Massive MIMO communication systems have been highlighted as the main technology for physical layer of next generation communication standards, like 5G. While conventional communication between BS and its covered users is performed in orthogonal time-frequency resources, the improved interuser interference mitigation capability provided by the large number of BS antennas enables the BS to communicate with several users in the same time-frequency resource. This better usage of available but scarce spectrum elevates the spectral efficiency to very appreciable levels, and has a similar effect on energy efficiency, since the transmit power is not increased. On the other hand, if the objective is to provide a target performance for the users, the required transmit power in both direct and reverse links can be made inversely proportional to the number of BS antennas employed. In this Doctoral Thesis, several important aspects of massive MIMO systems are systematically investigated aiming to improve their energy and spectral efficiencies. We can enumerate our main contributions as follows. Considering a cellular massive MIMO network, we proposed an optimized assignment policy of training sequences to the users, which is then combined with suitable power control algorithms. We have also investigated the adoption of alternative waveforms in this scenario, such as single-carrier transmission, in order to overcome the issues of conventional OFDM. Our contributions in this topic are to derive analytical performance expressions for a time-domain single-carrier equalizer taking advantage of the large number of BS antennas, and to evaluate and compare the total energy efficiency of OFDM versus single-carrier massive MIMO systems. Finally, considering crowded massive MIMO networks, composed by both human users as well as machine-type communication devices, we proposed an improved random access protocol aiming to decrease the average number of access attempts for the users and decreasing the probability of failed access attempts. / Sistemas de comunicação de múltiplas antenas (multiple-input multiple-output - MIMO) têm se destacado como a principal tecnologia para a camada física dos padrões de comunicação da próxima geração, como o 5G. Enquanto a comunicação convencional entre a estação base (base station - BS) e seus usuários atendidos é realizada em recursos ortogonais de tempo-frequência, a grande capacidade de redução da interferência interusuários possibilitada pelo grande número de antenas da BS habilita a BS a se comunicar com diversos usuários no mesmo recurso tempo-frequência. Este melhor uso do escasso espectro disponível eleva a eficiência espectral a níveis muito apreciáveis, e tem um efeito similar na eficiência energética, pois a potência de transmissão não é aumentada. Por outro lado, se o objetivo é fornecer um desempenho desejado para os usuários, a potência de transmissão necessária em ambos os enlaces direto e reverso pode ser feita inversamente proporcional ao número de antenas na BS. Nesta Tese de Doutorado, diversos aspectos importantes de sistemas MIMO massivo são sistematicamente investigados com o objetivo de melhorar suas eficiências energética e espectral. Pode-se enumerar as principais contribuições alcançadas como se segue. Considerando uma rede celular MIMO massivo, propõe-se uma política de atribuição de sequências de treinamento aos usuários otimizada, a qual é depois combinada com apropriados algoritmos de controle de potência. Também investiga-se a adoção neste cenário de formas de onda alternativas, tal como a transmissão de portadora única, visando superar as deficiências da convencional multiplexagem por divisão de portadoras ortogonais (orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing - OFDM). As principais contribuições obtidas neste tema são derivar expressões de desempenho analíticas para um equalizador de portadora única no domínio do tempo que aproveita o grande número de antenas na BS, e avaliar e comparar a eficiência energética total de sistemas MIMO massivo OFDM versus portadora única. Finalmente, considerando redes MIMO massivo sobrecarregadas, compostas por usuários humanos bem como dispositivos de comunicação do tipo máquina, propõe-se um protocolo de acesso aleatório melhorado visando diminuir o número médio de tentativas de acesso para os usuários e diminuir a probabilidade de falhas de tentativa de acesso.

