Dynamic decode-and-forward relaying with rate-compatible LDPC convolutional codes

Dynamic decode-and-forward (DDF) is an improved decode-and-forward (DF) protocol under which the relay decides based on its received channel-state information (CSI) when to switch from listening mode to transmission mode without knowing the CSI of other links. In this paper we propose to apply rate-compatible LDPC convolutional (RC-LDPCC) codes to the DDF relay channel. The RC-LDPCC codes are constructed by successive graph extensions, and they have been proved analytically to be capacity achieving over the binary erasure channel. In this paper we show that the RC-LDPCC codes fit well with the DDF relaying, and the regularity of degree distributions simplifies the code optimization. Numerical results in terms of bit erasure rate and achievable rate are provided to evaluate the performance of the system. The results show that the RC-LDPCC codes are able to provide high achievable rates for the DDF relay channel.