Virtual Branch Analysis of Symbol Error Rate for OSTBC MIMO Systems with Generalized Selection Combining Using MPSK and MQAM Modulation Schemes

Abstract

We consider a system where Generalized Selection Combining (GSC) is applied to a 4 x L Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) system using Half rate-Full diversity Orthogonal Space-Time Block Codes (OSTBCs) at the transmitter. The Symbol Error Rate (SER) of M-ary Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (MQAM) for a slow, flat Rayleigh fading channel is derived and compared to that of the M-ary Phase Shift Keying (MPSK) modulation scheme. Performance comparisons of various antenna configurations are made. The channel statistics are assumed to be identical for the independent diversity branches. The effects of channel estimation errors on the SER performance for GSC are plotted and discussed in this paper. Index Terms—Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, channel estimation error, generalized selection combining (GSC), space-time block codes (STBCs), quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), symbol error rate (SER).