In this paper, a MIMO-OFDM system operating with SFBC encoded signals and affected by inter-cell interference is analyzed, and the performances of Interference Aware-Minimum Mean Square Error (IA-MMSE) symbol estimators are discussed in presence of realistic estimation of the interference auto-correlation matrix. Different estimation techniques are described and compared, based both on a system description using a 4×2 channel matrix (requiring the estimation and inversion of a 4×4 auto-correlation matrix), or using two 2×2 matrices (requiring the estimation and inversion of two 2×2 auto-correlation matrices). The first approach offers better performances, but the second approach has a very limited loss, counterbalanced by a simpler implementation complexity, characteristics that makes it an interesting solution in practical applications. An extensive simulation campaign using realistic system level parameters has been used for performance assessment.

One of the main open problems for next generation wireless networks, is to find the new OFDM-based waveform to be used in 5G. The new modulation scheme must primarily be able to achieve higher spectral efficiency than its predecessor. The main 3GPP's candidate is a new version of OFDM, called Filtered Orthogonal Frequency-Division Modulation (f-OFDM), which is similar to OFDM but with additional filtering in order to reduce Out-Of-Band (OOB) emissions and to obtain a better spectral-localization. Another option is windowed-OFDM (w-OFDM), which is basically a classical OFDM scheme where each symbol is windowed and overlapped in the time domain. In this paper we compare classic OFDM signals using Cyclic Prefix (CP-OFDM) with f-OFDM and w-OFDM, each one with multiple parametric options and numerologies. A multirate transmitter simultaneously operating with multiple numerologies is considered, where the transmitted sub-bands must be up-sampled and interpolated in order to generate the composite numerical signal fed to the Digital to Analog Converter (DAC). Finally, we discuss advantages and disadvantages of the various schemes.

Consider a two-dimensional domain S ⊆ ℜ2 containing two sets of nodes from two statistically independent uniform Poisson point processes with constant densities pL and pNL. The first point process identifies the distribution of a set of nodes having information about their positions, hereafter denoted as L-nodes (localised-nodes), whereas the other is used to model the spatial distribution of nodes that need to localise themselves, hereafter denoted as NL-nodes (not localised-nodes). For simplicity, both kinds of nodes are equipped with the same kind of transceiver, and communicate over a channel affected by shadow fading. As a first goal, the authors derive the probability that a randomly chosen NL-node over S gets localised as a function of a variety of parameters. Then, the authors derive the probability that the whole network of NL-nodes over S gets localised. As with many other random graph properties, the localisation probability is a monotone graph property showing thresholds. In this work, the authors derive both finite (when the number of nodes in the bounded domain is finite and does not grow) and asymptotic thresholds for the localisation probability. In connection with the asymptotic thresholds, the authors show the presence of asymptotic thresholds on the network localisation probability in two different scenarios. The first refers to dense networks, which arise when the domain S is bounded and the densities of the two kinds of nodes tend to grow unboundedly. The second kind of thresholds manifest themselves when the considered domain increases but the number of nodes grow in such a way that the L-node density remains constant throughout the investigated domain. In this scenario, what matters is the minimum value of the maximum transmission range averaged over the fading process, denoted as dmax, above which the network of NL-nodes almost surely gets asymptotically localised.

This paper presents a modified proportional fairness (PF) criterion suitable for mitigating the rate anomaly problem of multirate IEEE 802.11 Wireless LANs employing the mandatory distributed coordination function (DCF) option. Compared to the widely adopted assumption of saturated network, the proposed criterion can be applied to general networks whereby the contending stations are characterized by specific packet arrival rates, lambdas, and transmission rates Rds. The throughput allocation resulting from the proposed algorithm is able to greatly increase the aggregate throughput of the DCF while ensuring fairness levels among the stations of the same order of the ones available with the classical PF criterion. Put simply, each station is allocated a throughput that depends on a suitable normalization of its packet rate, which, to some extent, measures the frequency by which the station tries to gain access to the channel. Simulation results are presented for some sample scenarios, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed criterion.

