Maximizing the spectral efficiency of finite dimensional multiuser massive MIMO

Abstract In this paper, we derive a closed-form approximation for the achievable uplink ergodic rate of the users in a single-cell multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system, where the angular domain in the physical channel model is divided into a finite number of separate directions and the base station (BS) is equipped with a large number of antenna elements. Then, we develop an approximation for the spectral efficiency of various detectors such as maximum-ratio combining (MRC), zero-forcing (ZF), and linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE). We also propose a resource allocation scheme in which the pilot power, data power, and training duration are optimally chosen in order to maximize the spectral efficiency in a given total power budget. By employing the proposed power allocation scheme, the simulation results illustrate a notable improvement in the achievable spectral efficiency. Moreover, the results show that the performance of the proposed method is much superior when the number of channel directions or the number of antennas at BS increases. Furthermore, while the advantage of the proposed method is more notable in the case of ZF and LMMSE receivers, it still outperforms the equal power allocation method for the MRC receiver in terms of spectral efficiency.