Andrew R. Nix

A comparison of the HIPERLAN/2 and IEEE 802.11a wireless LAN standards

At present, WLANs supporting broadband multimedia communication are being developed and standardized around the world. Standards include HIPERLAN/2, defined by ETSI BRAN, 802.11a, defined by the IEEE, and HiSWANa defined by MMAC. These systems provide channel adaptive data rates up to 54 Mb/s (in a 20 MHz channel spacing) in the 5 GHz radio band. An overview of the HIPERLAN/2 and 802.11a standards is presented together with software simulated physical layer performance results for each of the defined transmission modes. Furthermore, the differences between these two standards are highlighted (packet size, upper protocol layers etc.), and the effects of these differences on throughput are analyzed and discussed.

Mimo for millimeter-wave wireless communications: beamforming, spatial multiplexing, or both?

The use of mmWave frequencies for wireless communications offers channel bandwidths far greater than previously available, while enabling dozens or even hundreds of antenna elements to be used at the user equipment, base stations, and access points. To date, MIMO techniques, such as spatial multiplexing, beamforming, and diversity, have been widely deployed in lower-frequency systems such as IEEE 802.11n/ac (wireless local area networks) and 3GPP LTE 4G cellphone standards. Given the tiny wavelengths associated with mmWave, coupled with differences in the propagation and antennas used, it is unclear how well spatial multiplexing with multiple streams will be suited to future mmWave mobile communications. This tutorial explores the fundamental issues involved in selecting the best communications approaches for mmWave frequencies, and provides insights, challenges, and appropriate uses of each MIMO technique based on early knowledge of the mmWave propagation environment.

A new statistical wideband spatio-temporal channel model for 5-GHz band WLAN systems

In this paper, a new statistical wideband indoor channel model which incorporates both the clustering of multipath components (MPCs) and the correlation between the spatial and temporal domains is proposed. The model is derived based on measurement data collected at a carrier frequency of 5.2 GHz in three different indoor scenarios and is suitable for performance analysis of HIPERLAN/2 and IEEE 802.11a systems that employ smart antenna architectures. MPC parameters are estimated using the super-resolution frequency domain space-alternating generalized expectation maximization (FD-SAGE) algorithm and clusters are identified in the spatio-temporal domain by a nonparametric density estimation procedure. The description of the clustering observed within the channel relies on two classes of parameters, namely, intercluster and intracluster parameters which characterize the cluster and MPC, respectively. All parameters are described by a set of empirical probability density functions (pdfs) derived from the measured data. The correlation properties are incorporated in two joint pdfs for cluster and MPC positions, respectively. The clustering effect also gives rise to two classes of channel power density spectra (PDS)-intercluster and intracluster PDS-which are shown to exhibit exponential and Laplacian functions in the delay and angular domains, respectively. Finally, the model validity is confirmed by comparison with two existing models reported in the literature.

Design and Performance Assessment of High-Capacity MIMO Architectures in the Presence of a Line-of-Sight Component

In this paper, the capacity of multiple-input multiple- output (MIMO) communication systems is investigated in the presence of a line-of-sight (LoS) component. Under this scenario, the channel-response matrix is usually rank deficient due to the high correlation between the LoS responses. Previous studies have shown that this problem can be overcome by the use of specifically designed antenna arrays. The antenna elements are positioned to preserve orthogonality and, hence, maximize the LoS-channel rank. To help in the design of such architectures, we derive a 3-D criterion for maximizing the LoS MIMO capacity as a function of the distance, the orientation, and the spacing of the arrays. The sensitivity of these systems to imperfect positioning and orientation is examined using a geometric MIMO model. The spectral efficiency is also investigated in the presence of scattered signals in the environment using a stochastic channel model and a Monte Carlo simulator. To demonstrate the validity of our predictions, we present the results of two MIMO measurement campaigns in an anechoic and an indoor environment where the measured capacities are compared with the capacities obtained from our models. All experimental results validate our predictions and, hence, confirm the potential for superior MIMO performance (when the developed criterion is applied) in strong LoS channels.

Hotspot wireless LANs to enhance the performance of 3G and beyond cellular networks

At present, WLANs supporting broadband multimedia communications are being developed and deployed around the world. Standards include HIPERLAN/2 defined by ETSI BRAN and the 802.11 family defined by the IEEE. These systems provide channel adaptive data rates up to 54 Mb/s (in a 20 MHz channel spacing) over short ranges up to 200 m. The HIPERLAN/2 standard also specifies a flexible radio access network that can be used with a variety of core networks, including UMTS. It is likely that WLANs will become an important complementary technology to 3G cellular systems and will typically be used to provide hotspot coverage. In this article the complementary use of WLANs in conjunction with UMTS is presented. In order to quantify the capacity enhancement and benefits of cellular/hotspot interworking we have combined novel ray tracing, software-simulated physical layer performance results, and optimal base station deployment analysis. The study focuses on an example deployment using key lamppost mounted WLAN access points to increase the performance (in terms of capacity) of a cellular network.

