Design of coded space-time modulation

In this paper, we study a coded space-time modulation scheme for multiple-input multiple-output wireless channels. For simpler design and flexible rate-versus-performance tradeoff, conventional encoders are used before a linear space-time modulator. A joint iterative receiver based on the turbo principle is assumed for the proposed coded space-time modulation. It is shown that with the use of outer encoders, the design of inner space-time modulator becomes simpler. Using extrinsic information transfer charts, design criteria that are much easier to apply than the well-known Tarokh´s criteria are obtained for the inner space-time modulation. Several design examples are presented to verify the proposed design criteria and demonstrate the merits of the proposed coded space-time modulation.