Frequency-domain multipacket detection: a high throughput technique for SC-FDE systems

The traditional approach to cope with collisions is to discard the packets involved in it and to ask for their retransmission. However, since the signal associated to a collision has important information concerning the packets involved, we can efficiently resolve collisions with proper retransmissions. In this paper we consider severely time-dispersive channels and we propose a technique that allows efficient packet separation. We employ SC-FDE schemes (single-carrier with frequency-domain equalization) and we propose an iterative frequency-domain multi-packet detection. Since our technique requires uncorrelated channels for different retransmissions, we also propose an SP technique (Shifted Packets) for retransmissions in fixed channels. Since the total number of transmissions is equal to the number of packets involved in the collision (even when the channel remains fixed for the retransmissions), our technique allows high throughputs. The analysis of our detection technique combined with the NMDA (network-assisted diversity multiple access) MAC (medium access control) protocol shows significant throughput and delay improvements for low E_b/N₀ values compared to a TDMA (time division multiple access) approach, where collisions are avoided. This technique is particularly appealing for the uplink of broadband wireless systems, since we consider SC-FDE schemes and the complexity is concentrated in the receiver. By employing the SP scheme we can use the same channel for the retransmissions, with only a small performance degradation.