Sensor networks applications often involve the collaboration between sensor nodes, thus requiring a time-synchronization service able to provide a common timescale.

Consider a bidimensional domain S sube Rfr2and throw two statistically independent uniform poisson point processes with constant densities equal toPLandPNL, respectively. The first point process identifies the spatial distribution of a set of nodes which has information about their position, hereafter denoted as L-nodes, while the other one is used to model the spatial distribution of nodes which need to localize themselves, hereafter denoted as NL-nodes. Both kind of nodes are equipped by the same kind of transceiver, and communicate over a channel affected by shadow fading. The goal of this paper is to derive the probability that a randomly chosen NL-node over the domain S gets localized as a function of a variety of transmission parameters. As many random graph properties, the localization probability is a monotone graph property presenting thresholds. We derive finite thresholds for the localization probability. The envisaged scenario refers to the case in which the number of deployed nodes of both point processes is finite. Simulation results closely match the theoretical derivations confirming the effectiveness of the employed probabilistic model.

The aim of this paper is twofold. On one hand, it presents a multi-dimensional Markovian state transition model characterizing the behavior at the medium access control (MAC) layer by including transmission states that account for packet transmission failures due to errors caused by propagation through the channel, along with a state characterizing the system when there are no packets to be transmitted in the queue of a station (to model non-saturated traffic conditions). On the other hand, it provides a throughput analysis of the IEEE 802.11 protocol at the data link layer in both saturated and non-saturated traffic conditions taking into account the impact of both transmission channel and multirate transmission in Rayleigh fading environment. Simulation results closely match the theoretical derivations confirming the effectiveness of the proposed model.

In this paper, we provide a saturation throughput analysis of the IEEE 802.11 protocol at the data link layer by including the impact of both transmission channel and capture effects in Rayleigh fading environment. Impacts of both non-ideal channel and capture effects, specially in an environment of high interference, become important in terms of the actual observed throughput. As far as the 4-way handshaking mechanism is concerned, we extend the multi-dimensional Markovian state transition model characterizing the behavior at the MAC layer by including transmission states that account for packet transmission failures due to errors caused by propagation through the channel. This way, any channel model characterizing the physical transmission medium can be accommodated, including AWGN and fading channels. We also extend the Markov model in order to consider the behavior of the contention window when employing the basic 2-way handshaking mechanism. Under the usual assumptions regarding the traffic generated per node and independence of packet collisions, we solve for the stationary probabilities of the Markov chain and develop expressions for the saturation throughput as a function of the number of terminals, packet sizes, raw channel error rates, capture probability, and other key system parameters. The theoretical derivations are then compared to simulation results confirming the effectiveness of the proposed models.

In this paper, we provide a throughput analysis of the IEEE 802.11 protocol at the data link layer in non-saturated traffic conditions taking into account the impact of both transmission channel and capture effects in Rayleigh fading environment. The impact of both non-ideal channel and capture become important in terms of the actual observed throughput in typical network conditions whereby traffic is mainly unsaturated, especially in an environment of high interference. We extend the multi-dimensional Markovian state transition model characterizing the behavior at the MAC layer by including transmission states that account for packet transmission failures due to errors caused by propagation through the channel, along with a state characterizing the system when there are no packets to be transmitted in the buffer of a station. Finally, we derive a linear model of the throughput along with its interval of validity. Simulation results closely match the theoretical derivations confirming the effectiveness of the proposed model.

In this paper, we provide a throughput analysis of the IEEE 802.11 protocol at the data link layer in non- saturated traffic conditions taking into account the impact of both transmission channel and capture effects in Rayleigh fading environment. Impacts of both non-ideal channel and capture become important in terms of the actual observed throughput in typical network conditions whereby traffic is mainly unsaturated, specially in an environment of high interference. We extend the multi-dimensional Markovian state transition model characterizing the behavior at the MAC layer by including transmission states that account for packet transmission failures due to errors caused by propagation through the channel, along with a state characterizing the system when there are no packets to be transmitted in the buffer of a station.

