Multiple-antenna systems and multiuser communications: Fundamentals and an overview of software-based modeling techniques

doi:10.1016/j.compeleceng.2016.08.015

Computers & Electrical Engineering

Volume 64, November 2017, Pages 45-64

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compeleceng.2016.08.015 Get rights and content

Abstract

In this paper, advanced contemporary multiple communication techniques, including multiple-antenna systems and multiuser communications are introduced and analyzed in details. Moreover, their supportive software-based modeling techniques are also detailed with appropriate mathematical derivations and simulations. Additionally, random access methods, as a promising and efficient implementation of multiuser communications are also briefly introduced for industrial use purposes. By reading this paper, the readers are expected to have a broad understanding of these advanced contemporary multiple communication techniques and acquire the technical know-hows of software-based simulation and industrial implementation of these techniques. Meanwhile, this paper is also expected to play the role of a solid reference for the relevant technicians which might require the introduced modeling techniques in this paper.

Introduction

As can be concluded in many academic works, various multiple communication techniques are powerful tools to increase the throughput and reliability of a communication system [1]. With the development of communication networks and FPGA technology, we are able to use them to process complicated communication signals in a rapid manner and obtain a better performance of the entire communication system [2]. Due to these progresses in peripheral and supportive subjects, two advanced contemporary multiple communication techniques have been invented and become the core of research for next generation communication systems, which are multiple-antenna systems and multiuser communications [3]. A large number of experimental tests and simulations have firmly validated their extensive applicability and excellent improvement effects on the existing communication infrastructure and the quality of service (QoS) [4].

Currently, a number of useful modeling techniques and architectures regarding communication networks have been proposed and attract researchers’ attention [5]. A comprehensive evaluation report of IEEE 802.15. 4 for cyber-physical systems is published, in which relevant applications imposing considerable requirements on robustness of the employed networking infrastructure have been evaluated [6]. Meanwhile, energy consumption and routing issues, as two important topics for personal communications have also been reviewed with proper modeling techniques [7], [8]. Moreover, another modeling techniques for dual-band microstrip antenna for wireless local area network (WLAN) have been well developed recently [9].

However, there is a lack of systematic review of these modeling techniques for multiple-antenna systems and multiuser communications. Therefore, for further investigation purpose, it is necessary to review these two advanced techniques and analyze the relevant mathematical models of their supportive software-based modeling techniques. The contributions of this paper are summarized as follows:

•
Review the fundamentals of multiple-antenna systems and multiuser communications comprehensively.
•
Review a number of important and influential papers in both fields.
•
Point out several potential directions for further investigations.
•
Review the details of random access methods as a specific example to the generic technologies.

The rest of this paper is organized as follows. In Section 2, the fundamentals of multiple-antenna systems are presented. Specifically, the signal and channel models of multiple-antenna systems are first analyzed as a foundation of further modeling and performance analysis; then, we also perform the channel capacity analysis and illustrate the improvement effects of multiple-antenna systems from the information-theoretic point of view. Also, to implement this technique successfully, the signaling, transmission, detection and coding techniques are discussed seriatim. After multiple-antenna systems, multiuser communications are reviewed in Section 3. Similarly, the relevant signal and channel models are first introduced and analyzed. Then the information-theoretic issues are discussed and signaling techniques are expatiated with detailed derivations. In addition, we also introduce random access methods in Section 4, which are promising and efficient implementations of multiuser communications. Finally, we conclude this paper in Section 5.

Section snippets

Signal, system and channel model of multiple-antenna systems

MIMO system is a powerful tool to provide spatial diversity and thereby overcome deep fading as well as improve the system performance. In general, a MIMO system consists of N_T transmitting antennas at the transmitter and N_R receiving antennas at the receiver. There are several special cases of MIMO system. If $N_{T} = N_{R} = 1,$ then the system is called single-input, single-output (SISO) system; If $N_{T} = 1$ and N_R ≥ 2, then the system is termed single-input, multiple-output (SIMO) system and multiple-input,

Multiple access techniques

In Section 2, although multiple antennas are employed, the MIMO communication system is still viewed as a single-user point-to-point communication model. In this section, a multiuser communication model will be constructed, by which a common communication channel can be accessed by multiple users [12].

There are several different types of multiuser communication systems [10]. The most common one is the multiple access system as shown in Fig. 7. The multiple access system model is appropriate to

Concept of random accessing

Without using CDMA, as we mentioned in the previous section, there is another access method which is able to improve the system efficiency, which is termed random accessing [10]. In the conventional FDMA and TDMA schemes, a frequency or time slot will be allocated to each user fixedly regardless their demands. As a result, if a user does not have anything to transmit, the assigned frequency or time slot will be wasted; whereas if a user has bursty information to transmit, one allocated slot

Conclusion

In conclusion, we have introduced and explained two crucial multiple communication techniques, i.e. multiple-antenna communication and multiuser communication in this paper. Also, random access methods, as an important application of multiuser communication, have been emphasized and discussed in details. Besides, in order to provide an in-depth analysis, all mathematical models and supportive software-based modeling techniques of these two kinds of multiple communication techniques have been

Guo Sheng graduated from Zhejiang University, is the associate professor with Zhejiang Post and Telecommunication College. He has published several papers related to the research into electronics and communication engineering. His current research interests include electronics, wireless communication and signal processing.

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Yuxin Wang, born in 1992, now is working in Huawei technologies China. He is awarded in M.Sc degree by Imperial College London on major of Analogue and Digital Integrated Circuit Design, 2015. Yuxin’s academic research is main in electrical, electronics and communication technology, and Machine Learning area.

Zhihan Lv is a researcher and engineer. Dr. Lv’s research interests include: virtual/augmented reality, multimedia, Computer Vision, 3D Visualization, Graphics, Human-Computer Interaction, Networks, Bigdata. He has been authored and co-authored over 80 papers in international journals and conferences.

Houbing Song received the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, in 2012. In August 2012, he joined the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, West Virginia University, Montgomery, WV, where he is currently an Assistant Professor and the Founding Director of the Security and Optimization for Networked Globe Laboratory (SONG Lab, www.SONGLab.us).

^☆: Reviews processed and recommended for publication to the Editor-in-Chief by Guest Editor Dr. T. Qiu.

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Multiple-antenna systems and multiuser communications: Fundamentals and an overview of software-based modeling techniques☆

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Signal, system and channel model of multiple-antenna systems

Multiple access techniques

Concept of random accessing

Conclusion

Comput Netw

Fundamentals of wireless communication

Real-time processing of a software defined w-cdma modem

Vehicular technology conference, 2004. VTC2004-Fall. 2004 IEEE 60th

Scalable video transmission over multiuser mimo-ofdm systems

Communications and networking in China (CHINACOM), 2010 5th International ICST Conference on

Qos feasibility for the mimo broadcast channel: robust formulation and multi-carrier systems

Modeling and optimization in mobile, Ad Hoc and wireless networks (WiOpt), 2010 Proceedings of the 8th international symposium on

Open queueing network modeling and performance analysis for multi-core processor on chip

J Syst Simul

Collaborative multi-hop routing in cognitive wireless networks

Wirel Personal commun

Design of miniaturized dual-band microstrip antenna for wlan application

Sensors

Digital communications