Programa AlÃan de bolsas de estudo de alto nÃvel destinado à AmÃrica Latina / Este trabalho tem como objetivo a aplicaÃÃo da anÃlise tensorial para o tratamento de sinais no domÃnio de comunicaÃÃes sem fio. Utilizando a decomposiÃÃo tensorial conhecida como PARAFAC (decomposiÃÃo por fatores paralelos), um receptor à modelado para um sistema de comunicaÃÃo sem fio que utiliza uma estrutura MIMO na qual cada antena transmissora possui um cÃdigo de espalhamento particular, baseado na tÃcnica de mÃltiplo acesso por divisÃo de cÃdigo (CDMA). Nesse trabalho sÃo analisadas duas estruturas receptoras baseadas na decomposiÃÃo PARAFAC. A primeira à baseada no conhecimento da matriz de cÃdigos de espalhamento e a segunda à baseada no conhecimento da matriz de seqÃÃncia de treinamento. Duas famÃlias de cÃdigos sÃo consideradas: cÃdigos de Hadamard-Walsh e cÃdigos de Hadamard-Walsh truncados. Como resultado, foi observado que os receptores propostos apresentaram rÃpida convergÃncia e foram capazes de eliminar todas as ambigÃidades, inclusive aquelas que sÃo intrÃnsecas à decomposiÃÃo PARAFAC, que foram observadas em outros trabalhos. Resultados de simulaÃÃo sÃo apresentados para comparar o desempenho das duas estruturas receptoras em diversas configuraÃÃes do sistema de comunicaÃÃo, revelando o impacto dos parÃmetros do sistema (nÃmero de antenas transmissoras, nÃmero de antenas receptoras, tamanho do cÃdigo e relaÃÃo sinal-ruÃdo). / This work deals with the application of multi-way analysis to the context of signal processing for wireless communications. A tensor decomposition known as PARAFAC (PARAllel FACtors) is considered in the design of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) receiver for a wireless communication system with Spread Spectrum codes. We propose two supervised PARAFAC-based receiver structures for joint symbol and channel estimation. The first one is based on the knowledge of the spreading codes and the second on the knowledge of a training sequence per transmit antenna. Two code structures are considered, which are Hadamard-Wash (HW) and Truncated Hadamard-Walsh (THW). The main advantages of the proposed PARAFAC receivers is on the fact that they exhibit fast convergence and eliminate all ambiguities inherent to the PARAFAC model. Simulation results are provided to compare the performances of the two receivers for several systems configurations, revealing the impact of the number of transmit antennas, number of receiver antennas, code length and signal to noise ratio in their performances.

L’estimation de canal joue un rôle important dans les communications mobiles sans fil et en particulier dans les systèmes multi-antennes MIMO. Contrairement aux techniques classiques d’estimation de canal basées sur des séquences d’apprentissage ou des symboles pilotes, les techniques aveugles ne nécessitent aucune insertion de symboles d'apprentissage et permettent d'augmenter le débit utile. Les principales difficultés des techniques aveugles résident dans l’ambiguïté présente sur les estimées. Les techniques d’estimation semi-aveugles, basées sur les mêmes méthodes que l’estimation aveugle, sont plus robustes. Elles exploitent l’information aveugle ainsi que l’information provenant d’un nombre réduit de symboles d’apprentissage. Cette estimation du canal de communication est très utile dans les systèmes MIMO et permet de précoder le signal MIMO-OFDM en lui appliquant un pré-mélange permettant d'améliorer les performances. De nombreux types de précodeurs existent et leurs performances varient en fonction des critères d'optimisation retenus (Water-Filling, MMSE, Equal Error, max-SNR, max-d min …), mais aussi avec la qualité de l'estimation du canal de communication. Nous étudions dans cette thèse l’impact de l’utilisation de l’information du canal (CSI) provenant des méthodes d’estimation aveugle et semi-aveugle, dans l’application des précodeurs linéaires MIMO. Nous présentons également une étude statistique de l’erreur d’estimation provenant de ces méthodes. L’optimisation de ces précodeurs nous mène par la suite à exploiter un autre procédé permettant l’amélioration des performances : les codes correcteurs d’erreur. Nous nous intéressons particulièrement aux codes LDPC non-binaires et leur association avec les précodeurs linéaires MIMO. Nous montrons qu’une adaptation est possible et s’avère bénéfique dans certains cas. L’optimisation de cette association nous a permis de proposer un nouveau précodeur basé sur la maximisation de l’information mutuelle, robuste et plus performant. / Channel estimation plays an important role in wireless mobile communications, especially in MIMO systems. Unlike conventional channel estimation techniques based on training sequences or pilot symbols, blind techniques does not require the insertion of training symbols and allow higher throughput. The main problems of the blind lies in the ambiguity over the estimated channel. Based on the same methods as the blind estimation, the semi-blind estimation techniques are more robust. They exploit the blind information along with information provided