This article deals with localization probability in a network of randomly distributed communication nodes contained in a bounded domain. A fraction of the nodes denoted as L-nodes are assumed to have localization information while the rest of the nodes denoted as NL nodes do not. The basic model assumes each node has a certain radio coverage within which it can make relative distance measurements. We model both the case radio coverage is fixed and the case radio coverage is determined by signal strength measurements in a Log-Normal Shadowing environment. We apply the probabilistic method to determine the probability of NL-node localization as a function of the coverage area to domain area ratio and the density of L-nodes. We establish analytical expressions for this probability and the transition thresholds with respect to key parameters whereby marked change in the probability behavior is observed. The theoretical results presented in the article are supported by simulations.

This letter considers low-density parity-check (LDPC) coding of correlated binary sources and a novel iterative joint channel decoding without communication of any side information. We demonstrate that depending on the extent of the source correlation, additional coding gains can be obtained. Two stages of iterative decoding are employed. During global iterations, updated estimates of the source correlation are obtained and passed on to the sum-product decoder that performs local iterations with a predefined stopping criterion and/or a maximum number of local decoding iterations. Simulation results indicate that very few global iterations (2-5) are sufficient to reap significant benefits from implicit knowledge of source correlation. Finally, we provide analytical performance bounds for our iterative joint decoder and comparisons with sample simulation results.

In this article we exploit the potential correlation existing between multiple information sources to achieve additional coding gains from the channel codes used for data protection. We do not assume the existence of, nor do we use channel side-information at the receiver. Instead, empirical estimates of the cross-correlation are used in partial decoding steps in an iterative joint soft decoding paradigm. Experimental results suggest that relatively few iterations (2 to 4) are sufficient to reap significant gains using this approach specially when the sources are highly correlated. Finally, we provide analytical performance bounds of the proposed technique showing a close match with the simulation results at sufficiently high SNR

The evaluation of the minimum distance of low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes remains an open problem due to the rather large dimension of the parity check matrix H associated with any practical code. In this article, we propose an effective modification of the error impulse (EI) technique for estimation of the minimum distance of the LDPCs. The EI method is successfully applied to suboptimum decoding algorithms such as the iterative MAP decoding algorithm for turbo codes. We present novel modifications and extensions of this method to the suboptimum iterative sum-product algorithm for LDPCs. Simulation results validate the functionality of the proposed technique. Simulations focus on a particular class of LDPC codes, but our approach is general and applies to any LDPC code.

This correspondence looks at the problem of joint decoding of serially concatenated convolutional codes (SCCCs) used for channel coding of multiple correlated sources. We assume a simple model whereby two correlated sources transmit SCCC encoded data to a single destination receiver. We do not assume the existence of, nor do we use channel side information at the receiver. In particular, we present a novel iterative joint channel decoding algorithm for correlated sources by using the empirical cross-correlation measurements at successive decoding iterations to provide extrinsic information to the outer codes of the SCCC configuration. Two levels of soft metric iterative decoding are used at the receiver: 1) iterative maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) decoding is used for efficient decoding of individual SCCC codes (local iterations) and 2) iterative extrinsic information feedback generated from the estimates of the empirical cross correlation in partial decoding steps is used to pass soft information to the outer decoders of the global joint SCCC decoder (global iterations). We provide analytical results followed by simulation studies confirming the robustness of the cross-correlation estimates to channel-induced errors, justifying the use of such estimates in iterative decoding. Experimental results suggest that relatively few global iterations (two to five) during which multiple local iterations are conducted are sufficient to reap significant gains using this approach specially when the sources are highly correlated.

This letter presents the results of the search for optimum punctured recursive convolutional codes (RCCs) of rate k/k+1, for k=2,...,8, suitable for concatenated channel codes whose constituent encoders are recursive, systematic convolutional codes. The mother codes that are punctured are rate-1/2 RCCs proposed for use in parallel and/or serial concatenation schemes. Extensive tables of systematic and nonsystematic puncturing patterns, optimized relative to various objective functions suitable for concatenated channel codes, are presented for several mother codes.

