Branka Vucetic

Practical physical layer network coding for two-way relay channels: performance analysis and comparison

This paper investigates the performance of practical physical-layer network coding (PNC) schemes for two-way relay channels. We first consider a network consisting of two source nodes and a single relay node, which is used to aid communication between the two source nodes. For this scenario, we investigate transmission over two, three or four time slots. We show that the two time slot PNC scheme offers a higher maximum sum-rate, but a lower sum-bit error rate (BER) than the four time slot transmission scheme for a number of practical scenarios. We also show that the three time slot PNC scheme offers a good compromise between the two and four time slot transmission schemes, and also achieves the best maximum sum-rate and/or sum-BER in certain practical scenarios. To facilitate comparison, we derive new closed-form expressions for the outage probability, maximum sum-rate and sum-BER. We also consider an opportunistic relaying scheme for a network with multiple relay nodes, where a single relay is chosen to maximize either the maximum sum-rate or minimize the sum-BER. Our results indicate that the opportunistic relaying scheme can significantly improve system performance, compared to a single relay network.

Analysis of transmit antenna selection/maximal-ratio combining in Rayleigh fading channels

In this paper, we investigate a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) scheme combining transmit antenna selection and receiver maximal-ratio combining (the TAS/MRC scheme). In this scheme, a single transmit antenna, which maximizes the total received signal power at the receiver, is selected for uncoded transmission. The closed-form outage probability of the system with transmit antenna selection is presented. The bit error rate (BER) of the TAS/MRC scheme is derived for binary phase-shift keying (BPSK) in flat Rayleigh fading channels. The BER analysis demonstrates that the TAS/MRC scheme can achieve a full diversity order at high signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), as if all the transmit antennas were used. The average SNR gain of the TAS/MRC is quantified and compared with those of uncoded receiver MRC and space-time block codes (STBCs). The analytical results are verified by simulation. It is shown that the TAS/MRC scheme outperforms some more complex space-time codes of the same spectral efficiency. The cost of the improved performance is a low-rate feedback channel. We also show that channel estimation errors based on pilot symbols have no impact on the diversity order over quasi-static fading channels.

An adaptive coding scheme for time-varying channels

An adaptive coding scheme for digital communication over time-varying channels is presented. The scheme is based on a finite-state Markov channel model. Emphasis is on the adaptation of the error protection to the actual channel state. The throughput gains that are achieved by the adaptive scheme relative to the conventional nonadaptive coding methods are demonstrated by several examples. Of special interest is the use of punctured convolutional codes with maximum-likelihood Viterbi algorithm to enable adaptive encoding and decoding without modifying the basic structure of the encoder and the decoder. >

Distributed Turbo Coding With Soft Information Relaying in Multihop Relay Networks

It has been shown that distributed turbo coding (DTC) can approach the capacity of a wireless relay network. In the existing DTC schemes, it is usually assumed that error-free decoding is performed at a relay. We refer to this type of DTC schemes as perfect DTC. In this paper, we propose a novel DTC scheme. For the proposed scheme, instead of making a decision on the transmitted information symbols at the relay as in perfect DTC, we calculate and forward the corresponding soft information. We derive parity symbol soft estimates for the interleaved source information when only the a posteriori probabilities of the information symbols are known. The results show that the proposed scheme can effectively mitigate error propagation due to erroneous decoding at the relay. Simulation results also confirm that the proposed scheme approaches the outage probability bound of a distributed two-hop relay network at high signal-to-noise ratios

MIMO systems with adaptive modulation

Adaptive modulation (AM) schemes in multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems with a perfect or imperfect channel state information (CSI) at both the transmitter and receiver were investigated. Under an average transmit power and instantaneous bit error rate (BER) constraint, the transmit parameters including the subchannel transmit power and/or spectral efficiency are optimally adapted in the spatial and/or temporal domain to maximize the average spectral efficiency (ASE). Two categories, the continuous rate and discrete rate, of adaptive systems were considered, where the derived asymptotic closed form expressions for the former provided much insight into the latter. Analytical and numerical results showed that a full multiplexing gain was achieved in variable rate variable power (VRVP) systems and variable rate (VR) systems. Variable power (VP) systems with unequal numbers of transmit and receive antennas also achieved the full multiplexing gain, unlike VP systems with equal number of transmit and receive antennas. The effect of CSI imperfection on the ASE and BER was evaluated for VR systems and closed form expressions for the ASE and BER were obtained. They prove to be a useful tool to assess the system performance without taking time consuming AM MIMO system simulations.

