Multiuser Multiple-input Multiple-output Research Articles

Wireless powered NOMA-based cognitive radio for 6G networks

The need for physically charging mobile devices is anticipated to become a thing of the past in the not-too-distant future. In this paper, a novel approach for wireless-powered mobile devices is presented, which is based on non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) and multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) antenna systems. The proposed method is specifically designed for use in a cognitive underlay radio (CR) scenario, where the primary network requires a certain quality of service (QoS). Meanwhile, secondary network users can download their data using the same spectrum. The main objective of this paper is to maximize the sum rate of the secondary network. We have optimized a joint beamforming vector for both primary and secondary networks and a time-switching coefficient for energy harvesting and information transfer to achieve this objective. The initial problem formulation was non-convex, requiring the implementation of various techniques to ensure an efficient and low-complexity algorithm. To this end, we employed semi-definite programming, successive convex approximation, and alternating optimization. The proposed NOMA-based solution outperforms the TDMA-based benchmark scheme regarding sum data rate, specifically in the low transmit power region.

Product manifold optimization-based joint beamforming for RIS-aided MIMO systems: A fairness based approach

Reconfigurable intelligent Surface (RIS) can effectively improve the communication quality and extend the signal coverage range by reconfiguring the wireless communication transmission environment, which is very suitable for millimeter wave (mmWave) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. In this paper, a product manifold optimization-based beamforming design (PMO-BD) algorithm for a RIS-assisted multi-user MIMO system is proposed to enhance fairness among users. We establish a lower bound for the minimum signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) among users as the optimization objective, which is subjected to multiple constraints. By maximizing the lower bound to ensure the quality of service (QoS) for each user, fairness among users get improved. The PMO-BD algorithm exploits the internal structure of the product manifold to deal with the high dimension and nonlinear characteristics of the problem effectively, thereby reducing algorithm complexity and enhancing convergence rates. Simulation results verify the advantages of the proposed PMO-BD algorithm in comparison to other algorithms.

Asymptotic performance of reconfigurable intelligent surface assisted MIMO communication for large systems using random matrix theory

AbstractReconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) can provide unprecedented spectral efficiency gains and excellent ability to manipulate electromagnetic waves. This article considered a RIS‐assisted multiuser multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) downlink system, where the beamforming at the base station and RIS are jointly designed to maximize the sum‐rate. For the large dimension scenario and high‐rank beamforming matrix, the accurate deterministic approximations from random matrix theory are then utilized to simplify the RIS‐assisted MIMO systems. The asymptotical signal‐to‐interference‐plus‐noise ratio values obtained through random matrix theory is infinitely close to the theoretical limits calculated by accurately iteration. And the performance of the proposed algorithm computed via the sharing second‐order channel statistics matches that of the RIS algorithm with sharing full channel state information asymptotically. The deterministic approximations are instrumental to get improvement into the structure of the optimal beamforming and to reduce the implementation complexity in large‐scale MIMO system. Numerical simulations results are provided to evaluate and verify the accuracy of the asymptotic results obtained from the proposed algorithm in the finite system regime. With the complex operation process of large dimension matrix reducing to the deterministic approximations, a lower computational complexity can be obtained compared with other methods.

On autoregressive and neural methods for massive-MIMO channel de-noising

In modern wireless communication systems, the Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology allows to greatly increase power efficiency, the serving area, and the overall cell throughput through the use of the antenna array beamforming. Nevertheless, the MIMO systems require accurate channel state knowledge to apply correct precoding. In 5G Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, the Channel State Information (CSI) is obtained via Sounding Reference Signals (SRS) transmitted by the User Equipment (UE). UEs have limited power capabilities and thus cannot achieve high Uplink (UL) Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) on gNodeB (gNB) in large bandwidth. There are multiple techniques that can be applied to improve the accuracy of Channel Estimation (CE) in noisy conditions. In this paper, we describe a classical method, namely the Vector Autoregression (VAR) with adaptive model order estimation, as well as a modern Deep Neural Network (DNN) approach for the massive-MIMO channel estimation de-noising problem. The developed methods and signal pre and postprocessing steps are described, followed by their performance evaluation in a set of realistic simulations. The designed algorithms provide results outperforming the baseline spatio-temporal windowing approaches by approximately equal to 2dB effective Downlink (DL) Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR) metric in single and multi-user MIMO scenarios. Extensive simulation results demonstrate the robustness of the developed methods to the dynamic channel conditions.

