Combined ML and DFE decoding for the V-BLAST system

This paper proposes to combine maximum-likelihood (ML) decoding and decision feedback equalization (DFE) for the Vertical Bell Laboratories Layered Space-Time (V-BLAST) system. In the new decoding algorithm, we perform ML decoding for the first p subchannels, and use the DFE procedure for the remaining subchannels. We mathematically show that the new decoding scheme increases the diversity order for the worst subchannel from 1 to p, and verify it by computer simulation. Also, we propose an ordering scheme which gives the best performance for the worst subchannel, and show that an SNR gain equal to the number of transmit antennas can be achieved by the suggested ordering