On Orthogonal Space-time Block Codes Research Articles

Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access Based on Orthogonal Space-Time Block Codes for Mobile Communications

Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), which combines multiple user signals and transmits the combined signal over one channel, can achieve high spectral efficiency for mobile communications. However, combining the multiple signals can lead to degradation of bit error rates (BERs) of NOMA under severe channel conditions. In order to improve the BER performance of NOMA, this paper proposes a new NOMA scheme based on orthogonal space-time block codes (OSTBCs). The proposed scheme transmits several multiplexed signals over their respective orthogonal time-frequency channels, and can gain diversity effects due to the orthogonality of OSTBC. Furthermore, the new scheme can detect the user signals using low-complexity linear detection in contrast with the conventional NOMA. The paper focuses on the Alamouti code, which can be considered the simplest OSTBC, and theoretically analyzes the performance of the linear detection. Computer simulations under the condition of the same bit rate per channel show that the Alamouti code based scheme using two channels is superior to the conventional NOMA using one channel in terms of BER performance. As shown by both the theoretical and simulation analyses, the linear detection for the proposed scheme can maintain the same BER performance as that of the maximum likelihood detection, when the two channels have the same frequency response and do not bring about any diversity effects, which can be regarded as the worst case.

Full-Diversity QO-STBC Technique for Large-Antenna MIMO Systems

The need to achieve high data rates in modern telecommunication systems, such as 5G standard, motivates the study and development of large antenna and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. This study introduces a large antenna-order design of MIMO quasi-orthogonal space-time block code (QO-STBC) system that achieves better signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and bit-error ratio (BER) performances than the conventional QO-STBCs with the potential for massive MIMO (mMIMO) configurations. Although some earlier MIMO standards were built on orthogonal space-time block codes (O-STBCs), which are limited to two transmit antennas and data rates, the need for higher data rates motivates the exploration of higher antenna configurations using different QO-STBC schemes. The standard QO-STBC offers a higher number of antennas than the O-STBC with the full spatial rate. Unfortunately, also, the standard QO-STBCs are not able to achieve full diversity due to self-interference within their detection matrices; this diminishes the BER performance of the QO-STBC scheme. The detection also involves nonlinear processing, which further complicates the system. To solve these problems, we propose a linear processing design technique (which eliminates the system complexity) for constructing interference-free QO-STBCs and that also achieves full diversity using Hadamard modal matrices with the potential for mMIMO design. Since the modal matrices that orthogonalize QO-STBC are not sparse, our proposal also supports O-STBCs with a well-behaved peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) and better BER. The results of the proposed QO-STBC outperform other full diversity techniques including Givens-rotation and the eigenvalue decomposition (EVD) techniques by 15 dB for both MIMO and multiple-input single-output (MISO) antenna configurations at 10 − 3 BER. The proposed interference-free QO-STBC is also implemented for 16 × N R and 32 × N R MIMO systems, where N R ≤ 2 . We demonstrate 8, 16 and 32 transmit antenna-enabled MIMO systems with the potential for mMIMO design applications with attractive BER and PAPR performance characteristics.

Asynchronous Orthogonal Differential Decoding for Multiple Access Channels

We propose several differential decoding schemes for asynchronous multi-user MIMO systems based on orthogonal space-time block codes (OSTBCs), where neither the transmitters nor the receiver has knowledge of the channel. First, we derive novel low complexity differential decoders by performing interference cancellation in time and employing different decoding methods. The decoding complexity of these schemes grows linearly with the number of users. We then present additional differential decoding schemes that perform significantly better than our low complexity decoders and outperform the existing synchronous differential schemes but require higher decoding complexity compared to our low complexity decoders. The proposed schemes work for any square OSTBC, any constant amplitude constellation, any number of users, and any number of receive antennas. Furthermore, we analyze the diversity of the proposed schemes and derive conditions under which our schemes provide full diversity. For the cases of two and four transmit antennas, we provide examples of PSK constellations to achieve full diversity. Simulation results show that our differential schemes provide good performance. To the best of our knowledge, the proposed differential detection schemes are the first differential schemes for asynchronous multi-user systems.

Multi-functional MIMO communication in multi-hop cellular systems

In the context of multi-hop cellular communications, user equipment devices (UEs) with relaying capabilities provide a virtual infrastructure that can enhance the cell spectral efficiency. UE relays, which are generally transparent to the destination user and lack channel state information, mainly operate in an open-loop mode. Most open-loop transmission techniques for relaying are based on orthogonal space-time block coding (OSTBC), which offers a good trade-off between performance and complexity. In this paper, we consider the concept of multi-functional multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission, which combines OSTBC with beamforming techniques. This concept is applied to networks with multiple relays, which can offer a high number of antennas to implement multi-functional MIMO techniques. The proposed schemes are shown to reduce the bit error rate of the destination user with respect to a direct transmission from the base station (BS). Furthermore, the multi-functional setup exhibits better performance than conventional OSTBC at high transmission rates.

