HIGH DR ST MODEMS · Design and implementation of high data rate and robust multiple-antenna space-time modems for fourth generation broadband wireless communication systems

Final Activity Report Summary - HIGH DR ST MODEMS (Design ... of high data rate and robust multiple-antenna space-time modems for fourth generation broadband wireless communication systems)

Next generation wireless LAN (ongoing IEEE 802.11n standard) was taken as reference broadband wireless application. Research in multiple-antenna systems has been pursued in both theoretical and experimental fields. The main achievement of the project was the conception and performance evaluation of an innovative MIMO signal detection algorithm, named LORD, in collaboration with the outgoing phase advisor (Prof. M. P. Fitz, UCLA). The algorithm has been applied to an 802.11n-representative MIMO-OFDM system and its performance has been extensively simulated for two, three and four transmit antennas, and different conditions of wideband fading channel. This algorithm is able to achieve optimal performance in case of two transmit antennas, and near-optimal for more than two, though significantly reduces the complexity of the impractical exhaustive-search maximum-likelihood (ML) detection. Besides theoretical research, also experimental investigation represented a major objective of the project. Experimental tests of several MIMO-OFDM baseband algorithms have been performed using UCLA software-defined radio (SDR) wireless testbed. Several transmission and reception schemes with two transmit, two and three receive antennas have been implemented and tested. The achieved results allowed gaining deeper insight on the performance of MIMO digital baseband algorithms in realistic indoor environment. The results were shared within IEEE 802.11n standardisation group. The project was coherently concluded in the Advanced Research Department (AST) of STMicroelectronics-Italy and the fellow was naturally re-integrated in a research team already active in MIMO wireless communications. Spreading of the obtained results within STMicroelectronics occurred, in both the fellow's advanced R&D group and wireless product divisions. The return host institution confirmed their willing to exploit the results of this project by integrating them into its commercial design flow and innovative future products in the file of future generation mobile (WiMax, 802.16e) and portable (802.11n) radio systems. As follow-up of the activities carried out during the project, further developments include LORD fixed-point code development; its detailed complexity estimation; and its hardware architecture evaluation and implementation, in collaboration with other team members. Diffusion in the scientific community of the achieved results took place through participation to an international conference in the United States (Allerton, IL); the fellow's participation to another important event, IEEE ICC 2006 is scheduled for June in the same year. It is to be noted that highly innovative results pertaining to the field of MIMO receiver processing have been obtained, as witnessed by a United States patent submission (to be followed by the EU version), two published conference papers, and a submission to an important journal in communication field. Besides, technical material relevant for another two conference papers and a related patent submission has been identified planned as follow-up of the project. It should also be mentioned that the line of research started with this project allowed to identify some new key open points for MIMO communication research. After the fellowship ended, collaboration was established by the fellow with two UCLA PhD students (advisor Prof. M. P. Fitz) on space-time code design and decoding techniques. This result confirms that the Marie Curie fellowships contributed to foster the long-term international co-operation between STMicroelectronics and UCLA. Also, contacts with other universities have been established with the target to further pursue research on other key identified topics.

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