Capacity of MIMO OFDM systems in spatially correlated indoor fading channels

Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless systems provide significantly higher capacity compared to the conventional single antenna systems in rich scattering environments. However, the real capacity advantage in a specific channel environment strongly depends on its propagation characteristics. In this paper, we analyze the capacity of an OFDM based spatial multiplexing system for indoor fading channels. We model the channel between the transmitter and receiver arrays by considering two indoor propagation models, the extended Saleh-Valenzuela (ESV) model and the geometrically based single bounce elliptical model (GBSBEM). Spatial correlation matrices for the realizations of the ESV and GBSBEM are obtained for the wideband MIMO fading channels, which are then used for evaluation of the mutual information and outage capacity using Monte Carlo simulations. The behavior of capacity versus outage is investigated for different physical parameters and antenna geometries. Capacity results are discussed here with similar power delay profiles, antenna spacing and angle spreads for uniform linear and circular arrays.