Yes / Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems require simplified architectures that can maximize design parameters without sacrificing system performance. Such architectures may be used in a transmitter or a receiver. The most recent example with possible low cost architecture in the transmitter is spatial modulation (SM). In this study, we evaluate the SM and quasi-orthogonal space time block codes (QOSTBC) schemes for MIMO systems over a Rayleigh fading channel. QOSTBC enables STBC to be used in a four antenna design, for example. Standard QO-STBC techniques are limited in performance due to self-interference terms; here a QOSTBC scheme that eliminates these terms in its decoding matrix is explored. In addition, while most QOSTBC studies mainly explore performance improvements with different code structures, here we have implemented receiver diversity using maximal ratio combining (MRC). Results show that QOSTBC delivers better performance, at spectral efficiency comparable with SM.

ITC/USA 2008 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Fourth Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 27-30, 2008 / Town and Country Resort & Convention Center, San Diego, California / Although multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems have become increasingly popular, the existence of real time results to compare with those predicted by theory is still surprisingly limited. In this work the hardware description of a MIMO wireless communication system using orthogonal space time block codes (OSTBC) is discussed for two antennas at both the transmitter and receiver. A numerical example for a frequency flat time correlated channel is given to show the impact of channel estimation.

In this thesis, space-time block codes originally developed for multiple antenna systems are extended to cooperative multi-hop networks. The designs are applicable to any wireless network setting especially cellular, adhoc and sensor networks where space limitations preclude the use of multiple antennas. The thesis first investigates the design of distributed orthogonal and quasi-orthogonal space time block codes in cooperative networks with single and multiple antennas at the destination. Numerical and simulation results show that by employing multiple receive antennas the diversity performance of the network is further improved at the expense of slight modification of the detection scheme. The thesis then focuses on designing distributed space time block codes for cooperative networks in which the source node participates in cooperation. Based on this, a source-assisting strategy is proposed for distributed orthogonal and quasi-orthogonal space time block codes. Numerical and simulation results show that the source-assisting strategy exhibits improved diversity performance compared to the conventional distributed orthogonal and quasi-orthogonal designs.Motivated by the problem of channel state information acquisition in practical wireless network environments, the design of differential distributed space time block codes is investigated. Specifically, a co-efficient vector-based differential encoding and decoding scheme is proposed for cooperative networks. The thesis then explores the concatenation of differential strategies with several distributed space time block coding schemes namely; the Alamouti code, square-real orthogonal codes, complex-orthogonal codes, and quasiorthogonal codes, using cooperative networks with different number of relay nodes. In order to cater for high data rate transmission in non-coherent cooperative networks, differential distributed quasi-orthogonal space-time block codes which are capable of achieving full code-rate and full diversity are proposed. Simulation results demonstrate that the differential distributed quasi-orthogonal space-time block codes outperform existing distributed space time block coding schemes in terms of code rate and bit-error-rate performance. A multidifferential distributed quasi-orthogonal space-time block coding scheme is also proposed to exploit the additional diversity path provided by the source-destination link.A major challenge is how to construct full rate codes for non-coherent cooperative broadband networks with more than two relay nodes while exploiting the achievable spatial and frequency diversity. In this thesis, full rate quasi-orthogonal codes are designed for noncoherent cooperative broadband networks where channel state information is unavailable. From this, a generalized differential distributed quasi-orthogonal space-frequency coding scheme is proposed for cooperative broadband networks. The proposed scheme is able to achieve full rate and full spatial and frequency diversity in cooperative networks with any number of relays. Through pairwise error probability analysis we show that the diversity gain of the proposed scheme can be improved by appropriate code construction and sub-carrier allocation. Based on this, sufficient conditions are derived for the proposed code structure at the source node and relay nodes to achieve full spatial and frequency diversity. In order to exploit the additional diversity paths provided by the source-destination link, a novel multidifferential distributed quasi-orthogonal space-frequency coding scheme is proposed. The overall objective of the new scheme is to improve the quality of the detected signal at the destination with negligible increase in the computational complexity of the detector.Finally, a differential distributed quasi-orthogonal space-time-frequency coding scheme is proposed to cater for high data rate transmission and improve the performance of noncoherent cooperative broadband networks operating in highly mobile environments. The approach is to integrate the concept of distributed space-time-frequency coding with differential modulation, and employ rotated constellation quasi-orthogonal codes. From this, we design a scheme which is able to address the problem of performance degradation in highly selective fading environments while guaranteeing non-coherent signal recovery and full code rate in cooperative broadband networks. The coding scheme employed in this thesis relaxes the assumption of constant channel variation in the temporal and frequency dimensions over long symbol periods, thus performance degradation is reduced in frequencyselective and time-selective fading environments. Simulation results illustrate the performance of the proposed differential distributed quasi-orthogonal space-time-frequency coding scheme under different channel conditions.

