Récepteur itératif pour les systèmes MIMO-OFDM basé sur le décodage sphérique : convergence, performance et complexité

Recently, iterative processing has been widely considered to achieve near-capacity performance and reliable high data rate transmission, for future wireless communication systems. However, such an iterative processing poses significant challenges for efficient receiver design. In this thesis, iterative receiver combining multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) detection with channel decoding is investigated for high data rate transmission. The convergence, the performance and the computational complexity of the iterative receiver for MIMO-OFDM system are considered. First, we review the most relevant hard-output and soft-output MIMO detection algorithms based on sphere decoding, K-Best decoding, and interference cancellation. Consequently, a low-complexity K-best (LCK- Best) based decoder is proposed in order to substantially reduce the computational complexity without significant performance degradation. We then analyze the convergence behaviors of combining these detection algorithms with various forward error correction codes, namely LTE turbo decoder and LDPC decoder with the help of Extrinsic Information Transfer (EXIT) charts. Based on this analysis, a new scheduling order of the required inner and outer iterations is suggested. The performance of the proposed receiver is evaluated in various LTE channel environments, and compared with other MIMO detection schemes. Secondly, the computational complexity of the iterative receiver with different channel coding techniques is evaluated and compared for different modulation orders and coding rates. Simulation results show that our proposed approaches achieve near optimal performance but more importantly it can substantially reduce the computational complexity of the system. From a practical point of view, fixed-point representation is usually used in order to reduce the hardware costs in terms of area, power consumption and execution time. Therefore, we present efficient fixed point arithmetic of the proposed iterative receiver based on LC-KBest decoder. Additionally, the impact of the channel estimation on the system performance is studied. The proposed iterative receiver is tested in a real-time environment using the MIMO WARP platform.Pour permettre l’accroissement de débit et de robustesse dans les futurs systèmes de communication sans fil, les processus itératifs sont de plus considérés dans les récepteurs. Cependant, l’adoption d’un traitement itératif pose des défis importants dans la conception du récepteur. Dans cette thèse, un récepteur itératif combinant les techniques de détection multi-antennes avec le décodage de canal est étudié. Trois aspects sont considérés dans un contexte MIMOOFDM: la convergence, la performance et la complexité du récepteur. Dans un premier temps, nous étudions les différents algorithmes de détection MIMO à décision dure et souple basés sur l’égalisation, le décodage sphérique, le décodage K-Best et l’annulation d’interférence. Un décodeur K-best de faible complexité (LC-K-Best) est proposé pour réduire la complexité sans dégradation significative des performances. Nous analysons ensuite la convergence de la combinaison de ces algorithmes de détection avec différentes techniques de codage de canal, notamment le décodeur turbo et le décodeur LDPC en utilisant le diagramme EXIT. En se basant sur cette analyse, un nouvel ordonnancement des itérations internes et externes nécessaires est proposé. Les performances du récepteur ainsi proposé sont évaluées dans différents modèles de canal LTE, et comparées avec différentes techniques de détection MIMO. Ensuite, la complexité des récepteurs itératifs avec différentes techniques de codage de canal est étudiée et comparée pour différents modulations et rendement de code. Les résultats de simulation montrent que les approches proposées offrent un bon compromis entre performance et complexité. D’un point de vue implémentation, la représentation en virgule fixe est généralement utilisée afin de réduire les coûts en termes de surface, de consommation d’énergie et de temps d’exécution. Nous présentons ainsi une représentation en virgule fixe du récepteur itératif proposé basé sur le décodeur LC K-Best. En outre, nous étudions l’impact de l’estimation de canal sur la performance du système. Finalement, le récepteur MIMOOFDM itératif est testé sur la plateforme matérielle WARP, validant le schéma proposé

Bandwidth Compressed Waveform and System Design for Wireless and Optical Communications: Theory and Practice

This thesis addresses theoretical and practical challenges of spectrally efficient frequency division multiplexing (SEFDM) systems in both wireless and optical domains. SEFDM improves spectral efficiency relative to the well-known orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) by non-orthogonally multiplexing overlapped sub-carriers. However, the deliberate violation of orthogonality results in inter carrier interference (ICI) and associated detection complexity, thus posing many challenges to practical implementations. This thesis will present solutions for these issues. The thesis commences with the fundamentals by presenting the existing challenges of SEFDM, which are subsequently solved by proposed transceivers. An iterative detection (ID) detector iteratively removes self-created ICI. Following that, a hybrid ID together with fixed sphere decoding (FSD) shows an optimised performance/complexity trade-off. A complexity reduced Block-SEFDM can subdivide the signal detection into several blocks. Finally, a coded Turbo-SEFDM is proved to be an efficient technique that is compatible with the existing mobile standards. The thesis also reports the design and development of wireless and optical practical systems. In the optical domain, given the same spectral efficiency, a low-order modulation scheme is proved to have a better bit error rate (BER) performance when replacing a higher order one. In the wireless domain, an experimental testbed utilizing the LTE-Advanced carrier aggregation (CA) with SEFDM is operated in a realistic radio frequency (RF) environment. Experimental results show that 40% higher data rate can be achieved without extra spectrum occupation. Additionally, a new waveform, termed Nyquist-SEFDM, which compresses bandwidth and suppresses out-of-band power leakage is investigated. A 4th generation (4G) and 5th generation (5G) coexistence experiment is followed to verify its feasibility. Furthermore, a 60 GHz SEFDM testbed is designed and built in a point-to-point indoor fiber wireless experiment showing 67% data rate improvement compared to OFDM. Finally, to meet the requirements of future networks, two simplified SEFDM transceivers are designed together with application scenarios and experimental verifications