In many practical applications requiring variable-rate coding and/or high-rate coding for spectral efficiency, there is a need to employ high-rate convolutional codes (CC), either by themselves or in a parallel or serially concatenated scheme. For such applications, in order to keep the trellis complexity of the code constant and to permit the use of a simplified decoder that can accommodate multiple rates, a mother CC is punctured to obtain codes with a variety of rates. This correspondence presents the results of extensive search for optimal puncturing patterns for recursive convolutional codes leading to codes of rate k/(k+1) (k an integer) to be used in serially concatenated convolutional codes (SCCC). The code optimization is in the sense of minimizing the required signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for two target bit-error rate (BER) and two target frame-error rate (FER) values. We provide extensive sample simulation results for rate-k/(k+1) SCCC codes employing our optimized punctured CC.

This paper addresses the problem of interleaver design for serially concatenated convolutional codes (SCCCs) tailored to the constituent codes of the SCCC configuration. We present a theoretical framework for interleaver optimization based on a cost function closely tied to the asymptotic bit-error rate (BER) of the block code C/sub s/ resulting from proper termination of the constituent codes in the SCCC code. We define a canonical form of the interleaving engine denoted as the finite state permuter (FSP) and using its structural property, develop a systematic iterative technique for construction of interleavers. The core theoretical results focus on the asymptotic behavior of a class of cost functions and their martingale property, which is then used to develop an order recursive interleaver optimization algorithm. We address the issue of the complexity of the interleaver growth algorithm presented in the paper and demonstrate that it has polynomial complexity. Subsequently, we provide details about the application of the proposed technique and present a modification of the algorithm that employs error pattern feedback for improved performance at a reduced complexity. Sample experimental results are provided for an SCCC code of rate 1/3 and information block length 320 that achieves a minimum distance of d/sub min/=44.

In this correspondence, we present a technique for generation of linear subcodes of a given turbo code with better distance spectrum than the original mother turbo code, via an iterative process of trace-bit injection which minimally reduces code rate, followed by selective puncturing that allows recovery of the rate loss incurred during the trace-bit injection. The technique allows for asymptotic performance improvement of any linear turbo code. In effect, we trim the distance spectrum of a turbo code via elimination of the low distance and/or high multiplicity codewords from the output space of the code. To this end, we perform a greedy minimization of a cost function closely related to the asymptotic bit error probability (or frame error probability) of the code. This improves the performance of the code everywhere, but its main impact is a reduction in the error floor of the turbo code which is important for delay constrained applications employing short interleavers.

This paper looks at the problem of optimizing a given parallel concatenated convolutional code (PCCC) via an iterative process of trace-bit injection which minimally reduces the code rate, followed by selective puncturing that allows recovery of the rate loss incurred during the trace-bit injection. The technique allows for optimization of any linear PCCC. The optimization is in the sense of trimming the distance spectrum of the overall PCCC via elimination of the low distance and/or high multiplicity codewords from the output space of the code, using a cost function closely related to the asymptotic bit error probability of the code. This improves the performance of the code everywhere, but the main impact of the optimization process is a reduction in the error floor of the PCCC.

There has been a great interest in the development of high-altitude platforms, which are low cost stratospheric aircraft carrying payloads tailored for a wide range of applications in telecommunications and remote sensing. These platforms are capable of flying at altitudes ranging between 17 and 30 km, with a potential endurance of weeks to months, features that make them attractive for the provision of future personal communication services. This paper deals with the theoretical derivation of a channel model for the communication link between the platform and terrestrial mobile users or stations. In particular, we address the problem of modeling the small-scale fading effects. It is shown that the particular geometry of the propagation scenario leads to a specific model applicable to the stratospheric channel.

We present the results of the optimization applied to the design of interleavers for rate-1/n parallel concatenated convolutional codes (PCCC) tailored to specific recursive systematic convolutional (RSC) constituent codes. The emphasis is on low-latency codes associated with interleavers of block length less than or equal to 160. The error floors of the optimized codes are significantly lower than those associated with the use of random interleavers. The distance spectra of the equivalent block codes resulting from trellis termination applied to PCCC are evaluated and used to obtain asymptotic bit error rate (BER) curves for the optimized codes.

