On the Performance of LDPC-Coded MIMO Schemes for Underwater Communications Using 5G-like Processing

Abstract

This article studies the underwater acoustic (UWA) communications associated with multiple input–multiple output (MIMO), single carrier with frequency-domain equalization (SC-FDE), and with low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes. Low-complexity receivers such as equal gain combining (EGC), maximum ratio combining (MRC), and iterative block—decision feedback equalization (IB-DFE) are studied in the above-described scenarios. Furthermore, due to the low carrier frequencies utilized in UWA communications, the performance of the proposed MIMO scenarios is studied at different levels of channel correlation between antennas. This article shows that the combined schemes tend to achieve good performances while presenting low complexity, even in scenarios with channel correlation between antennas.