Transceiver Optimization for Multiuser Multiple-Input Multiple-Output Full-Duplex Amplify-and-Forward Relay Downlink Communications

Transceiver Optimization for Multiuser Multiple-Input Multiple-Output Full-Duplex Amplify-and-Forward Relay Downlink Communications

A sum rate maximization problem in uplink MIMO with RSMA systems

This study explores the problem of maximizing the sum rate in uplink multi-user Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) using Rate-Splitting Multiple Access (RSMA) systems. The investigation revolves around the scenario where the Users (UEs) are single-antenna nodes transmitting data to a multi-antenna Base Station (BS) through the RSMA technique. The optimization process encompasses determining parameters such as UEs’ transmit powers, decoding order, and detection vector at the BS. An approach based on Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) is introduced to address this challenge. This DRL framework involves an action-refined stage and applies a Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG)-based strategy. Simulation outcomes effectively demonstrate the convergence of the proposed DRL framework, where it converges after approximately 1,800 episodes. Also, the results prove the superior performance of the proposed method when compared to established benchmark strategies, where it is up to 45% and 86% higher than the local search and random schemes, respectively.

AP cooperation in Wi-Fi: Joint transmission with a novel precoding scheme, resilient to phase offsets between transmitters

Multi Access-Point (M-AP) cooperation is expected to play a key role in the next-generation Wi-Fi standard (namely the upcoming IEEE WLAN 802.11bn/UHR, dubbed Wi-Fi-8), particularly in dense deployments where inter-cell interference hinders further increase in network capacity. Among the various considered AP-cooperation techniques, coherent Joint Transmission (JT) is the most ambitious, aiming at deploying an M-AP cluster as a single ‘super-AP’ serving multiple stations in a downlink Multi-User Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (DL MU-MIMO) fashion. Ideally, in the absence of practical impairments – predominantly inter-AP phase misalignment – prior-art JT schemes exhibit superior performance relative to simpler M-AP precoding schemes such as Coordinated Beam-Forming (Co-BF), equivalent to ∼10 dB Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise-Ratio gain in certain scenarios. However, the Wi-Fi standard – being based on low-cost implementation and deployment strategies as a major driver for success – cannot guarantee the required tight inter-AP synchronization levels, thus jeopardizing the JT advantage in practice (essentially wiping out the gain relative to Co-BF, in the above scenarios). As a cure, we develop a novel MIMO-precoding scheme, which preserves most of the JT gain (∼7 out of the ∼10 dB above) while being inherently resilient to phase offsets between the APs, thus paving the way to practical incorporation of JT into Wi-Fi-8.

Spectral decomposition-based optimization for MMSE receiver design in an uplink MU-MIMO cooperative communication system with imperfect CSI

The receiver’s architecture is always a critical issue in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, as it has a great impact on the system’s performance and complexity. Accordingly, in this paper, a spectral decomposition-based minimum mean squared error (MMSE) receiver is proposed in an uplink multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) system with a full-duplex decode and forward relay. Imperfect channel state information is assumed at the relay and base station where, least-squares channel estimation technique is applied due to its simplicity and low complexity. An equivalent relay is applied for self-interference cancellation. While, multi-user interference is mitigated by using the block diagonalization concept. A closed-form expression for the mean squared error (MSE) of the estimated data symbol is derived in the presence of channel estimation error. Moreover, an optimization problem is solved to derive an expression for the proposed MMSE receiver’s matrix. Finally, the performance of the proposed receiver is compared to that of the conventional receiver and Zero-forcing (ZF) receiver. Results show the superiority of the proposed receiver over both receivers.

A Single-Loop Algorithm for Weighted Sum Rate Maximization in Multiuser MIMO Systems With Per-Antenna Power Constraints

This paper investigates the linear precoder design for multiuser multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) systems, in which the problem of maximizing weighted sum rate (WSR) subject to per-antenna power constraints (PAPC) is considered. This problem is hard to solve due to its nonconvexity and the existence of multiple quadratic constraints. Conventional methods to tackle this problem, such as the iterative weighted minimum mean squared error (WMMSE) algorithm, typically consist of two nested loops and thus suffer from high computational complexity. By leveraging the inherent separability of the PAPC constraint set, we propose a low-complexity single-loop algorithm for solving the WSR maximization problem under PAPC, in which each updating step is done efficiently with closed form. Theoretically, we prove the convergence of the proposed algorithm to stationary solutions. Then we extend the proposed algorithm to the multi-carrier scenario where the power constraints are shared over the subcarriers. Complexity analysis and numerical results show that the proposed single-loop algorithm maintains the same WSR performance as existing methods but dramatically reduces the computational complexity.