Au cours de la dernière décennie, les communications optiques en espace libre (FSO) ont pris de l’ampleur dans les deux domaines académiques et industriels. L’importance de FSO s’appuie sur la possibilité de faire un système de transmission économique et écologique avec un débit élevé et sans licence à l’opposition des systèmes de transmission radiofréquences (RF). Dans la plupart des travaux antécédents sur les systèmes multi-émetteurs, seulement les canaux décorrélés ont été considérés. Un canal décorrélé nécessite un espace suffisant entre les émetteurs. Cette condition devient difficile et non-réalisable dans certaines applications. Pour cette raison, nos études se focalisent sur les performances des codes à répétition RC (Repitition Codes) et les codes OSTBC (Orthogonal Space-Time Block Codes) dans des canaux log-normaux corrélés en utilisant une modulation d’intensité et une détection directe (IM/DD). En addition, les effets des différentes conditions météorologiques sur le taux d’erreur moyen (ABER) sont étudiés. Les systèmes FSO à multi-entrées/ multi-sorties MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) avec une modulation SSK (Space Shift Keying) ont été abordés. Les résultats obtenus montrent que la SSK est supérieure aux RC avec une modulation d’impulsion (Multiple Pulse Amplitude Modulation) pour toute efficacité spectrale égale ou supérieure à 4 bit/s/Hz. Nous avons aussi analysé les performances d’un système à sauts multiples (Multi-Hop) et des relais à transmission directe (forward relays). Nos simulations montrent que le système ainsi considéré est efficace pour atténuer les effets météorologiques et les pertes géométriques dans les systèmes de communication FSO. Nous avons montré qu’un tel système avec plusieurs entrées et une sortie (MISO, i.e. multiple-input single-output) à sauts multiples est supérieur à un système MISO avec un lien direct (direct link) avec une forte atténuation. Pour satisfaire la demande croissante des réseaux de communication à débits élevés, la communauté scientifique s'intéresse de plus en plus aux systèmes FSO avec des relais full-duplex (FD). Pour ces derniers systèmes, nous avons étudié la probabilité d'erreur moyenne (ABER) et nous avons analysé leurs performances. En considérant des différentes conditions de transmission, les performances de relais FD ont été comparées à celles d'un système avec un lien direct ou des relais half-duplex. Les résultats obtenus montrent que les relais FD ont le minimum ABER. En conséquence, les résultats obtenus dans cette thèse sont très prometteurs pour la prochaine génération de FSO. / Free-space optical (FSO) communication has been the subject of ongoing research activities and commercial attention in the past few years. Such attention is driven by the promise of high data rate, license-free operation, and cheap and ecological friendly means of communications alternative to congested radio frequency communications. In most previous work considering multiple transmitters, uncorrelated channel conditions have been considered. An uncorrelated channel requires sufficient spacing between transmitters. However, this can be difficult and may not be always feasible in some applications. Thereby, this thesis studies repetition codes (RCs) and orthogonal space-time block codes performance in correlated log-normal FSO channels using intensity modulation and direct detection (IM/DD). Furthermore, the effect of different weather conditions on the average bit error rate (ABER) performance of the FSO links is studied. Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) FSO communication systems using space shift keying (SSK) modulation have been also analyzed. Obtained results show that SSK is a potential technique for spectral efficiencies equal or greater than 4 bits/s/Hz as compared to RCs with multiple pulse amplitude modulations. The performance analysis of a multi-hop decode and forward relays for FSO communication system using IM/DD is also considered in this thesis. It is shown that multi-hop is an efficient technique to mitigate atmospheric turbulence and different weather attenuation effects and geometric losses in FSO communication systems. Our simulation results show that multiple-input single-output (MISO) multi-hop FSO systems are superior to direct link and MISO systems over links exhibiting high attenuation. Meeting the growing demand for higher data rates communication networks, a system with full-duplex (FD) relays is considered. For such a system, the outage probability and the ABER performance are analyzed under different turbulence conditions, misalignment error and path loss effects. FD relays are compared with the direct link and half-duplex relays. Obtained results show that FD relays have the lowest ABER and the outage probability as compared to the two other systems. Finally, the obtained results in this thesis are very promising towards the next generation of FSO systems.

Στο πλαίσιο αυτής της διατριβής μελετάται η επίδοση συστημάτων διαφορισμού MIMO σε γενικευμένα κανάλια διαλείψεων. Αρχικά, εξετάζεται η επίδοση των OSTBC σε περιβάλλοντα διαλείψεων Hoyt. Αποδεικνύεται ότι, στην περίπτωση τέτοιων συστημάτων, ο σηματοθορυβικός λόγος (signal to noise ratio, SNR) εκφράζεται ως μία τετραγωνική μορφή κανονικών τυχαίων μεταβλητών και γίνεται χρήση της συνάρτησης πυκνότητας πιθανότητας και της αθροιστικής συνάρτησης κατανομής αυτής της μορφής για τον υπολογισμό των μετρικών επίδοσης. Επιπλέον, μελετάται η σύγκλιση των σειρών που χρησιμοποιούνται για τον υπολογισμό των δύο αυτών συναρτήσεων και κατασκευάζονται νέα άνω φράγματα για το σφάλμα αποκοπής των σειρών. Τα φράγματα αυτά είναι σαφώς πιο αυστηρά από τα ήδη γνωστά από τη βιβλιογραφία. Στη συνέχεια, εισάγεται ένα γενικευμένο μοντέλο διαλείψεων για την ανάλυση επίδοσης των OSTBC και των δεκτών MRC και υπολογίζονται όλες οι μετρικές επίδοσης των δύο συστημάτων για το συγκεκριμένο μοντέλο διαλείψεων. Το μοντέλο αυτό περιλαμβάνει ως ειδικές περιπτώσεις τα πλέον διαδεδομένα μοντέλα καναλιών διαλείψεων, ενώ επιπλέον, επιτρέπει την ανάλυση επίδοσης σε μικτά περιβάλλοντα διαλείψεων όπου τα πολλαπλά κανάλια μπορούν να ακολουθούν διαφορετικές κατανομές. Στη συνέχεια, μελετάται η επίδοση συστημάτων συνεργατικού διαφορισμού με χρήση αναμεταδοτών ανίχνευσης και προώθησης (Detect and Forward, DaF) σε περιβάλλοντα διαλείψεων Rayleigh. Εξετάζονται τρεις διαφορετικοί δέκτες και υπολογίζεται η πιθανότητα σφάλματος ανά bit γι' αυτούς. Τέλος προτείνεται ένας νέος δέκτης για συνεργατικά συστήματα DaF και αποδεικνύεται η ανωτερότητά του σε σύγκριση με τους υπόλοιπους μελετώμενους δέκτες. Όλα τα θεωρητικά αποτελέσματα που παρουσιάζονται στο πλαίσιο της διατριβής συγκρίνονται με αποτελέσματα προσομοιώσεων Monte Carlo που αποδεικνύουν την ορθότητα της ανάλυσης. / This thesis studies the performance of MIMO diversity systems in generalized fading channels. First, we examine the performance of OSTBC in Hoyt fading channels. It is proven that, for this fading model, and when an OSTBC is employed, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the OSTBC can be expressed as a quadratic form in normal random variables. Therefore, the performance analysis for OSTBC over Hoyt fading channels is performed using the PDF and the CDF of such quadratic forms. In the statistical literature, these functions are expressed in terms of infinite series. The convergence of the series is thoroughly studied and new expressions for the truncation error bound of these series are proposed. The proposed bounds are much tighter than the bounds that can be found in the literature. The expressions for the PDF and the CDF are then used for the performance analysis of