Performance analysis of beamforming in two hop amplify and forward relay networks with antenna correlation

The performance of beamforming with antenna correlation in a two hop amplify and forward (AF) multiple input multiple-output (MIMO) relay network is analyzed. This network consists of a single relay which is used to amplify and forward the signal from the source to the destination. The source and destination are both equipped with multiple antennas, which are correlated in space, while the relay has a single antenna. In this paper, we derive new closed form expressions for the outage probability and probability density function of the received signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the destination. We also present exact symbol error rate expressions for the two hop AF MIMO relay network, and show that the full spatial diversity order can be achieved. Our results also indicate that spatial correlation is detrimental to the outage probability and symbol error rate at high SNR, and beneficial at low SNR.

Harvest-Then-Cooperate: Wireless-Powered Cooperative Communications

In this paper, we consider a wireless-powered cooperative communication network consisting of one hybrid access-point (AP), one source, and one relay. In contrast to conventional cooperative networks, the source and relay in the considered network have no embedded energy supply. They need to rely on the energy harvested from the signals broadcasted by the AP for their cooperative information transmission. Based on this three-node reference model, we propose a harvest-then-cooperate (HTC) protocol, in which the source and relay harvest energy from the AP in the downlink and work cooperatively in the uplink for the sources information transmission. Considering a delay-limited transmission mode, the approximate closed-form expression for the average throughput of the proposed protocol is derived over Rayleigh fading channels. Subsequently, this analysis is extended to the multi-relay scenario, where the approximate throughput of the HTC protocol with two popular relay selection schemes is derived. The asymptotic analyses for the throughput performance of the considered schemes at high signal-to-noise radio are also provided. All theoretical results are validated by numerical simulations. The impacts of the system parameters, such as time allocation, relay number, and relay position, on the throughput performance are extensively investigated.

Optimum soft-output detection for channels with intersymbol interference

In contrast to the conventional Viterbi algorithm (VA) which generates hard-outputs, an optimum soft-output algorithm (OSA) is derived under the constraint of fixed decision delay for detection of M-ary digital signals in the presence of intersymbol interference and additive white Gaussian noise. The OSA, a new type of the conventional symbol-by-symbol maximum a posteriori probability algorithm, requires only a forward recursion and the number of variables to be stored and recursively updated increases linearly, rather than exponentially, with the decision delay. Then, with little performance degradation, a suboptimum soft-output algorithm (SSA) is obtained by simplifying the OSA. The main computations in the SSA, as in the VA, are the add-compare-select operations. Simulation results of a convolutional-coded communication system are presented that demonstrate the superiority of the OSA and the SSA over the conventional VA when they are used as detectors. When the decision delay of the detectors equals the channel memory, a significant performance improvement is achieved with only a small increase in computational complexity. >

Channel modeling and simulation in satellite mobile communication systems

An analog model describing signal amplitude and phase variations on shadowed satellite mobile channels is proposed. A linear combination of log-normal, Rayleigh, and Rice models is used to describe signal variations over an area with constant environment attributes while an M-state Markov chain is applied to represent environment parameter variations. Channel parameters are evaluated from the experimental data and utilized to verify a simulation model. Results, presented in the form of signal waveforms, probability density functions, fade durations, and average bit and block error rates, show close agreement with measurements. >

Performance Analysis of Beamforming in Two Hop Amplify and Forward Relay Networks

The performance of beamforming in a two hop amplify and forward (AF) relay network is analyzed. This network consists of a single relay which is used to amplify and forward the signal from the source to the destination. The source and destination are both equipped with multiple antennas while the relay has a single antenna. In this paper, we derive closed form expressions for the outage probability and probability density function of the received SNR. We also present exact symbol error rate expressions for the two hop AF relay network and show that full spatial diversity order, which corresponds to the minimum number of antennas at the source and destination, can be achieved. Our analytical results are confirmed through comparison with Monte Carlo simulations.