Joint design of transmit precoding and antenna selection for multi-user multi-target MIMO DFRC

Dual-function radar and communications (DFRC) systems based on multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) arrays have received considerable attention in recent years due to their excellent ability to alleviate spectrum congestion. The MIMO DFRC systems enable high-resolution detection of multiple targets while communicating with multiple users simultaneously. However, MIMO arrays require numerous radio frequency (RF) units and suffer a strong mutual coupling among antennas, resulting in significant system overhead and performance degradation, respectively. In light of this, this paper investigates the joint optimization of transmit precoding and antenna selection for MIMO DFRC systems, aiming to improve the angular ambiguity function with a guaranteed communication quality of service (QoS) using a small number of antennas. To address the resultant non-convex optimization problem, both the indirect and direct precoding methods are proposed. In the former, the waveform covariance and antenna selection vector are first jointly optimized via a promoted sparsity along the covariance diagonal, followed by the precoding matrix indirectly derived from the optimal covariance. In the latter, the precoding matrix is directly optimized via an imposed group sparsity under the communication QoS and power constraints. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed sparse MIMO DFRC system with fewer active antennas can achieve comparable dual-functional performance to that of the full array system.

Thinned Smart Antenna of a Semi-circular Dipole Array for Massive MIMO Systems

Massive MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) is a multi-user MIMO technology that can provide high-speed multimedia services in 5G wireless networks using sub-6 GHz and millimeter wave bands. The massive MIMO (MMIMO) installs array antennas in the base stations, using hundreds of transceivers with other RF modules. One of the drawbacks of the MMIMO system is its huge power consumption, and the beamforming network with RF modules for a large number of antennas is the main contributor to the power consumption. In this paper, a novel beamforming method is proposed for the low power consumption of an MMIMO system. The proposed thinned smart antenna (TSA) of a semi-circular array produces a secure beam toward the user’s terminal with reduced interference. By thinning the antenna array, some of the antenna elements are kept off, resulting in less power consumption, while the array pattern remains the same as a fully populated array with a reduced side lobe level (SLL). The sub-6 GHz band of 5 GHz is used for the design of thinned array antennas. The genetic algorithm (GA) is used to determine the array sequence in thinning, and the adaptive signal processing algorithms least mean square (LMS), recursive least square (RLS), and sample matrix inversion (SMI) are used for the beamforming of the TSA, and the corresponding algorithms are GA-LMS, GA-RLS, and GA-SMI. The power saving of 40% to 55% is achieved using TSA. The maximum SLL reductions of 13 dB, 12 dB, and 14 dB are achieved for TSA using GA-LMS, GA-RLS, and GA-SMI algorithms, respectively.

Optimized Precoding for MU-MIMO With Fronthaul Quantization

One of the first widespread uses of multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) is in 5G networks, where each base station has an advanced antenna system (AAS) that is connected to the baseband unit (BBU) with a capacity-constrained fronthaul. In the AAS configuration, multiple passive antenna elements and radio units are integrated into a single box. This paper considers precoded downlink transmission over a single-cell MU-MIMO system. We study optimized linear precoding for AAS with a limited-capacity fronthaul, which requires the precoding matrix to be quantized. We propose a new precoding design that is aware of the fronthaul quantization and minimizes the mean-squared error at the receiver side. We compute the precoding matrix using a sphere decoding (SD) approach. We also propose a heuristic low-complexity approach to quantized precoding. This heuristic is computationally efficient enough for massive MIMO systems. The numerical results show that our proposed precoding significantly outperforms quantization-unaware precoding and other previous approaches in terms of the sum rate. The performance loss for our heuristic method compared to quantization-aware precoding is insignificant considering the complexity reduction, which makes the heuristic method feasible for real-time applications. We consider both perfect and imperfect channel state information (CSI).

Uncertainty Injection: A Deep Learning Method for Robust Optimization

This paper proposes a paradigm of uncertainty injection for training deep learning model to solve robust optimization problems. The majority of existing studies on deep learning focus on the model learning capability, while assuming the quality and accuracy of the inputs data can be guaranteed. However, in realistic applications of deep learning for solving optimization problems, the accuracy of inputs, which are the problem parameters in this case, plays a large role. This is because, in many situations, it is often costly or sometime impossible to obtain the problem parameters accurately, and correspondingly, it is highly desirable to develop learning algorithms that can account for the uncertainties in the input and produce solutions that are <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">robust</i> against these uncertainties. This paper presents a novel <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">uncertainty injection</i> scheme for training machine learning models that are capable of implicitly accounting for the uncertainties and producing statistically robust solutions. We further identify the wireless communications as an application field where uncertainties are prevalent in problem parameters such as the channel coefficients. We show the effectiveness of the proposed training scheme in two applications: the robust power loading for multiuser multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) downlink transmissions; and the robust power control for device-to-device (D2D) networks.

