Adaptive Antenna Subset Selection in MIMO Channels

Multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) wireless channels with multiple element antenna arrays can, in principle, offer spectral efficiencies far better than those of conventional single channel systems. In practice however, this improvement relies strongly upon the available wireless channel characteristics of the physical environment. A system with redundant antennas was analysed using measured indoor channel data at 5.2GHz, and adaptive antenna subset selection techniques were used to improve the quality of the channel characteristics available. Results showed a non-trivial gain in expected theoretical capacity when the selection mechanisms described were employed.