Performance analysis of layered space-time codes in wireless communications channels

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to simulate numerically the wireless channel and the V-BLAST architecture to compare the performance of these systems using linear nulling and symbol cancellation along linear nulling for a zero forcing (ZF) and a minimum mean-squared error (MMSE) receiver. We will also compare the performance of V-BLAST and the Successive Cancellation Receiver (SUC) against the QR decomposition as an approximation of V-BLAST, trying to develop a less calculation intensive algorithm. The simulation will compute the frame error rate in both cases for different values of SNR in a flat fading channel. The transmitted symbols will be modulated using a QPSK constellation with 4 transmitters and 6 receivers. The results will be compared to those measured in the laboratory of the optimum V-BLAST.