In this work, copula models for fitting bivariate response data with Weibull marginal distributions are studied, which are motivated by the need of model fading channels in signal applications. The analytical expressions for the joint probability density function (p.d.f.), and joint cumulative distribution function (c.d.f.) are utilized as the bivariate distribution of the fading channels data with not necessarily identical fading parameters and average powers. The performances of outage probability employing diversity receivers, called as selection combining (SC), equal-gain combining (EGC), and maximal-ratio combining (MRC) of two diversity receivers under bivariate copula models with Weibull marginal distributions are presented. They are also compared with the results in Sagias (2005) where the data assumed to follow the bivariate Weibull distribution. It will be demonstrated that the copula models can approximate the bivariate Weibull distribution used in Sagias (2005) very closely with suitable copula model, and the computations for obtaining the performances of outage probability under SC are much simplified. Keywords and phrases: equal-gain combining, maximal-ratio combining, selection combining

ITC/USA 2010 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Sixth Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 25-28, 2010 / Town and Country Resort & Convention Center, San Diego, California / This work explores aeronautical telemetry communication performance with the SOQPSK- TG ARTM waveforms when frequency-selective multipath corrupts received information symbols. A multi-antenna equalization scheme is presented where each antenna's unique multipath channel is equalized using a pilot-aided optimal linear minimum mean-square error filter. Following independent channel equalization, a maximal ratio combining technique is used to generate a single receiver output for detection. This multi-antenna equalization process is shown to improve detection performance over maximal ratio combining alone.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. / In military operations, covertness of operation is of paramount importance. The transmission power of the data link must be kept to the minimum to maintain a low probability of detection (LPD) from the adversary. However, a reduction in the transmitted power implies a reduction in the operating range, though the detection range by the enemy is also reduced. Therefore, to reduce the enemy’s detection range while maintaining operating distance, this thesis explores strategies to discriminate gain against an adversary’s sensor. The strategies involve using processing gain, directional antennas, polarization and the natural environment as a transmission shield. The processing gain strategy analyzed in this thesis uses a diversity technique called Maximal Ratio Combining (MRC) applied to an IEEE 802.16a link. Sinclair D. Smith carried out a study on the possible processing gain derivable from this technique and this thesis will bring his results to practical applications via link analyses. In the event that the link is detected and the enemy decides to carry out jamming, the thesis explores a possible anti-jamming (AJ) strategy by using MRC and a directional antenna. Daniel P. Zastrow carried out a study on the AJ capability of MRC and this thesis brings his results to practical applications via link analyses. / Major, Republic of Singapore Airforce

Recently multiple antenna systems have received significant attention from researchers as a means to improve the energy and spectral efficiency of wireless systems. Among many classes of schemes, Space-Time Block codes (STBC) and Space-Time Trellis codes (STTC) have been the subject of many investigations. Both techniques provide a means for combatting the effects of multipath fading without adding much complexity to the receiver. This is especially useful in the downlink of wireless systems. In this thesis we investigate the impact of channel estimation error on the performance of both STBC and STTC. Channel estimation is especially important to consider in multiple antenna systems since (A) for coherent systems there are more channels to estimate due to multiple antennas and (B) the decoupling of data streams relies on correct channel estimation. The latter effect is due to the intentional cross-talk introduced into STBC. / Master of Science

Mobile arrays employing diversity combining and adaptive beamforming techniques overcome multipath fading, improve coverage, and increase capacity in wireless communications systems. In this thesis, diversity combining and adaptive beamforming performance of different four element arrays for mobile (vehicular speed) and portable (pedestrian speed) terminals is investigated. The performance of four element arrays with different configurations and with different element patterns is compared using the square array of four half-wave dipole elements as the baseline. Results from diversity and beamforming measurements, performed in urban and suburban environments for both line-of-sight (LOS) and obstructed multipath channels are used to analyze and compare the performances of different four element arrays. At cumulative probabilities of 10%, 1% and 0.1%, diversity gain and improvement in signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio (SINR) are calculated from the diversity combining measurements and interference rejection measurements respectively. Experimental results illustrating the dependence of diversity gain on power imbalance, envelope correlation and diversity-combining scheme are presented. Measurements were performed at 2.05 GHz using the handheld antenna array testbed (HAAT). Low profile linear arrays are shown to provide diversity gain values of 5 to 8 dB and 11 to 16 dB, respectively for switched and maximal ratio combining at the 99% reliability level in non-line-of-sight urban channel. Interference cancellation of 24 to 28 dB was recorded in urban and suburban line-of-sight (LOS) channels for the sectorized square array. Results of vehicular measurements with the arrays mounted on a ground plane supported above the vehicle roof are also reported. / Master of Science