by a small number of training symbols. The channel estimation is useful in MIMO systems and allows the precoding of the MIMO-OFDM signal by applying a pre-mixture in order to improve performance. Many types of precoders exist and their performance varies depending not only on the optimization criteria (Water-Filling, MMSE, Equal Error, max-SNR, max-d min ...), but also on the estimated channel. In this thesis we study the impact of using the channel information (CSI) from the blind and semi-blind estimation techniques to apply MIMO linear precoders. We also present a statistical study of the estimation error of these methods. The optimization of these precoders leads eventually to use another process allowing more performance improvement: the error correcting codes. We are particularly interested in non-binary LDPC codes and their association with linear MIMO precoders. We show that a matching is possible, and is beneficial in some cases. The optimization of this combination has allowed us to propose a new robust and more efficient precoder based on the maximization of mutual information.

Au cours de ces dernières années, le réseau électrique est devenu un candidat incontournable pour la transmission de données à haut débit à l’intérieur des bâtiments. De nombreuses solutions sont actuellement à l’étude afin d’optimiser ces technologies connues sous le nom Courants Porteurs en Ligne (CPL) ou PLC (Power-Line Communications). La technique MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) a été tout récemment transposée au réseau filaire électrique pour lequel différents modes d’alimentation peuvent être envisagés entre la phase, le neutre et la terre. Dans le cadre de cette thèse, nous proposons deux contributions originales à l’étude des communications numériques sur le réseau électrique à l’intérieur des bâtiments. La première contribution concerne la modélisation du canal MIMO-PLC. En repartant d’un modèle du canal paramétrique SISO (Single-Input Single-Output) connu dans la littérature, nous proposons un modèle du canal MIMO en considérant un nouveau paramètre caractérisant la corrélation spatiale. Le modèle proposé permet de représenter fidèlement la corrélation spatiale des mesures effectuées à l’échelle européenne. La deuxième contribution concerne le bruit impulsif présent sur le réseau électrique domestique qui constitue un problème majeur dans les systèmes de communications. Nous proposons une méthode basée sur la notion de capacité de coupure afin d’optimiser le débit moyen dans les systèmes OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) soumis aux bruits impulsifs. D’abord, nous étudions la capacité du système en fonction d’une marge de bruit fournie aux symboles transmis. Ensuite, nous déterminons l’expression analytique de la probabilité de coupure (outage) d’un symbole OFDM en fonction de cette marge, en étudiant de manière détaillée l’interaction entre l’impulsion de bruit et le symbole. A partir de ces deux calculs, nous déduisons la capacité de coupure. Puis, nous proposons une approche qui maximise l’espérance mathématique du débit reçu. Finalement, nous présentons les résultats obtenus dans le cas particulier d’une transmission à haut débit sur PLC en présence de bruits impulsifs. / In recent years, the electrical network has become an essential candidate for high-speed data transmission inside buildings. Many solutions are currently underway in order to optimize these technologies known under the name of in-home Power-Line Communications (PLC). Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) technique has recently been transposed into power-line networks for which different signal feeding possibilities can be considered between phase, neutral and earth wires. In this thesis, we propose two original contributions to indoor broadband PLC. The first contribution concerns the MIMO-PLC channel modeling. Based on a Single-Input Single-Output (SISO) parametric channel model presented in the literature, we propose a MIMO one by considering a new parameter which characterizes the spatial correlation. The proposed model enables an accurate description of the spatial correlation of European MIMO PLC field measurements. The second contribution is related to the impulsive noise present in power-line networks which constitutes a major problem in communications systems. We propose an outage capacity approach in order to optimize the average data rate in Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) systems affected by impulsive noise. First, we study the channel capacity as a function of a noise margin provided to the transmitted symbols. Then we determine the analytical expression of the outage probability of an OFDM symbol in terms of the noise margin, by studying in detail the interaction between the noise impulse and the symbol. Based on the two aforementioned relations, we deduce the outage capacity. Then we propose an approach that enables to maximize the average system data rate. Finally, we present the results in the particular case of indoor broadband PLC in the presence of impulsive noise.

