Performance analysis of fixed gain amplify and forward based cooperative diversity in MIMO relay channels

Abstract

This project aims to develop multiple-input multiple – output (MIMO) system to enhance the performance of wireless communications system. Cooperative communications is a new paradigm shift for the 4th generation wireless system that will guarantee high data rates to all users in the network, its anticipated that will be the key technology aspect in 5th generation wireless networks. This project aims to simulate and analyze four schemes of cooperative communications. They implemented based on amplify and forward (AE) relaying protocol under uncorrelated flat fading Rayleigh channel. The first scheme contains source ( S) , relay (R) and destination ( D) . each node equipped with single antennas ( AF1*1*1 siso relaying system). The other schemes are AF 2*2*2 mimo relaying system, AF 4*4*4 mimo relaying system and AF 8*8*8 mimo relaying system. Orthogonal space – time block coding (OSTBC) and maximal ratio combining (MRC) at the destination are used for all mimo relaying systems. Also assumes that the channel status information (CSI) is perfectly known at the relay and the destination. The project implements four schemes of AF cooperative communications system by using matlab simulation, the project studies the probability of error (BER) performance and channel capacity performance of these schemes . it makes a comparison between the cooperative communications system schemes and the conventional systems in terms of BER and capacity performance.