Distributed space time block coding in asynchronous cooperative relay networks

The design and analysis of various distributed space time block coding schemes for asynchronous cooperative relay networks is considered in this thesis. Rayleigh frequency flat fading channels are assumed to model the links in the networks, and interference suppression techniques together with an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing type transmission approach are employed to mitigate the synchronization errors at the destination node induced by the different delays through the relay nodes. Closed-loop space time block coding is first considered in the context of decode-and-forward (regenerative) networks. In particular, quasi orthogonal and extended orthogonal coding techniques are employed for transmission from four relay nodes and parallel interference cancellation detection is exploited to mitigate synchronization errors. Availability of a direct link between the source and destination nodes is studied, and a new Alamouti space time block coding technique with parallel interference cancellation detection which does not require such a direct link connection and employs two relay nodes is proposed. Outer coding is then added to gain further improvement in end-to-end performance and amplify-and-forward (non regenerative) type networks together with distributed space time coding are considered to reduce relay node complexity. Novel detection schemes are then proposed for decode-and-forward networks with closed-loop extended orthogonal coding which reduce the computational complexity of the parallel interference cancellation. Both sub-optimum and near-optimum detectors are presented for relay nodes with single or dual antennas. End-to-end bit error rate simulations confirm the potential of the approaches and their ability to mitigate synchronization errors. A relay selection approach is also formulated which maximizes spatial diversity gain and attains robustness to timing errors. Finally, a new closed-loop distributed extended orthogonal space time block coding solution for amplify-and-forward type networks which minimizes the number of feedback bits by using a cyclic rotation phase is presented. This approach utilizes an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing type transmission structure with a cyclic prefix to mitigate synchronization errors. End-to-end bit error performance evaluations verify the efficacy of the scheme and its success in overcoming synchronization errors

Self-concatenated coding for wireless communication systems

In this thesis, we have explored self-concatenated coding schemes that are designed for transmission over Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN) and uncorrelated Rayleigh fading channels. We designed both the symbol-based Self-ConcatenatedCodes considered using Trellis Coded Modulation (SECTCM) and bit-based Self- Concatenated Convolutional Codes (SECCC) using a Recursive Systematic Convolutional (RSC) encoder as constituent codes, respectively. The design of these codes was carried out with the aid of Extrinsic Information Transfer (EXIT) charts. The EXIT chart based design has been found an efficient tool in finding the decoding convergence threshold of the constituent codes. Additionally, in order to recover the information loss imposed by employing binary rather than non-binary schemes, a soft decision demapper was introduced in order to exchange extrinsic information withthe SECCC decoder. To analyse this information exchange 3D-EXIT chart analysis was invoked for visualizing the extrinsic information exchange between the proposed Iteratively Decoding aided SECCC and soft-decision demapper (SECCC-ID). Some of the proposed SECTCM, SECCC and SECCC-ID schemes perform within about 1 dB from the AWGN and Rayleigh fading channels’ capacity. A union bound analysis of SECCC codes was carried out to find the corresponding Bit Error Ratio (BER) floors. The union bound of SECCCs was derived for communications over both AWGN and uncorrelated Rayleigh fading channels, based on a novel interleaver concept.Application of SECCCs in both UltraWideBand (UWB) and state-of-the-art video-telephone schemes demonstrated its practical benefits.In order to further exploit the benefits of the low complexity design offered by SECCCs we explored their application in a distributed coding scheme designed for cooperative communications, where iterative detection is employed by exchanging extrinsic information between the decoders of SECCC and RSC at the destination. In the first transmission period of cooperation, the relay receives the potentially erroneous data and attempts to recover the information. The recovered information is then re-encoded at the relay using an RSC encoder. In the second transmission period this information is then retransmitted to the destination. The resultant symbols transmitted from the source and relay nodes can be viewed as the coded symbols of a three-component parallel-concatenated encoder. At the destination a Distributed Binary Self-Concatenated Coding scheme using Iterative Decoding (DSECCC-ID) was employed, where the two decoders (SECCC and RSC) exchange their extrinsic information. It was shown that the DSECCC-ID is a low-complexity scheme, yet capable of approaching the Discrete-input Continuous-output Memoryless Channels’s (DCMC) capacity.Finally, we considered coding schemes designed for two nodes communicating with each other with the aid of a relay node, where the relay receives information from the two nodes in the first transmission period. At the relay node we combine a powerful Superposition Coding (SPC) scheme with SECCC. It is assumed that decoding errors may be encountered at the relay node. The relay node then broadcasts this information in the second transmission period after re-encoding it, again, using a SECCC encoder. At the destination, the amalgamated block of Successive Interference Cancellation (SIC) scheme combined with SECCC then detects and decodes the signal either with or without the aid of a priori information. Our simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme is capable of reliably operating at a low BER for transmission over both AWGN and uncorrelated Rayleigh fading channels. We compare the proposed scheme’s performance to a direct transmission link between the two sources having the same throughput