Optimal Power Allocation and Outage Analysis for Cognitive MIMO Full Duplex Relay Network Based on Orthogonal Space-Time Block Codes

This paper investigates the power allocation and outage performance of MIMO full-duplex relaying (MFDR), based on orthogonal space-time block codes (OSTBC), in cognitive radio systems. OSTBC transmission is used as a simple means to achieve multi-antenna diversity gain. Cognitive MFDR systems not only have the advantage of increasing spectral efficiency through spectrum sharing, but they can also extend coverage through the use of relays. In cognitive MFDR systems, the primary user experiences interference from the secondary source and relay simultaneously, owing to full duplexing. It is therefore necessary to optimize the transmission powers at the secondary source and relay. In this paper, we propose an optimal power allocation (OPA) scheme based on minimizing the outage probability in cognitive MFDR systems. We also analyse the outage probability of the secondary user in noise-limited and interference-limited environments in Nakagami-m fading channels. Simulation results show that the proposed schemes achieve performance improvements in terms of reducing outage probability.

Optimal Power Allocation and Outage Analysis for Cognitive MIMO Full Duplex Relay Network Based on Orthogonal Space-Time Block Codes

This paper investigates power allocation and outage performance for the MIMO full duplex relaying (MFDR) based on orthogonal space-time block Codes (OSTBC) in cognitive radio systems. OSTBC transmission is used as a simple way to obtain multi-antenna diversity gain. Cognitive MFDR systems offer the advantage not only of increasing spectral efficiency by spectrum sharing but also of extending the coverage through the use of relays. In cognitive MFDR systems, the primary user experiences interference from the secondary source and relay simultaneously due to the full duplexing. What is therefore needed is a way to optimize the transmission powers at the secondary source and relay. Therefore, we propose an optimal power allocation (OPA) scheme based on minimizing the outage probability in cognitive MFDR systems. We then analyze the outage probability of the secondary user in the noise-limited and interference-limited environments under Nakagami-m fading channels. Simulation results show that the proposed schemes achieve performance improvement in terms of outage probability.

Orthogonal Differential Modulation for MIMO Multiple Access Channels with Two Users

This paper proposes a differential encoding scheme and several differential decoding schemes for a two-user MIMO system based on orthogonal space-time block codes (OSTBCs) when neither the transmitter nor the receiver knows the channel. We derive low complexity differential decoders for users with two transmit antennas based on three different decoding methods. We deploy dynamic programming in our methods to maintain a low decoding complexity. Simulations demonstrate that our differential schemes using the proposed low complexity decoders provide full transmit diversity. We also present additional differential decoding schemes that achieve full diversity, perform significantly better than the existing schemes, and work for any square OSTBC, but need higher decoding complexity. The proposed schemes work for any number of receive antennas. Moreover, we analyze the diversity of the proposed schemes. To the best of our knowledge, our low complexity schemes are the first low complexity differential schemes for multi-user MIMO systems.

New Full-Diversity Space-Frequency Block Codes Based on the OSTBCs

In this paper, we introduce new full-diversity space-frequency block codes (SFBCs) based on orthogonal space-time block codes (OSTBCs). We show that the proposed schemes are capable of attaining full-diversity and rate-one characteristics for two transmit antennas, although the proof of full-diversity property is limited to the real constellations. Also for the QPSK constellation, we present evidences through simulations that demonstrate the full-diversity property of the proposed SFBCs. The proposed SFBCs also benefit from the maximum coding advantage when partial channel state information is available at the transmitter. Simulation results confirm the performance superiority of the proposed codes over other recently proposed SFBCs under the same complexity at the receiver side.

Impact of Spatial Correlation and Precoding Design in OSTBC MIMO Systems

\boldmath The impact of transmission design and spatial correlation on the symbol error rate (SER) is analyzed for multi-antenna communication links. The receiver has perfect channel state information (CSI), while the transmitter has either statistical or no CSI. The transmission is based on orthogonal space-time block codes (OSTBCs) and linear precoding. The precoding strategy that minimizes the worst-case SER is derived for the case when the transmitter has no CSI. Based on this strategy, the intuitive result that spatial correlation degrades the SER performance is proved mathematically. In the case when the transmitter knows the channel statistics, the correlation matrix is assumed to be jointly-correlated (a generalization of the Kronecker model). The eigenvectors of the SER-optimal precoding matrix are shown to originate from the correlation matrix and the remaining power allocation is a convex problem. Equal power allocation is SER-optimal at high SNR. Beamforming is SER-optimal at low SNR, or for increasing constellation sizes, and its optimality range is characterized. A heuristic low-complexity power allocation is proposed and evaluated numerically. Finally, it is proved analytically that receive-side correlation always degrades the SER. Transmit-side correlation will however improve the SER at low to medium SNR, while its impact is negligible at high SNR.