There has been phenomenal interest in applying space-time coding techniques in wireless communications in the last two decades. In general, the benefit of applying space-time codes in multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) wireless channels is an increase in transmission reliability or system throughput (capacity). However, such a benefit cannot be obtained in some wireless systems where size or other constraints preclude the use of multiple antennas. As such, wireless relay communications has recently been proposed as a means to provide spatial diversity in the face of this limitation. In this approach, some users or relay nodes assist the transmission of other users information. This dissertation contributes to the advancement of wireless relay communications by investigating the performance of various relaying signal processing methods under different practical fading environments. In particular, it examines two main relaying methods, namely decode-and-forward (DF) and amplify-and-forward (AF).<p> For DF, the focus is on the diversity analysis of relaying systems under various practical protocols when detection error at relays is taken into account. In order to effectively mitigate the phenomenon of error propagation, the smart relaying technique proposed by Wang et al. in [R1] is adopted. First, diversity analysis of a single-relay system under the scenario that only the relay is allowed to transmit in the second time slot (called Protocol II) is carried out. For Nakagami and Hoyt generalized fading channels, analytical and numerical results are provided to demonstrate that the system always obtains the maximal diversity when binary phase shift keying (BPSK) modulation is used. Second, a novel and low-complexity relaying system is proposed when smart relaying and equal gain combing (EGC) techniques are combined. In the proposed system, the destination requires only the phases of the channel state information in order to detect the transmitted signals. For the single-relay system with M-ary PSK modulation, it is shown that the system can achieve the maximal diversity under Nakagami and Hoyt fading channels. For the K-relay system, simulation results suggest that the maximal diversity can also be achieved. Finally, the diversity analysis for a smart relaying system under the scenario when both the source and relay are permitted to transmit in the second time slot (referred to as Protocol I) is presented. It is shown that Protocol I can achieve the same diversity order as Protocol II for the case of 1 relay. In addition, the diversity is very robust to the quality of the feedback channel as well as the accuracy of the quantization of the power scaling implemented at the relay.<p> For AF, the dissertation considers a fixed-gain multiple-relay system with maximal ratio combining (MRC) detection at the destination under Nakagami fading channels. Different from the smart relaying for DF, all the channel state information is assumed to be available at the destination in order to perform MRC for any number of antennas. Upperbound and lowerbound on the system performance are then derived. Based on the bounds, it is shown that the system can achieve the maximal diversity. Furthermore, the tightness of the upperbound is demonstrated via simulation results. With only the statistics of all the channels available at the destination, a novel power allocation (PA) is then proposed. The proposed PA shows significant performance gain over the conventional equal PA.