Accurate channel estimation and hybrid beamforming using Artificial Intelligence for massive MIMO 5G systems

In a large-scale massive Multi User-Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) environment channel estimation and beamforming is a breathtaking task for enhancing the array gain without utilizing the many Radio Frequency (RF) chains. Somehow, several state-of-the-art works perform channel estimation and Hybrid Beamforming (HB) using Artificial Intelligence (AI) Algorithms but the massive computation intricacy and power consumption hindered the performance of the existing system. By considering the existing issues, we designed a DL-based Hybrid Beamformer for the MIMO environment with 5G communication technology (DLHB-MIMO 5G). The proposed HB design centers on three progressive processes such as accurate channel estimation, hybrid beamformer design, and hybrid beamforming. In the accurate channel estimation phase, the noise and interference-free channels are estimated using the Improved Extreme Learning Machine-Adaptive Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (IELM-AOMP) algorithm based on channel parameters and user feedback. In the HB design stage, the shortcoming of prior DL models is resolved by adopting Transfer Learning Lite Convolutional Neural Network (TL-LiteCNN) for designing a hybrid beamformer. Beforehand, we select the appropriate antenna numbers using Stackelberg Game Theory (StGT) using adequate parameters. In the hybrid beamforming stage, the problem of less Spectral Efficiency (SE) during low SNR conditions is fixed by adopting the Improved Proximal Policy Optimization (IPPO) algorithm with several beamforming parameters to generate highly resourceful hybrid beams. The realization of the proposed research is carried out using the MATLAB R2020a simulation tool and the performance of the proposed work is compared with the major state-of-the-art works in terms of useful performance metrics. The comparative results show that the proposed work beats the existing works.

IEEE 802.11ax Meet Edge Computing: AP Seamless Handover for Multi-Service Communications in Industrial WLAN

IEEE 802.11ax, as a new generation of wireless local area network (WLAN) standard, has great development potential for multi-service access in industrial WLAN with its characteristics of low-cost, quick-deployment and high-efficiency. However, it still faces the problem of quick and efficient access point (AP) seamless handover for multi-service communications due to terminal mobility and channel degradation. To solve the problem, combining the characteristics of orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) technology and multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) technology, this paper firstly proposes an edge computing based IEEE 802.11ax multi-service bearer mechanism by dynamically allocating channel resource units (RUs). Secondly, a multi-service AP seamless handover mechanism based on edge computing is proposed, which consists of a channel scanning delay optimization method based on virtual AP sentinel, a handover trigger judgment algorithm considering mobility and RU reallocation, a multi-objective optimized AP handover model considering load balancing, transmission rate optimization and handover cost minimization with service attributes. Finally, we propose a multi-service AP seamless handover algorithm based on improved particle swarm optimization (PSO) to get optimized handover making-decision. Simulation results show that the proposed handover mechanism can reduce the handover delay significantly while realizing seamless handover accurately in multi-service industrial WLAN.

Design and Performance Analysis of the Dynamic Reduction of Intrinsic Interference Suppression and BER using QAM-based FBMC for MU-MIMO Communications

The present research work is focused on the study of co-channel interface with its minimization techniques without influencing its performance, in turn, which is desired to achieve the minimized complexity of Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM)-based Filter Bank Multi-Carrier (FBMC) to minimize the interference and increase the spectral features with consideration of intrinsic features extractions for the ML (Maximum Likelihood) synthesis systems. The valid measures are given various concerns under consideration, to start with the consideration of the evaluation of the Cyclic Prefix Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (CP-OFD performance metrics along with the FBMC/QAM in signal transmission in a dedicated fading channel for the evaluation of the modulation order and BER as a required trade-off for quality assessments. From the results, it can be noted that the proposed FBMC QAM has performed better when compared with conventional FBMC systems. The present research also includes considering and calculating the efficiency of nonlinear channels with the Multi-User Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) and FBMC/QAM techniques. In continuation, the obtained results are dominating significantly to access the possible solution to meet the efficiency of the proposed system. In the next part of the research, it is considered with implementation of the sub-detector during the downlink of the system with the technique of threshold-driven strategy for better accuracy and minimization of the complexity in terms of ML detection in terms of order of its modulation. The calculations of the proposed technique with better BER are done on the recent MATLAB platform with its simulation demonstration for its detailed observation.