Spectrum Optimisation in Wireless Communication Systems: Technology Evaluation, System Design and Practical Implementation

Two key technology enablers for next generation networks are examined in this thesis, namely Cognitive Radio (CR) and Spectrally Efficient Frequency Division Multiplexing (SEFDM). The first part proposes the use of traffic prediction in CR systems to improve the Quality of Service (QoS) for CR users. A framework is presented which allows CR users to capture a frequency slot in an idle licensed channel occupied by primary users. This is achieved by using CR to sense and select target spectrum bands combined with traffic prediction to determine the optimum channel-sensing order. The latter part of this thesis considers the design, practical implementation and performance evaluation of SEFDM. The key challenge that arises in SEFDM is the self-created interference which complicates the design of receiver architectures. Previous work has focused on the development of sophisticated detection algorithms, however, these suffer from an impractical computational complexity. Consequently, the aim of this work is two-fold; first, to reduce the complexity of existing algorithms to make them better-suited for application in the real world; second, to develop hardware prototypes to assess the feasibility of employing SEFDM in practical systems. The impact of oversampling and fixed-point effects on the performance of SEFDM is initially determined, followed by the design and implementation of linear detection techniques using Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). The performance of these FPGA based linear receivers is evaluated in terms of throughput, resource utilisation and Bit Error Rate (BER). Finally, variants of the Sphere Decoding (SD) algorithm are investigated to ameliorate the error performance of SEFDM systems with targeted reduction in complexity. The Fixed SD (FSD) algorithm is implemented on a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) to measure its computational complexity. Modified sorting and decomposition strategies are then applied to this FSD algorithm offering trade-offs between execution speed and BER

Spectrally efficient FDM communication signals and transceivers: design, mathematical modelling and system optimization

This thesis addresses theoretical, mathematical modelling and design issues of Spectrally Efficient FDM (SEFDM) systems. SEFDM systems propose bandwidth savings when compared to Orthogonal FDM (OFDM) systems by multiplexing multiple non-orthogonal overlapping carriers. Nevertheless, the deliberate collapse of orthogonality poses significant challenges on the SEFDM system in terms of performance and complexity, both issues are addressed in this work. This thesis first investigates the mathematical properties of the SEFDM system and reveals the links between the system conditioning and its main parameters through closed form formulas derived for the Intercarrier Interference (ICI) and the system generating matrices. A rigorous and efficient mathematical framework, to represent non-orthogonal signals using Inverse Discrete Fourier Transform (IDFT) blocks, is proposed. This is subsequently used to design simple SEFDM transmitters and to realize a new Matched Filter (MF) based demodulator using the Discrete Fourier Transforms (DFT), thereby substantially simplifying the transmitter and demodulator design and localizing complexity at detection stage with no premium at performance. Operation is confirmed through the derivation and numerical verification of optimal detectors in the form of Maximum Likelihood (ML) and Sphere Decoder (SD). Moreover, two new linear detectors that address the ill conditioning of the system are proposed: the first based on the Truncated Singular Value Decomposition (TSVD) and the second accounts for selected ICI terms and termed Selective Equalization (SelE). Numerical investigations show that both detectors substantially outperform existing linear detection techniques. Furthermore, the use of the Fixed Complexity Sphere Decoder (FSD) is proposed to further improve performance and avoid the variable complexity of the SD. Ultimately, a newly designed combined FSD-TSVD detector is proposed and shown to provide near optimal error performance for bandwidth savings of 20% with reduced and fixed complexity. The thesis also addresses some practical considerations of the SEFDM systems. In particular, mathematical and numerical investigations have shown that the SEFDM signal is prone to high Peak to Average Power Ratio (PAPR) that can lead to significant performance degradations. Investigations of PAPR control lead to the proposal of a new technique, termed SLiding Window (SLW), utilizing the SEFDM signal structure which shows superior efficacy in PAPR control over conventional techniques with lower complexity. The thesis also addresses the performance of the SEFDM system in multipath fading channels confirming favourable performance and practicability of implementation. In particular, a new Partial Channel Estimator (PCE) that provides better estimation accuracy is proposed. Furthermore, several low complexity linear and iterative joint channel equalizers and symbol detectors are investigated in fading channels conditions with the FSD-TSVD joint equalization and detection with PCE obtained channel estimate facilitating near optimum error performance, close to that of OFDM for bandwidth savings of 25%. Finally, investigations of the precoding of the SEFDM signal demonstrate a potential for complexity reduction and performance improvement. Overall, this thesis provides the theoretical basis from which practical designs are derived to pave the way to the first practical realization of SEFDM systems