Le premier système de TV numérique utilisant la modulation OFDM à avoir été standardisé est le système DVB-T. Ses algorithmes d'estimation de canal et de synchronisation fréquentielle sont basés sur l'exploitation de symboles pilotes qui sont connus à l'avance par les récepteurs et sont transmis sur certaines sous-porteuses. Dans notre étude, nous proposons d'étaler chaque symbole pilote sur plusieurs sous-porteuses. De nouveaux algorithmes de réception basés sur ces pilotes étalés sont développés et analysés. Aussi, un nouveau schéma MIMO appelé Space Code Block Code est proposé pour l'estimation de canal. La dernière partie de cette thèse est consacrée à l'optimisation de schémas MIMO dans un réseau mono-fréquence (SFN). Un nouveau schéma MIMO appelé Space Time Space Block Code ou MIMO 3D est proposé. Une analyse sur le choix des différents codes constituant le schéma MIMO 3D est effectuée pour un réseau SFN avec deux sites puis trois sites d'émission.

Esta tesis caracteriza experimentalmente el comportamiento del canal MIMO en diferentes escenarios y evalúa la dependencia del rendimiento del canal con la tipología del escenario y diferentes condiciones de propagación. Para facilitar el desarrollo de futuros sistemas con múltiples antenas en estos escenarios, se presentan modelos sencillos y eficientes de canales SISO y MIMO.Se ha realizado el análisis de canales MIMO 2x2 a partir de diversas campañas de medidas realizadas en distintos escenarios interiores, exteriores y mixtos. Se han estudiado dos aspectos fundamentales: la correlación espacial y la capacidad del canal. El estudio se completa con el desarrollo de un método de modelado basado en líneas de retardo. Mediante este método se obtienen modelos sencillos y eficientes de canales SISO y MIMO de los escenarios interiores y mixtos medidos. Así se contribuye al desarrollo de nuevos sistemas de comunicaciones inalámbricos en escenarios mixtos y a facilitar la simulación de sistemas MIMO gracias a los nuevos modelos propuestos. / This thesis characterizes in an experimental way the MIMO channel behavior in different scenarios, including the evaluation of the channel performance dependency with the type of scenario and different propagation conditions. In order to facilitate the development of future systems with multiple antennas in these scenarios, simple and efficient SISO and MIMO channel models are presented.The analysis of the 22 MIMO channel has been based on several measurement campaigns carried out in different outdoor, indoor and mixed environments. Two fundamental aspects are studied: the spatial correlation and the channel capacity. The analysis is completed with the development of a method to model the radio channel based on tapped delay lines. Using this method, simple and efficient SISO and MIMO channel models of indoor, outdoor and mixed scenarios have been obtained. In this way this work contributes to the development of new wireless communication systems and to facilitate the simulation of MIMO systems by means of the new proposed models.

As the demand of high data rate is increasing, a lot of research is being conducted in the field of wireless communication. A well-known channel coding technique called Space-Time Coding has been implemented in the wireless Communication systems using multiple antennas to ensure the high speed communication as well as reliability by exploiting limited spectrum and maintaining the power. In this thesis, Space-Time Coding is discussed along with other related topics with special focus on Alamouti Space-Time Block Code. The Alamouti Codes show good performance in terms of bit error rate over Rayleigh fading channel. The performance of Altamonte’s code and MIMO capacity is evaluated by using MATLAB simulation.

