Improved linear soft-input soft-output detection via soft feedback successive interference cancellation

Abstract

We propose an improved minimum mean square error (MMSE) vertical Bell Labs layered space-time (V-BLAST) detection technique, called a soft input, soft output, and soft feedback (SIOF) V-BLAST detector, for turbo multi-input multioutput (turbo-MIMO) systems. We derive a symbol estimator by minimizing the power of the interference plus noise, given a priori probabilities of undetected layer symbols and a posteriori probabilities for past detected layer symbols. For a low-complexity implementation, an approximate SIOF algorithm is presented, which allows for a time-invariant realization of the symbol ordering and an MMSE filtering process. Another implementation, referred to as the iterative SIOF algorithm is introduced, which decides on symbol detection order based on a posteriori symbol probabilities to improve the detection performance. Simulations performed on a space-time bit-interleaved coded modulation (STBICM) architecture over quasi-static MIMO fading channels demonstrate that the SIOF V-BLAST detector provides performance gains over previous turbo-BLAST detectors, most notably when more transmit antennas are used.