OSTBC over Hoyt fading and several performance metrics are calculated. Then, a generalized fading model for the performance analysis of OSTBC and MRC is proposed and the theoretical performance analysis of both MRC and OSTBC is carried out. The main advantage of this model is the fact that it includes as special cases most of the widely used fading models. Furthermore, the performance of cooperative diversity systems employing Detect and Forward (DaF) relays is studied for Rayleigh fading channels. More specifically, three low complexity detection algorithms for these channels are examined and closed-form expressions of the bit error probability (BEP) for these receivers are derived. Finally, a new low complexity receiver for cooperative systems with DaF relays is proposed. Using Monte Carlo Simulations it is shown that this receiver outperforms the three receivers that have been studied. For the systems studied in the thesis, the performance analysis results that have been derived theoretically are compared with Monte Carlo simulations that prove the validity of the analysis.

One of the most popular ways to exploit the advantages of a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system is using space time block coding. A space time block code (STBC) is a finite set of complex matrices whose entries consist of the information symbols to be transmitted. A linear STBC is one in which the information symbols are linearly combined to form a two-dimensional code matrix. A well known method of maximum-likelihood (ML) decoding of such STBCs is using the sphere decoder (SD). In this thesis, new constructions of STBCs with low sphere decoding complexity are presented and various ways of characterizing and reducing the sphere decoding complexity of an STBC are addressed. The construction of low sphere decoding complexity STBCs is tackled using irreducible matrix representations of Clifford algebras, cyclic division algebras and crossed-product algebras. The complexity reduction algorithms for the STBCs constructed are explored using tree based search algorithms. Considering an STBC as a vector space over the set of weight matrices, the problem of characterizing the sphere decoding complexity is addressed using quadratic form representations. The main results are as follows. A sub-class of fast decodable STBCs known as Block Orthogonal STBCs (BOSTBCs) are explored. A set of sufficient conditions to obtain BOSTBCs are explained. How the block orthogonal structure of these codes can be exploited to reduce the SD complexity of the STBC is then explained using a depth first tree search algorithm. Bounds on the SD complexity reduction and its relationship with the block orthogonal structure are then addressed. A set of constructions to obtain BOSTBCs are presented next using Clifford unitary weight designs (CUWDs), Coordinate-interleaved orthogonal designs (CIODs), cyclic division algebras and crossed product algebras which show that a lot of codes existing in literature exhibit the block orthogonal property. Next, the dependency of the ordering of information symbols on the SD complexity is discussed following which a quadratic form representation known as the Hurwitz-Radon quadratic form (HRQF) of an STBC is presented which is solely dependent on the weight matrices of the STBC and their ordering. It is then shown that the SD complexity is only a function of the weight matrices defining the code and their ordering, and not of the channel realization (even though the equivalent channel when SD is used depends on the channel realization). It is also shown that the SD complexity is completely captured into a single matrix obtained from the HRQF. Also, for a given set of weight matrices, an algorithm to obtain a best ordering of them leading to the least SD complexity is presented using the HRQF matrix.