In dieser Arbeit werden lineare zeitinvariante endlichdimensionale Systeme (LTI-Systeme) mit m > 1 Eingängen und p > 1 Ausgängen untersucht (MIMO-Systeme). Diese lassen sich darstellen durch lineare Gleichungen mit Matrizen, deren Einträge Polynome im Ableitungsoperator d/dt sind. Bei Nutzung der Laplace-Transformation handelt es sich um Polynome in s. Algebraisch bilden diese einen Euklidischen Ring. Durch Überführung der Matrizen in die Hermitesche Normalform werden m Basisgrößen definiert. Die Verläufe oder Trajektorien der Basisgrößen lassen sich frei vorgegeben. Damit werden die Trajektorien sämtlicher übrigen Signale, insbesondere die der erforderlichen Eingangssignale, festgelegt und können ohne Integration berechnet werden. Ein linksteilerfremdes (auch steuerbar genanntes) Modell ist dabei nicht zwingend erforderlich. Damit eignen sich die Basisgrößen besonders zur Planung von Trajektorien. Genauer untersucht wird die Planung mit Polynomen in der Zeit als Ansatzfunktionen und die Planung von Trajektorien, die ein quadratisches Kostenfunktional minimieren. In der technischen Praxis werden die Systeme stets von den geplanten Trajektorien abweichen. Insbesondere bei instabilen Regelstrecken ist deshalb ein stabilisierender Folgeregler unentbehrlich. Die Struktur der Folgeregelung wird eingeführt und es wird deutlich gemacht, dass jede Methode zum Entwurf linearer Regler angewendet werden kann. Die Nullstellenzuweisung durch dynamische Ausgangsrückführung mit Reglern vorgegebener möglichst geringer dynamischer Ordnung wird detailliert untersucht und eine neue Lösungsmöglichkeit aufgezeigt. Durch Nutzung der modifizierten z-Transformation lässt sich die Theorie auf ein hybrides System, bestehend aus einer zeitkontinuierlichen Regelstrecke und einer zeitdiskreten digitalen Steuerung und Regelung, ausdehnen. Dabei werden die Verläufe der Signale zwischen den Abtastzeitpunkten in die Planung einbezogen. Zum Schluss werden die linearen Beobachter im Licht der polynomialen Matrizendarstellung neu untersucht. Es wird gezeigt, dass die polynomiale Matrizendarstellung einen theoretischen Rahmen bietet, in dem sich sämtliche linearen Beobachter mit einer Methode entwerfen lassen. - (Die Dissertation ist veröffentlicht in der Reihe Fortschritt-Berichte VDI, Reihe 8 - Mess-, Steuerungs- und Regelungstechnik, Band 1164 im VDI Verlag GmbH, Düsseldorf, ISBN 978-3-18-516408-8) / In this thesis linear time invariant lumped systems (LTI-systems) with m>1 inputs and p > 1 outputs (MIMO-systems) are investigated. These systems can be represented by linear equations with matrices, whose entries are polynomials in the differential operator d/dt. If Laplace-transform is employed, the polynomials are in s. Algebraically polynomials form a Euclidean ring. The conversion of the matrices to the Hermite form leads to defining m basic variables. The trajectories of the basis variables may be chosen arbitrarily. With that choice the trajectories of all remaining variables and especially the input variables are determined and can be calculated without integration. A left coprime (also called controllable) model is not required. Hence basis variables are particularly useful for planning trajectories. Special attention is paid to planning trajectories with polynomials in time as basic functions and planning trajectories which minimise a quadratic functional of costs. In engineering practice the systems will always differ from the planed trajectories. Especially with unstable plants a stabilising tracking controller is compulsory. The structure of the tracking control is introduced. It becomes apparent that every linear theory for the design of closed loop controllers is suitable. Pole assignment by dynamic output feedback with low order controllers of a fixed structure is looked at in more detail. A new approach to this problem is presented. Using the modified z-transform the theory is extended to hybrid systems consisting of a digital or discrete time controller and a plant in continuous time. Thereby the course of the signals between the sampling moments is taken into account. Finally linear observers are reinvestigated using the polynomial matrix representation. It is shown that the polynomial matrix representation provides a theoretical framework in which all linear observers can be designed.

