Performance Evaluation at the System Level of Reconfigurable Space-Time Coding Techniques for HSDPA

A reconfigurable space-time coding technique is investigated, for a high-speed downlink packet access multiple-antenna network, which combats the effects of antenna correlation. Reconfigurability is achieved at the link level by introducing a linear precoder in a space-time block coded system. The technique assumes knowledge of the long-term characteristics of the channel, namely the channel correlation matrix at the transmitter. The benefits of the proposed reconfigurable technique as compared to the conventional non-reconfigurable versions are evaluated via system-level simulations. In order to characterize the system-level performance accurately and, at the same time, use a feasible approach in terms of computational complexity, a suitable link-to-system interface has been developed. The average system throughput and the number of satisfied users are the performance metrics of interest. Simulation results demonstrate the performance enhancements achieved by the application of reconfigurable techniques as compared to their conventional counterparts.