A novel approach to signal detection in MIMO systems combining coding and joint detection techniques

Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems have been proposed to attain high capacity or good performance. MIMO systems typically fall into two categories: spatial multiplexing systems (SM-systems) and space-time coding systems (STC-systems). Compared with each other, the SM-systems give the higher data rates while the STC-systems give the better performance. Joint detection (JD) techniques, as one class of multiuser detection, were originally used in CDMA systems to combat multiple-access and intersymbol interference. A novel method of combining coding and JD techniques for signal detection in MIMO systems is proposed. Compared with SM-systems, such as VBLAST, this method can attain better performance. Compared with common STC-systems, this method can achieve the full code rates even for more than two transmit antennas with complex constellations. The performances of the approaches using different JD algorithms are analyzed and compared. Simulation shows that this method performs well.