Differential modulation for two-way wireless communications: a perspective of differential network coding at the physical layer

This work considers two-way relay channels (TWRC), where two terminals transmit simultaneously to each other with the help of a relay node. For single antenna systems, we propose several new transmission schemes for both amplify-and-forward (AF) protocol and decode-and-forward (DF) protocol where the channel state information is not required. These new schemes are the counterpart of the traditional noncoherent detection or differential detection in point-to-point communications. Differential modulation design for TWRC is challenging because the received signal is a mixture of the signals from both source terminals. We derive maximum likelihood (ML) detectors for both AF and DF protocols, where the latter can be considered as performing differential network coding at the physical layer. As the exact ML detector is prohibitively complex, we propose several suboptimal alternatives including decision feedback detectors and prediction-based detectors. All these strategies work well as evidenced by the simulation results. The proposed protocols are especially useful when the required average data rate is high. In addition, we extend the protocols to the multiple-antenna case and provide the design criterion of the differential unitary space time modulation (DUSTM) for TWRC

On channel estimation and optimal training design for amplify and forward relay networks

10.1109/GLOCOM.2007.763GLOBECOM - IEEE Global Telecommunications Conference4015-401

Scattered Pilots and Virtual Carriers Based Frequency Offset Tracking for OFDM Systems: Algorithms, Identifiability, and Performance Analysis

In this paper, we propose a novel carrier frequency offset (CFO) tracking algorithm for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems by exploiting scattered pilot carriers and virtual carriers embedded in the existing OFDM standards. Assuming that the channel remains constant during two consecutive OFDM blocks and perfect timing, a CFO tracking algorithm is proposed using the limited number of pilot carriers in each OFDM block. Identifiability of this pilot based algorithm is fully discussed under the noise free environment, and a constellation rotation strategy is proposed to eliminate the c-ambiguity for arbitrary constellations. A weighted algorithm is then proposed by considering both scattered pilots and virtual carriers. We find that, the pilots increase the performance accuracy of the algorithm, while the virtual carriers reduce the chance of CFO outlier. Therefore, the proposed tracking algorithm is able to achieve full range CFO estimation, can be used before channel estimation, and could provide improved performance compared to existing algorithms. The asymptotic mean square error (MSE) of the proposed algorithm is derived and simulation results agree with the theoretical analysis

Optimal Training Design for Channel Estimation in Decode-and-Forward Relay Networks With Individual and Total Power Constraints

In this paper, we study the channel estimation and the optimal training design for relay networks that operate under the decode-and-forward (DF) strategy with the knowledge of the interference covariance. In addition to the total power constraint on all the relays, we introduce individual power constraint for each relay, which reflects the practical scenario where all relays are separated from one another. Considering the individual power constraint for the relay networks is the major difference from that in the traditional point-to-point communication systems where only a total power constraint exists for all colocated antennas. Two types of channel estimation are involved: maximum likelihood (ML) and minimum mean square error (MMSE). For ML channel estimation, the channels are assumed as deterministic and the optimal training results from an efficient multilevel waterfilling type solution that is derived from the majorization theory. For MMSE channel estimation, however, the second-order statistics of the channels are assumed known and the general optimization problem turns out to be nonconvex. We instead consider three special yet reasonable scenarios. The problem in the first scenario is convex and could be efficiently solved by state-of-the-art optimization tools. Closed-form waterfilling type solutions are found in the remaining two scenarios, of which the first one has an interesting physical interpretation as pouring water into caves

Distributed space-time coding for two-way wireless relay networks

In this paper, we consider distributed space-time coding for two-way wireless relay networks, where communication between two terminals is assisted by relay nodes. Relaying protocols using two, three, and four time slots are proposed. The protocols using four time slots are the traditional amplify-and-forward (AF) and decode-and-forward (DF) protocols, which do not consider the property of the two-way traffic. A new class of relaying protocols, termed as partial decode-and-forward (PDF), is developed for the two time slots transmission, where each relay first removes part of the noise before sending the signal to the two terminals. Protocols using three time slots are proposed to compensate the fact that the two time slots protocols cannot make use of direct transmission between the two terminals. For all protocols, after processing their received signals, the relays encode the resulting signals using a distributed linear dispersion (LD) code. The proposed AF protocols are shown to achieve the diversity order of min{N,K}(1- (log log P/log P)), where N is the number of relays, P is the total power of the network, and K is the number of symbols transmitted during each time slot. When random unitary matrix is used for LD code, the proposed PDF protocols resemble random linear network coding, where the former operates on the unitary group and the latter works on the finite field. Moreover, PDF achieves the diversity order of min{N,K} but the conventional DF can only achieve the diversity order of 1. Finally, we find that two time slots protocols also have advantages over four-time-slot protocols in media access control (MAC) layer

Maximum likelihood based estimation of frequency and phase offset in DCT OFDM systems under non-circular transmissions: algorithms, analysis and comparisons

Recently, the advantages of the discrete cosine transform (DCT) based orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) have come to the light. We thus consider DCT- OFDM with non-circular transmission (our results cover circular transmission as well) and present two blind joint maximum- likelihood frequency offset and phase offset estimators. Both our theoretical analysis and numerical comparisons reveal new advantages of DCT-OFDM over the traditional discrete Fourier transform (DFT) based OFDM. These advantages, as well as those already uncovered in the early works on DCT-OFDM, support the belief that DCT-OFDM is a promising multi-carrier modulation scheme

Maximum likelihood detection for differential unitary space-time modulation with carrier frequency offset

Can conventional differential unitary space time modulation (DUSTM) be applied when there is an unknown carrier frequency offset (CFO)? This paper answers this question affirmatively and derives the necessary maximum likelihood (ML) detection rule. The asymptotic performance of the proposed ML rule is analyzed, leading to a code design criterion for DUSTM by using the modified diversity product. The resulting proposed decision rule is a new differential modulation scheme in both the temporal and spatial domains. Two sub-optimal multiple-symbol decision rules with improved performance are also proposed. For the efficient implementation of these, we derive a modified bound intersection detector (BID), a generalization of the previously derived optimal BID for the conventional DUSTM. The simulation results show that the proposed differential modulation scheme is more robust against CFO drifting than the existing double temporal differential modulation