Performance Analysis of Transmit Diversity Systems with Multiple Antenna Replacement

Transmit diversity systems based on orthogonal space-time block coding (OSTBC) usually suffer from rate loss and power spreading. Proper antenna selection scheme can help to more effectively utilize the transmit antennas and transmission power in such systems. In this paper, we propose a new antenna selection scheme for such systems based on the idea of antenna switching. In particular, targeting at reducing the number of pilot channels and RF chains, the transmitter now replaces the antennas with the lowest received SNR with unused ones if the output SNR of space time decoder at the receiver is below a certain threshold. With this new scheme, not only the number of pilot channels and RF chains to be implemented is decreased, the average amount of feedback information is also reduced. To analyze the performance of this scheme, we derive the exact integral closed form for the probability density function (PDF) of the received SNR. We show through numerical examples that the proposed scheme offers better performance than traditional OSTBC systems using all available transmitting antennas, with a small amount of feedback information. We also examine the effect of different antenna configuration and feedback delay.

MIMO Diversity in the Presence of Double Scattering

The potential benefits of multiple-antenna systems may be limited by two types of channel degradations-rank deficiency and spatial fading correlation of the channel. In this paper, we assess the effects of these degradations on the diversity performance of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, with an emphasis on orthogonal space-time block codes (OSTBC), in terms of the symbol error probability (SEP), the effective fading figure (EFF), and the capacity at low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In particular, we consider a general family of MIMO channels known as double-scattering channels-i.e., Rayleigh product MIMO channels-which encompasses a variety of propagation environments from independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) Rayleigh to degenerate keyhole or pinhole cases by embracing both rank-deficient and spatial correlation effects. It is shown that a MIMO system with transmit and receive antennas achieves the diversity of order in a double-scattering channel with effective scatterers. We also quantify the combined effect of the spatial correlation and the lack of scattering richness on the EFF and the low-SNR capacity in terms of the correlation figures of transmit, receive, and scatterer correlation matrices. We further show the monotonicity properties of these performance measures with respect to the strength of spatial correlation, characterized by the eigenvalue majorization relations of the correlation matrices.

Performance Analysis of Transmit Diversity Systems With Antenna Replacement

<para xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> We propose a new closed-loop transmit diversity scheme for multiple-input–multiple-output (MIMO) diversity systems based on orthogonal space–time block coding (OSTBC). The receiver of the proposed scheme checks the output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the space–time decoder against an output threshold and requests the transmitter to replace the transmit antenna resulting in the poorest path with an unused antenna if the output SNR is below the threshold. We provide some interesting statistical analysis and obtain closed-form expressions for the cumulative distribution function (cdf), the probability density function (pdf), and the moment-generating function of the received SNR. We show through numerical examples that the proposed scheme offers a significant performance gain with a very minimal feedback load over existing open-loop MIMO diversity systems, and for a properly chosen threshold, its performance is commensurate with a more complicated generalized-selection-combining-based transmit diversity system while requiring a much smaller feedback load. </para>

Blind and Semiblind Channel and Carrier Frequency-Offset Estimation in Orthogonally Space-Time Block Coded MIMO Systems

In this paper, the problem of joint channel and carrier frequency offset (CFO) estimation is studied in the context of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications based on orthogonal space-time-block codes (OSTBCs). A new blind approach is proposed to jointly estimate the channel matrix and the CFO parameters using a relaxed maximum likelihood (ML) estimator that, for the sake of simplicity, ignores the finite alphabet constraint. Although the proposed technique can be applied to the majority of OSTBCs, there are, however, a few codes that suffer from an intrinsic ambiguity in the joint channel, CFO, and symbol estimates. For such specific OSTBCs, a semiblind modification of the proposed approach is developed that resolves the aforementioned estimation ambiguity. Our simulation results demonstrate that although the finite alphabet constraint is relaxed, the performance of the proposed techniques approaches that of the informed (fully frequency-synchronized and coherent) receiver, provided that a sufficient number of data blocks is available for each channel realization.