ECE 423 :Advanced Communication

systems
Supervised by

Dr :/ Somaya Abdel Azeem ElFeshawy

LEC 3:- Introduction to Wireless MIMO
Transmission on a
wireless channel
• In wireless communication, the channel is
characterized by multipath propagation due to scattering
on different obstacles.
➢ The received signal level is sensitive to the
transmitter and receiver locations.
➢ The received signal level variations result in SNR
variations.
➢ multiple paths with different phases add up
at the receiver, giving a random amplitude
signals (fading)
➢ Signal power falls off with distance (Path loss)
Wireless Fading channel characteristics
Fading occurs when there are significant variations in received signal
amplitude and phase over time or space.

The time and frequency variations of the channel are quantified in

terms of channel coherence time and channel coherence bandwidth.

The coherence bandwidth, (𝑩𝒄 ), is the frequency range over which

the channel frequency response is flat.

The coherence time, (𝑻𝒄 ), is the approximate duration of the time for
which the wireless channel can be assumed constant.
❖ When coherence bandwidth is greater than signal bandwidth, then
all frequency components of the signal will experience the similar
kind of fading (frequency-flat fading).

❖ If coherence bandwidth is smaller than signal bandwidth, then all

frequency components will not experience same fading (frequency-
selective fading).

❖ When coherence time is greater than symbol time duration, it means

channel variation is slower than the signal variation (slow fading).

❖ If coherence time is smaller than symbol time duration, it means

channel variation is faster than the signal variation (fast fading).
There are three techniques to mitigate fading:-
(a)Frequency diversity: In frequency diversity techniques, we will
send information bearing signals by carriers whose frequency gap is
greater than coherence bandwidth of the channel.

(a) Time diversity: In time diversity techniques, we will send

information bearing signals in different time slots which is greater
than coherence time of the channel.

(a) Space diversity: In space diversity techniques, we employ multiple

antennas, which are placed amply far away, at the transmitter and
receiver.
 ❑Conventional single Tx and Rx radio systems

▪ Increase transmit power

Wireless - Reduces battery life

systems - increases interference to other devices

High data ▪ Use high gain directional antennas

rates - Fixed direction limit coverage to given sector

Ways to
▪ Use more frequency spectrum
increase data
rates ❑Advanced MIMO systems

▪ Use multiple Tx and/or Rx radios

1. Conventional wireless systems

These systems were favored for simplicity and low cost but have some shortcomings:

• Sensitive to interference from all directions

• Energy is wasted by sending in all directions
• Limited output power
2. MIMO wireless systems

MIMO systems improves the following

• Transmit power can be increased via multiple power amplifiers.

• Higher throughput.
• Transmit and receive interference limited.
Motivation for the development of MIMO
systems
Achieve High data rate

Minimize complexity (cost of the system)

Minimize bandwidth

Investigate Quality of transmission (minimize probability of error 𝑃𝑒 )

Minimize transmission power

MIMO network architectures

1. Single-user MIMO (in 802.11n-2009, LTE)

One TX, one RX. Either TX or RX or both can have multiple antennas

2. Multi-user MIMO (in 802.11ac-2014, LTE-Advanced)

One TX, multiple RX. Parallel transmissions.

3. Network MIMO (expected in near-future)

Multiple TX, multiple RX. Parallel transmissions.
Single User MIMO (Basic communication modes)
1. SISO (single Input Single Output)

• A system which uses a single antenna at the transmitter and the receiver is
named Single Input Single Output (SISO).
• Simplest form, no diversity and no additional processing required.
• Limited in its performance, more impact by interference and fading then
other.
• Bandwidth is limited by Shannon's law and throughput is dependent upon
channel bandwidth and SNR.
• It is used in radio and TV broadcast and our personal wireless technologies
(e.g. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth).
2. SIMO (Single Input Multiple Output)

• A system which uses a single antenna at the transmitter and

multiple antennas at the receiver is named Single Input Multiple
Output (SIMO).
• This is also known as receive diversity, it has several independent
sources to combat the effect of fading.
• Relatively easy to implement but processing is required in the
receiver.
3. SIMO (Single Input Multiple Output)

• A system which uses multiple antennas at the transmitter and a single antenna
at the receiver is named Multiple Input Single Output (MISO).
• MISO is also termed transmit diversity. A technique known as Alamouti Space
Time Coding (STC) is employed at the transmitter with two antennas,
allowing the transmitter to transmit signals both in time and space. This means
data is transmitted by the two antennas at two different times consecutively.
4. Multiple Input Multiple Output MIMO

• More than one antenna at either end of the radio link, improvements in both channel
robustness as well as channel throughput.
• Coding is necessary to separate the data from different paths.

