Channel Estimation and Performance Analysis of MIMO-OFDM Communications using Space-Time and Space-Frequency Coding Schemes

Abstract

This thesis is concerned with channel estimation and data detection of MIMO-OFDM communication systems using Space-Time Block Coding (STBC) and Space-Frequency Block Coding (SFBC) under frequency selective channels. A new iterative joint channel estimation and signal detection technique for both STBC-OFDM and SFBC-OFDM systems is proposed. The proposed algorithm is based on a processive sequence of events for space time and space frequency coding schemes where pilot subcarriers are used for channel estimation in the first time instant, and then in the second time instant, the estimated channel is used to decode the data symbols in the adjacent data subcarriers. Once data symbols are recovered, the system recursively performs a new channel estimation using the decoded data symbols as pilots. The iterative process is repeated until all MIMO-OFDM symbols are recovered. In addition, the proposed channel estimation technique is based on the maximum likelihood (ML) approach which offers linearity and simplicity of implementation. Due to the orthogonality of STBC and SFBC, high computation efficiency is achieved since the method does not require any matrix inversion for estimation and detection at the receiver. Another major novel contribution of the thesis is the proposal of a new group decoding method that reduces the processing time significantly via the use of sub-carrier grouping for transmitted data recovery. The OFDM symbols are divided into groups to which a set of pilot subcarriers are assigned and used to initiate the channel estimation process. Designated data symbols contained within each group of the OFDM symbols are decoded simultaneously in order to improve the decoding duration. Finally, a new mixed STBC and SFBC channel estimation and data detection technique with a joint iterative scheme and a group decoding method is proposed. In this technique, STBC and SFBC are used for pilot and data subcarriers alternatively, forming the different combinations of STBC/SFBC and SFBC/STBC. All channel estimation and data detection methods for different MIMO-OFDM systems proposed in the thesis have been simulated extensively in many different scenarios and their performances have been verified fully.