In this dissertation, we study energy efficient transmission in wireless communication networks. The general problem of energy efficient transmission over wireless networks is formulated into optimization problems for the following distinct (but inter-related) settings: Problem Setting 1: The minimization of energy (power) consumption given a system throughput and other constraints, and Problem Setting 2: The maximization of system throughput given energy (power) constraints. Under Problem Setting 1, we focus on energy efficient transmission problems over wideband channels. The first result we obtain is as follows: We consider a two user multiple access channel. In this multiple access channel, previous research shows that cooperation with respect to block error rate is only possible if two transmitters share their sources completely. However, we find that a modified pulse position modulation with synchronization enables cooperation without complete sharing of their sources between two transmitters if we replace a block error rate requirement with a normalized error rate constraint. Normalized error rate, a quantity that resembles bit error rate, is developed in this work as an error metric that is of value in practical communication systems. We show full cooperation between two transmitters without sharing their sources by deriving that the minimum energy per bit required for reliable transmission reduces by quarter compared with the minimum energy per bit required for point-to-point channels. Next, we generalize this analysis to a cognitive communication framework with a wideband cognitive transmitter, which can causally sense signal levels over multiple frequency bands, and a cognitive receiver. We assume that multiple legitimate users already exist in the system and each one transmits in its own non-overlapping frequency band. In this setting, from order statistical analysis, we show that the wideband cognitive transmit-receive pair is able to communicate reliably with minimum energy as if the legitimate users were absent from the system, while causing negligible interference to bandlimited legitimate users. The wideband cognitive transmit-receive pair employs a strategy defined as opportunistic group orthogonal signaling to achieve the minimum energy per bit. Under Problem Setting 2, we investigate the impact of correlation and transmit and receive strategies on the throughput of multiple antenna broadcast channels in cellular networks. With perfect channel state information at the transmitter, it is well known that dirty paper coding (DPC) is the optimal multi-user broadcast transmission method. However, with partial channel state information at the transmitter, the picture changes significantly. Specifically, since multi-user transmission is unable to employ DPC perfectly, singleuser transmission strategies can have a better performance than multi-user transmission strategies when we have a small number of users and correlated antenna gains. We explore the trade-offs between the single-user and multiuser MIMO transmission strategies. Order statistical analysis provides us with both analytical expressions and insights about these trade-offs. We verify that the analytical framework that we develop is accurate by checking the values obtained against numerical results. From this analysis, we confirm that 'mode switching' between single-user and multi-user MIMO transmission schemes is necessary for maximizing throughput for emerging MIMO solutions. Finally, we suggest an adaptive mode switching algorithm between single-user and multi-user MIMO transmission strategies based on this analytical framework. / text

