO-BICM receivers based on quantized information and its impact in both the in-chip memory size and system performance. These investigations are carried within the standardization process of DVB-NGH (Digital Video Broadcasting - Next Generation Handheld) the handheld evolution of DVB-T2 (Terrestrial - Second Generation), and ATSC 3.0 (Advanced Television Systems Committee - Third Generation), which incorporate MIMO-BICM as key technology to overcome the Shannon limit of single antenna communications. Nonetheless, this dissertation employs a generic approach in the design, analysis and evaluations, hence, the results and ideas can be applied to other wireless broadcast communication systems using MIMO-BICM.[ES] La tecnología de múltiples entradas y múltiples salidas (MIMO) en redes de Televisión Digital Terrestre (TDT) tiene el potencial de incrementar la eficiencia espectral y mejorar la cobertura de red para afrontar las demandas de uso del escaso espectro electromagnético (e.g., designación del dividendo digital y la demanda de espectro por parte de las redes de comunicaciones móviles), la aparición de nuevos contenidos de alta tasa de datos (e.g., ultra-high definition TV - UHDTV) y la ubicuidad del contenido (e.g., fijo, portable y móvil). Es ampliamente reconocido que MIMO puede proporcionar múltiples beneficios como: potencia recibida adicional gracias a las ganancias de array, mayor robustez contra desvanecimientos de la señal gracias a la diversidad espacial y mayores tasas de transmisión gracias a la ganancia por multiplexado del canal MIMO. Estos beneficios se pueden conseguir sin incrementar la potencia transmitida ni el ancho de banda, pero normalmente se obtienen a expensas de una mayor complejidad del sistema tanto en el transmisor como en el receptor. Las ganancias de rendimiento finales debido al uso de MIMO dependen directamente de las características físicas del entorno de propagación como: la correlación entre los canales espaciales, la orientación de las antenas y/o los desbalances de potencia sufridos en las antenas transmisoras. Adicionalmente, debido a restricciones en la complejidad y aritmética de precisión finita en los receptores, es fundamental para el rendimiento global del sistema un diseño cuidadoso de algoritmos específicos de procesado de señal. Esta tesis doctoral se centra en el procesado de señal, tanto en el transmisor como en el receptor, para sistemas TDT que implementan MIMO-BICM (Bit-Interleaved Coded Modulation) sin canal de retorno hacia el transmisor desde los receptores. En el transmisor esta tesis presenta investigaciones en precoding MIMO en sistemas TDT para superar las degradaciones del sistema debidas a diferentes condiciones del canal. En el receptor se presta especial atención al diseño y evaluación de receptores prácticos MIMO-BICM basados en información cuantificada y a su impacto tanto en la memoria del chip como en el rendimiento del sistema. Estas investigaciones se llevan a cabo en el contexto de estandarización de DVB-NGH (Digital Video Broadcasting - Next Generation Handheld), la evolución portátil de DVB-T2 (Second Generation Terrestrial), y ATSC 3.0 (Advanced Television Systems Commitee - Third Generation) que incorporan MIMO-BICM como clave tecnológica para superar el límite de Shannon para comunicaciones con una única antena. No obstante, esta tesis doctoral emplea un método genérico tanto para el diseño, análisis y evaluación, por lo que los resultados e ideas pueden ser aplicados a otros sistemas de comunicación inalámbricos que empleen MIMO-BICM.[CA] La tecnologia de múltiples entrades i múltiples eixides (MIMO) en xarxes de Televisió Digital Terrestre (TDT) té el potencial d'incrementar l'eficiència espectral i millorar la cobertura de xarxa per a afrontar les demandes d'ús de l'escàs espectre electromagnètic (e.g., designació del dividend digital i la demanda d'espectre per part de les xarxes de comunicacions mòbils), l'aparició de nous continguts d'alta taxa de dades (e.g., ultra-high deffinition TV - UHDTV) i la ubiqüitat del contingut (e.g., fix, portàtil i mòbil). És àmpliament reconegut que MIMO pot proporcionar múltiples beneficis com: potència rebuda addicional gràcies als guanys de array, major robustesa contra esvaïments del senyal gràcies a la diversitat espacial i majors taxes de transmissió gràcies al guany per multiplexat del canal MIMO. Aquests beneficis es poden aconseguir sense incrementar la potència transmesa ni l'ample de banda, però normalment s'obtenen a costa d'una major complexitat del sistema tant en el transmissor com en el receptor. Els guanys de rendiment finals a causa de l'ús de MIMO depenen directament de les característiques físiques de l'entorn de propagació com: la correlació entre els canals espacials, l'orientació de les antenes, i/o els desequilibris de potència patits en les antenes transmissores. Addicionalment, a causa de restriccions en la complexitat i aritmètica de precisió finita en els receptors, és fonamental per al rendiment global del sistema un disseny acurat d'algorismes específics de processament de senyal. Aquesta tesi doctoral se centra en el processament de senyal tant en el transmissor com en el receptor per a sistemes TDT que implementen MIMO-BICM (Bit-Interleaved Coded Modulation) sense canal de tornada cap al transmissor des dels receptors. En el transmissor aquesta tesi presenta recerques en precoding MIMO en sistemes TDT per a superar les degradacions del sistema degudes a diferents condicions del canal. En el receptor es presta especial atenció al disseny i avaluació de receptors pràctics MIMO-BICM basats en informació quantificada i al seu impacte tant en la memòria del xip com en el rendiment del sistema. Aquestes recerques es duen a terme en el context d'estandardització de DVB-NGH (Digital Video Broadcasting - Next Generation Handheld), l'evolució portàtil de DVB-T2 (Second Generation Terrestrial), i ATSC 3.0 (Advanced Television Systems Commitee - Third Generation) que incorporen MIMO-BICM com a clau tecnològica per a superar el límit de Shannon per a comunicacions amb una única antena. No obstant açò, aquesta tesi doctoral empra un mètode genèric tant per al disseny, anàlisi i avaluació, per la qual cosa els resultats i idees poden ser aplicats a altres sistemes de comunicació sense fils que empren MIMO-BICM.Vargas Paredero, DE. (2016). Transmit and Receive Signal Processing for MIMO Terrestrial Broadcast Systems [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/66081TESISPremiad

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

Low Dimensional MIMO Systems with Finite Sized Constellation Inputs

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