A Bayesian Approach to Characterize Unknown Interference Power in Wireless Networks

The existence of unknown interference is a prevalent problem in wireless communication networks. Especially in multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) networks, where a large number of user equipments are served on the same time-frequency resources, the outage performance may be dominated by the unknown interference arising from scheduling variations in neighboring cells. In this letter, we propose a Bayesian method for modeling the unknown interference power in the uplink of a cellular network. Numerical results show that our method accurately models the distribution of the unknown interference power and can be effectively used for rate adaptation with guaranteed target outage performance.

A Scalable Precoding Processor for Large-Scale MU-MIMO Systems

The number of devices served by baseband stations is constantly increasing due to the rising data traffic in modern communication systems. In order to support large-scale multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) systems and achieve their capacity, it is necessary to consider power allocation and user selection along with precoding. This paper introduces a scalable MU-MIMO precoding processor that solves the joint optimization problem for precoding, power allocation, and user selection. We define custom vector instructions and dedicate vector arithmetic operators based on the RV32IM instruction set architecture to efficiently support various MU-MIMO baseband processing scenarios. The proposed vector operators include parallel dual-precision multipliers to enable energy-efficient processing by adjusting the computing resolution of each step without degrading the algorithm-level quality. The proposed processor is fabricated using 28nm CMOS technology and is capable of solving the state-of-the-art joint optimization problem in only 0.51ms for the <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$64\times 64$</tex-math> </inline-formula> large-scale MU-MIMO configuration. Our processor achieves up to 17.4 times higher processing efficiency compared to previous precoder design, even when supporting the largest number of users and the most complicated algorithm.

Full-Wave Simulation and Scattering Modeling for Terahertz Communications

This paper presents a comprehensive study for analyzing and modeling the scattering phenomenon of terahertz (THz) waves bouncing on rough surfaces. More specifically, a generic parametric methodology to accurately model the rough characteristics focusing on the root-mean-square (RMS) height and correlation length of a surface is proposed. Firstly, a Monte Carlo-based approach is developed for the efficient and accurate software realization of such rough surfaces. Then, the full-wave simulator FEKO is used to simulate at 300 GHz the far-field behavior of scattering waves on 30 distinct surfaces having 6 RMS heights and 5 correlation lengths. By employing the directive scattering (DS) model, the variation of the scattering coefficient, <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$S$</tex-math></inline-formula> , and its equivalent roughness, <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\alpha _{R}$</tex-math></inline-formula> , are studied for the scattering amplitude aspect. Furthermore, the statistical characteristics of the phase and polarization of the scattered signals are obtained and compared with those available in existing 3GPP channel model standards which are valid for lower frequency bands. These comparisons show that although the phases follow the normal distribution, as is the case with equivalent 3GPP channel models, the cross-polarization ratios (XPRs) follow the logistic distribution. This is an important difference which could have a great impact on the standardization activities of the current 3GPP-related working groups. Finally, the proposed scattering model at the THz band is realized through an algorithmic implementation. Compared with the classical two-dimensional DS model which characterizes only the amplitude of the scattered signal, the proposed three-dimensional scattering model can be efficiently used to accurately characterize all the important parameters of the scattered signals, namely, amplitude, phase, and polarization at the THz band. Additionally, the proposed scattering model can effectively work in conjunction with ray-tracing (RT) schemes leading to precise scattering and channel modeling for new applications, such as holographic radios and multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) systems.

Deep Contextual Bandit and Reinforcement Learning for IRS-Assisted MU-MIMO Systems

The combination of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems and intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRSs) is foreseen as a critical enabler of beyond 5G (B5G) and 6G. In this work, two different approaches are considered for the joint optimization of the IRS phase-shift matrix and MIMO precoders of an IRS-assisted multi-stream (MS) multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) system. Both approaches aim to maximize the system sum-rate for every channel realization. The first proposed solution is a novel contextual bandit (CB) framework with continuous state and action spaces called deep contextual bandit-oriented deep deterministic policy gradient (DCB-DDPG). The second is an innovative deep reinforcement learning (DRL) formulation where the states, actions, and rewards are selected such that the Markov decision process (MDP) property of reinforcement learning (RL) is appropriately met. Both proposals perform remarkably better than state-of-the-art heuristic methods in scenarios with high multi-user interference.