Τη σημερινή εποχή γινόμαστε καθημερινά μάρτυρες μίας ταχέως αναπτυσσόμενης αγοράς, που δεν είναι άλλη από αυτή των κινητών πολυμεσικών εφαρμογών, όπως του Mobile TV και του Mobile Streaming. Υπηρεσίες όπως αυτές έχουν ή αναμένεται να έχουν υψηλή διείσδυση στη βιομηχανία της κινητής πολυμεσικής επικοινωνίας. Για να ικανοποιηθούν οι απαιτήσεις αυτών των υπηρεσιών για υψηλές ταχύτητες μετάδοσης, ο οργανισμός 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) ανέπτυξε το Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A), μία τεχνολογία η οποία αποτελεί την εξέλιξη των κινητών τηλεπικοινωνιακών τεχνολογιών 3ης γενιάς. Το LTE-A χρησιμοποιεί την τεχνολογία Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA). Η συγκεκριμένη τεχνολογία μπορεί να προσφέρει νέες υψηλής χωρητικότητας ευρυζωνικές εφαρμογές και υπηρεσίες, ενώ παρέχει αποτελεσματική, από πλευράς κόστους, καθολική κάλυψη. Επιπλέον, ο οργανισμός 3GPP εισήγαγε την τεχνολογία Multimedia Broadcast / Multicast Service (MBMS), ως μέσο πανεκπομπής και πολυεκπομπής πληροφοριών στους χρήστες κινητών, με το Mobile TV να είναι η κύρια υπηρεσία που παρέχεται. Η υποδομή του LTE-A προσφέρει στο MBMS την επιλογή να χρησιμοποιήσει ένα uplink κανάλι για την αλληλεπίδραση μεταξύ της υπηρεσίας και του χρήστη, η οποία στα συνήθη δίκτυα πανεκπομπής δεν είναι απλό θέμα. Στο πλαίσιο των LTE-A συστημάτων, το MBMS έχει εξελιχθεί σε e-MBMS (το "e-" αντιστοιχεί στη λέξη evolved, δηλαδή εξελιγμένο). Αυτό θα επιτευχθεί μέσα από την αυξημένη απόδοση της ασύρματης διεπαφής που περιλαμβάνει μία νέα τεχνολογία μετάδοσης που ονομάζεται MBMS over Single Frequency Network (MBSFN). Κατά τη λειτουργία του MBSFN, τα MBMS δεδομένα μεταδίδονται ταυτόχρονα μέσω του αέρα από πολλαπλά κελιά τα οποία είναι αυστηρά χρονο-συγχρονισμένα. Το σύνολο των κελιών που λαμβάνουν αυτά τα δεδομένα, καλείται MBSFN περιοχή. Δεδομένου ότι οι MBSFN μεταδόσεις ενισχύουν σημαντικά το λόγο σήματος προς παρεμβολή και θόρυβο, μπορούν να οδηγήσουν σε σημαντικές βελτιώσεις στη φασματική απόδοση σε σύγκριση με την πολυεκπομπή μέσω των συστημάτων 3ης γενιάς. Αυτό είναι εξαιρετικά επωφελές στα όρια των κελιών, όπου οι μεταδόσεις (που στα συστήματα 3ης γενιάς, όπως το Universal Mobile Telecommunications System - UMTS, θεωρούνται ως παρεμβολή) μεταφράζονται σε χρήσιμη ενέργεια σήματος και ως εκ τούτου η ισχύς του λαμβανόμενου σήματος είναι αυξημένη, ενώ την ίδια στιγμή η ισχύς παρεμβολής μειώνεται σε μεγάλο βαθμό. Για να αξιοποιηθούν πλήρως τα πλεονεκτήματα της τεχνολογίας MBSFN και να βελτιωθεί η φασματική απόδοση, θα πρέπει να επιλεχθεί με προσοχή το σχήμα διαμόρφωσης και κωδικοποίησης για τη μετάδοση των δεδομένων. Η σχέση μεταξύ της απόδοσης του MBSFN και της επιλογής του σχήματος διαμόρφωσης και κωδικοποίησης έχει μελετηθεί διεξοδικά σε προηγούμενες ερευνητικές εργασίες. Ωστόσο οι περισσότερες (αν όχι όλες) από τις εργασίες αυτές επικεντρώνονται μόνο στην πλευρά των χρηστών και ως εκ τούτου δεν μπορούν να θεωρηθούν πλήρεις. Μερικές φορές ο στόχος του παρόχου μπορεί να είναι η μεγιστοποίηση της φασματικής απόδοσης σε όλους τους χρήστες της τοπολογίας ή η παροχή της υπηρεσίας σε όλους τους χρήστες ανεξάρτητα από τις συνθήκες που βιώνουν. Επίσης, οι περισσότερες από αυτές τις εργασίες καθορίζουν το σχήμα διαμόρφωσης και κωδικοποίησης κατά τις MBSFN μεταδόσεις εξετάζοντας μόνο την περίπτωση της μετάδοσης από ένα πομπό σε ένα δέκτη και δεν εξετάζουν τα οφέλη που μπορούν να προσφέρουν οι τεχνικές Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) στη συνολική απόδοση του συστήματος. Ο στόχος της παρούσας εργασίας είναι να επεκτείνει τις προηγούμενες ερευνητικές εργασίες και, επιπλέον, να προτείνει μια λύση στο πρόβλημα της επιλογής του σχήματος διαμόρφωσης και κωδικοποίησης. Προς την κατεύθυνση αυτή, αναλύουμε πρώτα μία διαδικασία τριών βημάτων η οποία επιλέγει το σχήμα διαμόρφωσης και κωδικοποίησης και υπολογίζει τη φασματική απόδοση στην περίπτωση ενός μόνο χρήστη. Στη συνέχεια, ακολουθεί η γενίκευση της υπόθεσης ενός χρήστη και προτείνονται τρεις προσεγγίσεις που επιλέγουν το σχήμα κωδικοποίησης για την μετάδοση των MBSFN δεδομένων σε σενάρια πολλαπλών χρηστών. Οι προσεγγίσεις αξιολογούνται για τρεις διαφορετικούς τρόπους μετάδοσης, έτσι ώστε να εξεταστεί η επίδραση των τεχνικών MIMO στην επιλογή σχήματος διαμόρφωσης για διαφορετικές κατανομές χρηστών. Τα αποτελέσματα της αξιολόγησης δείχνουν ότι, ανάλογα με το στόχο που έχει θέσει ο πάροχος (π.