Abstract A novel approach to space communications is represented by the Software Radio (SR) concept, a new technology currently deeply investigated by the scientific community, especially for wireless applications such as mobile communications or wireless network access. The SR approach leads to the definition of a new generation of radio equipment, whose communication functions are almost completely defined by means of software modules. The main outcome of the deployment of this technology is the great flexibility of the radio interface. As a matter of fact the communication standards can be easily reconfigured by simply replacing the corresponding software modules. This paper describes the SDRsat research project that aims at designing a complete software radio reconfigurable regenerative transponder for space applications. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

In recent years great interest has arisen in the development of high altitude platforms (HAP), which are low cost stratospheric aircraft carrying payloads tailored for a wide range of applications within telecommunications and remote sensing. These platforms are able to fly at altitudes ranging between 17 and 20 km, with a potential endurance of weeks to months, features that make them attractive for the provision of future personal communication services. This paper deals with the theoretical derivation of a channel model for the communication link between the platform and terrestrial mobile users or stations. Small scale fading effects are analyzed and due to the particular geometry of the propagation scenario, a specific model for the stratospheric channel is obtained.

We present a systematic technique for obtaining all the input sequences that are mapped by a given permutation either to themselves or to shifted versions of themselves (generically called permutation fixed points). Such sequences or their subsets, represent the primary candidates for examination in connection with obtaining estimates of the minimum distance of parallel concatenated codes, specially for interleaver lengths for which the determination of the actual minimum distance may be very difficult. Subsequently, we present a new class of permutations that nearly achieve the lower bound on the number of possible fixed points associated with a given permutation of prime length p. Preliminary experimental evidence suggests that certain permutations of this class lead to turbo codes with large minimum distances fur short interleaver lengths.

The use of orthonormal scaling functions, wavelets and wavelet packets for modulation has recently been proposed. In this paper, we study the performance of different families of wavelets, for modulation over FDM nonlinear satellite channels, and we propose the use of a splitting technique to obtain two-channels modulation schemes with high spectral efficiency. Simulation results indicate that in certain cases the wavelet based shaping pulses could out-perform the traditional techniques in extremely critical transmission conditions, such as interchannel interference impaired satellite transmission.

This paper addresses the problem of designing interleavers for parallel concatenated convolutional codes (PCCCs) tailored to specific constituent codes. We start by establishing the role of the interleaver in the PCCC and the various parameters that influence the performance of the PCCC with a given interleaver. Subsequently, we define a canonical form of the interleaving engine denoted as the finite-state permuter (FSP) and demonstrate the minimal delay property of this canonical form. For any given permutation, we present a procedure for deriving the canonical FSP engine. We address the issue of implementation of the FSP and propose a very simple structure for the FSP. Next, using the structural property of the FSP engine, we develop a systematic iterative technique for construction of interleavers with a complexity that is polynomial in the interleaver size. Subsequently, we develop a cost function that, coupled with the iterative interleaver growth procedure, can be used to design optimized interleavers for PCCCs. We provide examples of application of the interleaver design technique, and compare the designed interleavers with some of the interleavers of comparable size found in the literature.

This paper addresses two issues in clock synchronization in the context of the theory of wavelets: design of prefilters eliminating pattern-dependent jitter (PPJ) and design of low-jitter shaping pulses for timing recovery. We derive low-jitter symmetric and time-limited shaping pulses via a perturbational technique from the autocorrelation of the Daubechies (1992) scaling function.

We present a procedure to design maximum likelihood (ML) decoders for the new class of geometrically uniform (GU) trellis coded modulation (TCM) codes, exploiting the algebraic properties of such codes. The proposed design has a very efficient VLSI implementation. The design of the decoders for the GUTCM codes is more complicated in comparison to the standard convolutional codes because between any pair of states in the trellis diagram of a GUTCM code, there is usually a large number of parallel transitions, and the trellis diagram of the code has a much higher degree of connectivity in comparison to binary convolutional codes. We present a novel technique for solving the parallel transitions using the algebraic structure of the GUTCM codes, which represents a significant reduction in complexity in comparison to the direct approach. The proposed technique is applied to the design of a simplified Viterbi decoder (VD) for a 64-state nonbinary GUTCM code defined over (Z/sub 8/)/sup 4/. For this example, we obtain a 58 fold reduction in complexity for the parallel transition solver in comparison to a direct implementation.