The automatic location of base-stations for optimised cellular coverage: a new combinatorial approach

The cost and complexity of a network is closely related to the number of base-stations (BSs) required to achieve the system operators service objectives. The location of BSs is not an easy task and there are numerous factors that must be taken into account when deciding the optimum position of BSs. This paper discusses the performance of three different algorithms developed to solve the BS location problem: the greedy algorithm (GR), the genetic algorithm (GA) and the combination algorithm for total optimisation (CAT). These three methods are compared and results are given for a typical test scenario.

Joint Shadowing Process in Urban Peer-to-Peer Radio Channels

For multihop and ad hoc networks, a conventional 1-D channel model cannot capture the spatial correlation of the shadowing processes. This paper investigates the joint spatial correlation property of the shadowing process for peer-to-peer (P2P) radio links in urban environments. When a fixed base station is assumed, statistical analysis reveals that the shadowing process is mainly a result of spatial displacement at the mobile station (MS). Furthermore, the joint correlation property of the MS-MS channel shows that MS displacements at each end of the P2P link have an independent and equal effect on the correlation coefficient. A sum-of-sinusoids simulation model is proposed to generate the joint correlation shadowing process for urban P2P radio channels. The performance of the proposed channel simulator is analyzed in terms of the autocorrelation and joint correlation function of the simulated shadowing process. Simulations illustrate that the proposed model is able to output deterministic shadowing with a normal distribution (in decibels) and the desired correlation properties. It is thus suitable for use in system-level simulations, such as the evaluation of routing and radio resource management algorithms in ad hoc or mesh networks.

A robust 60 GHz wireless network with parallel relaying

The challenge at millimeter-wave frequencies is that the propagation characteristics approximates to that of light. In a nonline-of-sight scenario, when even the mobile station (MS) is near the base station, the attenuation may be tens of dBs due to shadowing and obstructions. Increasing the number of base stations reduces such effects but at the expense of cost and complexity. An attractive method to mitigate such shadowing effects is to use dedicated active or passive relay stations. Proposed here is a network infrastructure in the form of a 3D pyramid. It consists of a single access point with four (but not restricted to) active relays operating in parallel in a medium sized room of 400 m/sup 2/. Simulation is performed in a sophisticated 3D ray tracing tool. Human shadowing densities of 1 person/400 m/sup 2/ up to 1 person/1 m/sup 2/ are set to test the robustness of such a system. Results show that comparing to a normal system with just a single access point either mounted on the ceiling or at the same level as a MS; the pyramid relaying system provides superior coverage and capacity.

Frequency-domain precoding for single carrier frequency-division multiple access

At present there is considerable interest in the use of single carrier frequency-division multiple access. This interest is justified by the inherent single carrier structure of the SC-FDMA scheme, which is more robust against phase noise and has a lower peak-to-average power ratio than orthogonal frequency-division multiple access. This consequently makes it more attractive for uplink transmission from low-cost devices with limited transmit power. SC-FDMA commonly makes use of frequency domain linear equalization in order to combat the frequency selectivity of the transmission channel. Frequency domain decision feedback equalization, composed of a frequency domain feed forward filter and a time domain feedback filter, outperforms LE due to its ability to cancel precursor echoes. Although these solutions suffer from error propagation, results show that DFE still offers a significant performance gain over conventional LE for uncoded SC-FDMA. In this article we show how precoding can be used on the uplink of the LTE standard to overcome the frequency selective nature of the radio channel. We propose a frequency domain implementation of Tomlinson- Harashima precoding and investigate the bit error rate and the PAPR performance for SCFDMA using ZF and MMSE THP.

Performance evaluation of channel estimation techniques for a mobile fourth generation wide area OFDM system

In this paper channel estimation techniques for a mobile fourth generation coherent orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system are proposed. Coherent detection dictates that a per-subband estimate of the frequency response of the channel is generated for each OFDM symbol. This is achieved by inserting pilot symbols amongst the data symbols in the OFDM modulation grid. With suitable interpolation, the channel estimate at all intermediate symbols can be generated. A number of channel estimation methods with different pilot patterns and interpolation methods are examined for a range of UTRA specified channel environments. Each environment is shown to have an optimal pilot scheme, power level, pattern and density and the paper proposes the use of adaptive pilot processing.