There has been phenomenal interest in applying space-time coding techniques in wireless communications in the last two decades. In general, the benefit of applying space-time codes in multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) wireless channels is an increase in transmission reliability or system throughput (capacity). However, such a benefit cannot be obtained in some wireless systems where size or other constraints preclude the use of multiple antennas. As such, wireless relay communications has recently been proposed as a means to provide spatial diversity in the face of this limitation. In this approach, some users or relay nodes assist the transmission of other users information. This dissertation contributes to the advancement of wireless relay communications by investigating the performance of various relaying signal processing methods under different practical fading environments. In particular, it examines two main relaying methods, namely decode-and-forward (DF) and amplify-and-forward (AF).<p> For DF, the focus is on the diversity analysis of relaying systems under various practical protocols when detection error at relays is taken into account. In order to effectively mitigate the phenomenon of error propagation, the smart relaying technique proposed by Wang et al. in [R1] is adopted. First, diversity analysis of a single-relay system under the scenario that only the relay is allowed to transmit in the second time slot (called Protocol II) is carried out. For Nakagami and Hoyt generalized fading channels, analytical and numerical results are provided to demonstrate that the system always obtains the maximal diversity when binary phase shift keying (BPSK) modulation is used. Second, a novel and low-complexity relaying system is proposed when smart relaying and equal gain combing (EGC) techniques are combined. In the proposed system, the destination requires only the phases of the channel state information in order to detect the transmitted signals. For the single-relay system with M-ary PSK modulation, it is shown that the system can achieve the maximal diversity under Nakagami and Hoyt fading channels. For the K-relay system, simulation results suggest that the maximal diversity can also be achieved. Finally, the diversity analysis for a smart relaying system under the scenario when both the source and relay are permitted to transmit in the second time slot (referred to as Protocol I) is presented. It is shown that Protocol I can achieve the same diversity order as Protocol II for the case of 1 relay. In addition, the diversity is very robust to the quality of the feedback channel as well as the accuracy of the quantization of the power scaling implemented at the relay.<p> For AF, the dissertation considers a fixed-gain multiple-relay system with maximal ratio combining (MRC) detection at the destination under Nakagami fading channels. Different from the smart relaying for DF, all the channel state information is assumed to be available at the destination in order to perform MRC for any number of antennas. Upperbound and lowerbound on the system performance are then derived. Based on the bounds, it is shown that the system can achieve the maximal diversity. Furthermore, the tightness of the upperbound is demonstrated via simulation results. With only the statistics of all the channels available at the destination, a novel power allocation (PA) is then proposed. The proposed PA shows significant performance gain over the conventional equal PA.

Different diversity techniques such as Maximal-Ratio Combining (MRC), Equal-Gain Combining (EGC) and Selection Combining (SC) are described and analyzed. Two branches (N=2) diversity systems that are used for pre-detection combining have been investigated and computed. The statistics of carrier to noise ratio (CNR) and carrier to interference ratio (CIR) without diversity assuming Rayleigh fading model have been examined and then measured for diversity systems. The probability of error (p_e) vs CNR and (p_e) versus CIR have also been obtained. The fading dynamic range of the instantaneous CNR and CIR is reduced remarkably when diversity systems are used [1]. For a certain average probability of error, a higher valued average CNR and CIR is in need for non-diversity systems [1]. But a smaller valued of CNR and CIR are compared to diversity systems. The overall conclusion is that maximal-ratio combining (MRC) achieves the best performance improvement compared to other combining methods. Diversity techniques are very useful to improve the performance of high speed wireless channel to transmit data and information. The problems which considered in this thesis are not new but I have tried to organize, prove and analyze in new ways.

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / This thesis investigates the simulation performance of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems utilizing Alamoutibased space-time block coding (STBC) technique. The MIMO communication systems using STBC technique employing both single- carrier modulation and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) are simulated in Matlab. The physical layer part of the IEEE 802.16a standard is used in constructing the simulated OFDM schemes. Stanford University Interim (SUI) channel models are selected for the wireless channel in the simulation process. The performance results of the simulated MIMO systems are compared to those of conventional single antenna systems. / Lieutenant Junior Grade, Turkish Navy

Multi-user MIMO (MIMO-MU) communication techniques make use of available channel state information at the transmitter to mitigate the inter-user interference. The goal of these techniques is to provide the least interference at the mobile stations by applying a precoding operation. In this thesis a comparison of available techniques in the literature such as Channel Decomposition, SINR Balancing, Joint-MMSE optimization is presented. Novel techniques for the MIMO multi-user downlink communication systems, where a single stream is transmitted to each user are proposed. The proposed methods, different from the other methods in the literature, use a simple receiver to combat the interference. It has been shown that MRC based receivers are as good as more complicated joint MMSE receivers.