For pt.I see ibid., vol.42, no.3, p.751-65 (1996). In Part I, general results on rotationally invariant codes and encoders were derived assuming no algebraic structure. In Part II, trellis codes based on group systems are considered as a special case for which code and encoder constructions are particularly simple. Rotational invariance is expressed as an algebraic constraint on a group code, and algebraic constructions are found for both "absorbed precoder" encoders and for encoders with separate differential precoders. Finally, the various encoder forms used to achieve rotational invariance are compared based on their performance on an AWGN channel.

We present a theoretical framework for rotational invariance of trellis codes. The distinction between codes and encoders plays a pivotal role. Necessary and sufficient conditions for rotational invariance are derived under general assumptions, and a construction is presented that obtains a rotationally invariant encoder for almost any rotationally invariant code, independent of the code's algebraic structure. Encoders that use a differential precoder are considered as a separate case, where a system-theoretic characterization of precoding is used to find two alternative and slightly less general encoder constructions.

New geometrically uniform trellis codes over multidimensional unbalanced 4-, 8-, and 16-PSK constellations, obtained with the group code approach, are presented. They improve by up to 1.25 dB the asymptotic performance of the best known trellis codes over multidimensional balanced PSK. To check their "optimality", an upper bound on the free distance of group trellis codes is derived. Some of the new codes achieve the largest obtainable free distance, and several others are close to the bound. Exploiting the symmetry properties of the codes, curves of tight upper bounds to the error probability are also presented.

A description of the algorithms to evaluate the main parameters determining the performance of a trellis-coded modulation (TCM) scheme is presented. TCM schemes are divided into classes that have an increasing degree of symmetry, so as to properly match the various algorithms to each class. The algorithms are compared in terms of computational complexity and tested on a set of multidimensional PSK codes.>

The theory of geometrically uniform signal sets and codes over groups is applied to the case of L/spl times/MPSK constellations. Conditions for rotational invariance of group codes are discussed. The tables of geometrically uniform partitions found in Benedetto et al. (1993) are used to construct good geometrically uniform trellis codes over nonbinary Abelian groups. The present authors consider L/spl times/4PSK and L/spl times/8PSK constellations used to transmit information rates of 1 and 2 bit/two dimensions, respectively; and present tables of good codes over generating groups (Z4)/sup L/ and (Z8)/sup L/,for L ranging from 1 to 4. In most cases, they improve the tables of codes known so far. Moreover, the geometrical uniformity of codes allows a very easy performance evaluation, so that the authors also present a complete set of curves of error event probability for the obtained codes.>

The theory of geometrically uniform trellis codes is applied to the case of multidimensional PSK (phase shift keying) constellations. The symmetry group of an L*MPSK (M-ary PSK) constellation is completely characterized. Conditions for rotational invariance of geometrically uniform partitions of a signal constellation are given. Through suitable algorithms, geometrically uniform partitions of L*MPSK (M=4,8,16 and L=1,2,3,4) constellations are found, which present good characteristics in terms of the set of distances at a given partition level, the maximum obtainable rotational invariance, and the isomorphism of the quotient group associated with the partition. These partitions are used as starting points in a search for good geometrically uniform trellis codes based on binary convolutional codes.>

The authors examine the tradeoffs involved in the design of digital raised-cosine Nyquist filters for application in digital computer simulation or for incorporation in all-digital data modems. Both floating-point arithmetics (for simulation applications) and finite-precision arithmetics are considered. Tapped-delay-line (finite impulse response) with time- or frequency-domain design, direct-form infinite-impulse-response, Rao-Kailath, and Lei-Yao structures are examined. The main criteria for a comparison among the various solutions, besides their relative complexities, are the digital filter behavior in the time domain (residual intersymbol interference) and in the frequency domain (stopband attenuation).>