❖There can be various MIMO configurations:-

For example, a 2x2 MIMO configuration is 2 antennas to transmit signals (from base
station) and 2 antennas to receive signals (mobile terminal).
Single user MIMO Benefits

Diversity Receiver diversity

gain Transmit diversity

Multiplexing
Spatial multiplexing
gain
❖ Receiver diversity
Receiver coherently combines signals received by multiple
antennas.

Asymptotic gain: Increasing SNR proportionally to Nr (#of receive

antennas)

What’s the capacity gain?

Logarithmically, according to
Shannon’s equation:
C=B log(1+SNR)
When SNR is low, log(1+SNR)≈SNR ,
So, gain is almost linear w.r.t. Nr
Implementing Receiver diversity

1. Selection combining
Improves 𝑆𝑁𝑅 to 𝑎𝑣𝑔𝑆𝑁𝑅. (1 + 12 + 13 + ⋯ . . + 𝑁1𝑟)

2. Maximum Ratio combining Improves SNR

𝑁𝑟
to σ𝑖=1 𝑆𝑁𝑅
❖ Transmit diversity

Transmitter sends multiple versions of the same signal,

through multiple antennas

Two modes of transmit diversity:

Open-loop transmit diversity
Closed-loop transmit diversity
❖Open-loop transmit diversity
Principle:-
• Send redundant versions of the same
signal (symbol), over multiple time
slots, and through multiple antennas.
• Encode the symbols differently for
different time slots and TX antennas
(Space-Time Block Code (STBC)).
Example:
• 2 TX antenna STBC
• Send two data symbols 𝑺𝟏 and 𝑺𝟐

Received signals
𝑟 𝑡1 = ℎ1 𝑠1 + ℎ2 𝑠2

𝑟 𝑡2 = −ℎ1 𝑠2∗ + ℎ2 𝑠1∗

❑ Diversity combining

𝑦1 = ℎ1∗ r 𝑡1 + ℎ2 r 𝑡2 = ( ℎ1 2
+ ℎ2 2 )𝑠1

2 2
signal power is boosted from ℎ1 to = ( ℎ1 + ℎ2 2 )

Open-loop transmit diversity gain:

In general, open-loop transmit diversity increases SNR linearly with

the number of transmit antennas.
❖ Closed-loop transmit diversity
• Send redundant versions of the same signal (symbol), over the
same time slot.
• Encode the symbols differently for different TX antennas.
i.e., weight the symbols on different antennas, following a precoding
algorithm.

• Precoding design requires

feedback of channel state
information (CSI).
Why precoding?
• Signals from different antennas need to sync (align) their phases
• But the different channels (between TX antennas and RX antenna)
distort signals differently, causing phase offset.
e.g., both TX antennas sends 𝑥 = 𝑒 𝑗2𝜋𝑓𝑡 ; RX may receive 𝑒 𝑗2𝜋𝑓𝑡
one TX antenna, but 𝑥 = 𝑒 𝑗2𝜋𝑓𝑎𝜋 from the other, which weaken each
other!
How does precoding help?
Precoding: TX compensates the phase offset and aligns the phases
of signals going through different channels.

Why CSI feedback is needed for precoding? TX must know the phase
offset, in order to perform compensation.
❖ Spatial multiplexing
Spatial multiplexing concept
• Form multiple independent links (on the same
spectrum band) between TX and RX then send data in
parallel through them.
• Unfortunately, there is cross-talk between antennas.
• Cross-talk must be removed
by digital signal processing
algorithms.
Example
2x2 MIMO spatial multiplexing Data to be sent over two TX antennas
𝒙𝟏 and 𝒙𝟐 .

• Data received on two RX antennas:

𝑦1 = ℎ11 𝑥1 + ℎ12 𝑥2

𝑦2 = ℎ21 𝑥1 + ℎ22 𝑥2
Channel distortions: ℎ∗∗ can be
estimated by the receiver
Only two unknowns 𝒙𝟏 and 𝒙𝟐 , easily
obtained by solving the equations!
How MIMO Works ?

▪ MIMO takes advantage of multi-path.

▪ MIMO uses multiple antennas to send multiple parallel signals (from
transmitter).
▪ In an urban environment, these signals will bounce off trees,
buildings, etc. and continue their way to their destination (the
receiver) but in different directions.
▪ “Multi-path” occurs when the different signals arrive at the receiver
at various times.
▪ With MIMO, the receiving end uses an algorithm or special signal
processing to sort out the multiple signals to produce one signal that
has the originally transmitted data.
GOOD LUCK