χ. μεγιστοποίηση της φασματικής απόδοσης ή επίτευξη μίας συγκεκριμένης τιμής φασματικής απόδοσης) κάθε προσέγγιση θα μπορούσε να οδηγήσει σε βελτιωμένη απόδοση. / Today we are witnesses of a rapidly increasing market for mobile multimedia applications, such as Mobile TV and Mobile Streaming. Services like these have or are expected to have high penetration in the mobile multimedia communications industry. In order to confront such high requirements for services that demand higher data rates, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) developed the Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A) technology which constitutes the evolution of the 3rd Generation (3G) mobile telecommunications technologies. LTE-A utilizes Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA). This radio technology is optimized to enhance networks by enabling new high capacity mobile broadband applications and services, while providing cost efficient ubiquitous mobile coverage. In addition, 3GPP has introduced the Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) as a means to broadcast and multicast information to mobile users, with Mobile TV being the main service offered. LTE-A infrastructure offers to MBMS an option to use an uplink channel for interaction between the service and the user, which is not a straightforward issue in usual broadcast networks. In the context of LTE-A systems, the MBMS will evolve into e-MBMS (“e-” stands for evolved). This will be achieved through the increased performance of the air interface that will include a new transmission scheme called MBMS over Single Frequency Network (MBSFN). In MBSFN operation, MBMS data are transmitted simultaneously over the air from multiple tightly time-synchronized cells. A group of those cells, which are targeted to receive these data, is called MBSFN area. Since the MBSFN transmission greatly enhances the Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR), the MBSFN transmission mode leads to significant improvements in Spectral Efficiency (SE) in comparison to multicasting over 3G systems. This is extremely beneficial at the cell edge, where transmissions (which in 3G systems, like Universal Mobile Telecommunications System - UMTS, are considered as inter-cell interference) are translated into useful signal energy and hence the received signal strength is increased, while at the same time the interference power is largely reduced. In order to fully exploit the benefits of MBSFN and to improve its performance in terms of SE, the Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) for the transmission of the data should be carefully selected. The relationship between MBSFN performance and MCS selection has been thoroughly studied in previous research works; however most (if not all) of these works focus only on the users’ side and therefore may not be sufficient. Sometimes the operator’s goal may be the maximization of the SE over all users of the topology or the provision of the service to all the users irrespectively of the conditions that they experience. In addition, most of these works determine the MCS scheme for MBSFN considering only the case of single antenna transmissions and they do not examine the benefits that Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) transmissions may offer on the overall performance. The goal of this thesis is to extend the previous research works and, furthermore, to tackle the problems addressed. To this direction, we first analyze a 3-step procedure that selects the MCS and calculates the SE in the case of a single user. Then, we generalize the single-user case and we propose three approaches that select the MCS for the delivery of the MBSFN data in multiple-users scenarios. The approaches are evaluated for three different transmission modes, so as to examine the impact of multiple antennas techniques on the MCS selection, and for different users’ distributions. The evaluation results indicate that depending on the target that the operator may set (i.e. SE maximization or achievement of a specific SE) each approach could lead to improved performance.