Optimal space-time codes for the MIMO amplify-and-forward cooperative channel

In this work, we extend the non-orthogonal amplify-and-forward (NAF) cooperative diversity scheme to the MIMO channel. A family of space-time block codes for a half-duplex MIMO NAF fading cooperative channel with N relays is constructed. The code construction is based on the non-vanishing determinant criterion (NVD) and is shown to achieve the optimal diversity-multiplexing tradeoff (DMT) of the channel. We provide a general explicit algebraic construction, followed by some examples. In particular, in the single relay case, it is proved that the Golden code and the 4x4 Perfect code are optimal for the single-antenna and two-antenna case, respectively. Simulation results reveal that a significant gain (up to 10dB) can be obtained with the proposed codes, especially in the single-antenna case.Comment: submitted to IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, revised versio

Cooperative Symbol-Based Signaling for Networks with Multiple Relays

Wireless channels suffer from severe inherent impairments and hence reliable and high data rate wireless transmission is particularly challenging to achieve. Fortunately, using multiple antennae improves performance in wireless transmission by providing space diversity, spatial multiplexing, and power gains. However, in wireless ad-hoc networks multiple antennae may not be acceptable due to limitations in size, cost, and hardware complexity. As a result, cooperative relaying strategies have attracted considerable attention because of their abilities to take advantage of multi-antenna by using multiple single-antenna relays. This study is to explore cooperative signaling for different relay networks, such as multi-hop relay networks formed by multiple single-antenna relays and multi-stage relay networks formed by multiple relaying stages with each stage holding several single-antenna relays. The main contribution of this study is the development of a new relaying scheme for networks using symbol-level modulation, such as binary phase shift keying (BPSK) and quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK). We also analyze effects of this newly developed scheme when it is used with space-time coding in a multi-stage relay network. Simulation results demonstrate that the new scheme outperforms previously proposed schemes: amplify-and-forward (AF) scheme and decode-and-forward (DF) scheme

DMT Optimality of LR-Aided Linear Decoders for a General Class of Channels, Lattice Designs, and System Models

The work identifies the first general, explicit, and non-random MIMO encoder-decoder structures that guarantee optimality with respect to the diversity-multiplexing tradeoff (DMT), without employing a computationally expensive maximum-likelihood (ML) receiver. Specifically, the work establishes the DMT optimality of a class of regularized lattice decoders, and more importantly the DMT optimality of their lattice-reduction (LR)-aided linear counterparts. The results hold for all channel statistics, for all channel dimensions, and most interestingly, irrespective of the particular lattice-code applied. As a special case, it is established that the LLL-based LR-aided linear implementation of the MMSE-GDFE lattice decoder facilitates DMT optimal decoding of any lattice code at a worst-case complexity that grows at most linearly in the data rate. This represents a fundamental reduction in the decoding complexity when compared to ML decoding whose complexity is generally exponential in rate. The results' generality lends them applicable to a plethora of pertinent communication scenarios such as quasi-static MIMO, MIMO-OFDM, ISI, cooperative-relaying, and MIMO-ARQ channels, in all of which the DMT optimality of the LR-aided linear decoder is guaranteed. The adopted approach yields insight, and motivates further study, into joint transceiver designs with an improved SNR gap to ML decoding.Comment: 16 pages, 1 figure (3 subfigures), submitted to the IEEE Transactions on Information Theor

Distributed Space-Time Coding Based on Adjustable Code Matrices for Cooperative MIMO Relaying Systems

An adaptive distributed space-time coding (DSTC) scheme is proposed for two-hop cooperative MIMO networks. Linear minimum mean square error (MMSE) receive filters and adjustable code matrices are considered subject to a power constraint with an amplify-and-forward (AF) cooperation strategy. In the proposed adaptive DSTC scheme, an adjustable code matrix obtained by a feedback channel is employed to transform the space-time coded matrix at the relay node. The effects of the limited feedback and the feedback errors are assessed. Linear MMSE expressions are devised to compute the parameters of the adjustable code matrix and the linear receive filters. Stochastic gradient (SG) and least-squares (LS) algorithms are also developed with reduced computational complexity. An upper bound on the pairwise error probability analysis is derived and indicates the advantage of employing the adjustable code matrices at the relay nodes. An alternative optimization algorithm for the adaptive DSTC scheme is also derived in order to eliminate the need for the feedback. The algorithm provides a fully distributed scheme for the adaptive DSTC at the relay node based on the minimization of the error probability. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithms obtain significant performance gains as compared to existing DSTC schemes.Comment: 6 figure

Adaptive Randomized Distributed Space-Time Coding in Cooperative MIMO Relay Systems

An adaptive randomized distributed space-time coding (DSTC) scheme and algorithms are proposed for two-hop cooperative MIMO networks. Linear minimum mean square error (MMSE) receivers and an amplify-and-forward (AF) cooperation strategy are considered. In the proposed DSTC scheme, a randomized matrix obtained by a feedback channel is employed to transform the space-time coded matrix at the relay node. Linear MMSE expressions are devised to compute the parameters of the adaptive randomized matrix and the linear receive filter. A stochastic gradient algorithm is also developed to compute the parameters of the adaptive randomized matrix with reduced computational complexity. We also derive the upper bound of the error probability of a cooperative MIMO system employing the randomized space-time coding scheme first. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithms obtain significant performance gains as compared to existing DSTC schemes.Comment: 4 figure

On Outage Probability and Diversity-Multiplexing Tradeoff in MIMO Relay Channels

Fading MIMO relay channels are studied analytically, when the source and destination are equipped with multiple antennas and the relays have a single one. Compact closed-form expressions are obtained for the outage probability under i.i.d. and correlated Rayleigh-fading links. Low-outage approximations are derived, which reveal a number of insights, including the impact of correlation, of the number of antennas, of relay noise and of relaying protocol. The effect of correlation is shown to be negligible, unless the channel becomes almost fully correlated. The SNR loss of relay fading channels compared to the AWGN channel is quantified. The SNR-asymptotic diversity-multiplexing tradeoff (DMT) is obtained for a broad class of fading distributions, including, as special cases, Rayleigh, Rice, Nakagami, Weibull, which may be non-identical, spatially correlated and/or non-zero mean. The DMT is shown to depend not on a particular fading distribution, but rather on its polynomial behavior near zero, and is the same for the simple "amplify-and-forward" protocol and more complicated "decode-and-forward" one with capacity achieving codes, i.e. the full processing capability at the relay does not help to improve the DMT. There is however a significant difference between the SNR-asymptotic DMT and the finite-SNR outage performance: while the former is not improved by using an extra antenna on either side, the latter can be significantly improved and, in particular, an extra antenna can be traded-off for a full processing capability at the relay. The results are extended to the multi-relay channels with selection relaying and typical outage events are identified.Comment: accepted by IEEE Trans. on Comm., 201