Blind multiuser detection in uplink CDMA with multipath fading: a sequential EM approach

We consider joint channel estimation and data detection in uplink asynchronous code-division multiple-access systems employing aperiodic (long) spreading sequences in the presence of unknown multipath fading. Since maximum-likelihood (ML) sequence estimation is too complex to perform, multiuser receivers are proposed based on the sequential expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm. With the prior knowledge of only the signature waveforms, the delays and the second-order statistics of the fading channel, the receivers sequentially estimate the channel using the sequential EM algorithm. Moreover, the snapshot estimates of each path are tracked by linear minimum mean-squared error filters. The user data are detected by a ML sequence detector, given the channel estimates. The proposed receivers that use the exact expressions have a computational complexity O(2/sup K/) per bit, where K is the number of users. Using the EM algorithm, we derive low-complexity approximations which have a computational complexity of O(K/sup 2/) per bit. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed receivers offer substantial performance gains over conventional pilot-symbol-assisted techniques and achieve a performance close to the known channel bounds. Furthermore, the proposed receivers even outperform the single-user RAKE receiver with Nyquist pilot-insertion rate in a single-user environment.     

Iterative multiuser receivers for CDMA channels: an EM-basedapproach

Maximum-likelihood detection for the multiuser code-division multiple-access (CDMA) channel is prohibitively complex. This paper considers new iterative multiuser receivers based on the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm and related, more powerful “space-alternating” algorithms. The latter algorithms include the SAGE algorithm and a new “missing parameter” space-alternating algorithm that alternately updates individual parameter components or treats them as probabilistic missing data. Application of these EM-based algorithms to the problem of discrete parameter estimation (i.e., data detection) in the Gaussian multiple-access channel leads to a variety of convergent receiver structures that incorporate soft-decision feedback for interference cancellation and/or sequential updating of iterative bit estimates. Convergence and performance analyses are based on well-known properties of the EM algorithm and on numerical simulation     

Successive interference cancellation with SISO decoding and EMchannel estimation

We derive a low-complexity receiver scheme for joint multiuser decoding and parameter estimation of code division multiple access signals. The resulting receiver processes the users serially and iteratively and makes use of soft-in soft-out single-user decoders, of soft interference cancellation and of expectation-maximization parameter estimation as the main building blocks. Computer simulations show that the proposed receiver achieves near single-user performance at very high channel load (number of users per chip) and outperforms conventional schemes with similar complexity     

Iterative vector channel estimation/MAP/PIC for CDMA systems in time-selective correlated multipath fading channels

Recently, Gao et al. proposed the expectation-maximization (EM) vector channel estimation for single-user direct-sequence code-division multiple-access (DS-CDMA) systems to estimate the correlated fading channel coefficients of the paths of a user. They also used one D-lag decision-feedback maximum a posteriori (MAP) detector to detect the information bits. A straightforward extension (noniterative) to multiuser synchronous CDMA cases, i.e., adding the parallel interference cancellation (PIC) multiuser detector into their scheme, results in poor performance. Therefore, we propose an iterative scheme which combines vector channel estimation, decision-feedback MAP detection, and PIC. The partial PIC is applied in the sequence hypothesis stage of MAP in each iteration before the final MAP decision. The proposed scheme has twice the decision delay of the previous scheme for single-user cases. The performance of the proposed system in the time-selective, correlated multipath fading channel environment is investigated. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme significantly outperforms the noniterative scheme. Simulation results also show that the proposed scheme performs better than its scalar channel-estimation version.     

Genetic algorithm assisted joint multiuser symbol detection andfading channel estimation for synchronous CDMA systems

A novel multiuser code division multiple access (CDMA) receiver based on genetic algorithms is considered, which jointly estimates the transmitted symbols and fading channel coefficients of all the users. Using exhaustive search, the maximum likelihood (ML) receiver in synchronous CDMA systems has a computational complexity that is exponentially increasing with the number of users and, hence, is not a viable detection solution. Genetic algorithms (GAs) are well known for their robustness in solving complex optimization problems. Based on the ML rule, GAs are developed in order to jointly estimate the users' channel impulse response coefficients as well as the differentially encoded transmitted bit sequences on the basis of the statistics provided by a bank of matched filters at the receiver. Using computer simulations, we showed that the proposed receiver can achieve a near-optimum bit-error-rate (BER) performance upon assuming perfect channel estimation at a significantly lower computational complexity than that required by the ML optimum multiuser detector. Furthermore, channel estimation can be performed jointly with symbol detection without incurring any additional computational complexity and without requiring training symbols. Hence, our proposed joint channel estimator and symbol detector is capable of offering a higher throughput and a shorter detection delay than that of explicitly trained CDMA multiuser detectors     

Pilot-Assisted and Blind Joint Data Detection and Channel Estimation in Partial-Time Jamming

We consider a communication scenario in which a message is received in the presence of partial-time Gaussian jamming and additive white Gaussian noise. We consider a quasi-static channel, in which the amplitude and phase are constant over each packet transmission. The receiver does not know the amplitude and phase of the incoming signal, which symbols are jammed, or even the statistics of the jammer, such as the jamming power and jamming probability. In this scenario, the receiver must accurately estimate the parameters of the channel and the jamming to achieve good performance. We apply the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm to iteratively approximate the maximum-likelihood (ML) estimator for all of the parameters. We find that the overall performance of the EM algorithm is very sensitive to the initial estimates, so we propose a new initial estimator that offers good performance. The EM algorithm approach requires pilot symbols to resolve a phase ambiguity. Thus, we also present a blind estimation algorithm to avoid the reduction in overall code rate from the use of pilot symbols     

Iterative space-time processing for multiuser detection in multipath CDMA channels

Space-time processing and multiuser detection are two promising techniques for combating multipath distortion and multiple-access interference in code division multiple access (CDMA) systems. To overcome the computational burden that rises very quickly with increasing numbers of users and receive antennas in applying such techniques, iterative implementations of several space-time multiuser detection algorithms are considered here. These algorithms include iterative linear space-time multiuser detection, Cholesky iterative decorrelating decision-feedback space-time multiuser detection, multistage interference canceling space-time multiuser detection, and expectation-maximization (EM)-based iterative space-time multiuser detection. A new space-time multiuser receiver structure that allows for efficient implementation of iterative processing is also introduced. Fully exploiting various types of diversity through joint space-time processing and multiuser detection brings substantial gain over single-receiver-antenna or single-user-based methods. It is shown that iterative implementation of linear and nonlinear space-time multiuser detection schemes discussed in this paper realizes this substantial gain and approaches the optimum performance with reasonable complexity. Among the iterative space-time multiuser receivers considered in this paper, the EM-based (SAGE) iterative space-time multiuser receiver introduced here achieves the best performance with excellent convergence properties.     

Geometric derivation of expectation-maximization and generalized successive interference cancellation algorithms with applications to CDMA channel estimation

The expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm is well established as a computationally efficient method for separable signal parameter estimation. Here, a new geometric derivation and interpretation of the EM algorithm is given that facilitates the understanding of EM convergence properties. Geometric considerations lead to an alternative separable signal parameter estimator based on successive cancellation. The new generalized successive interference cancellation (GSIC) algorithm is then applied to multiuser delay and channel estimation for code-division multiple access (CDMA) radiolocation and communication. The radiolocation application uses a handshaking protocol in which multiple reference nodes transmit acknowledge (ACK) CDMA packets to a master node, which then computes round-trip travel times (RTTs). Simulation results comparing EM and GSIC are presented for the CDMA channel-estimation problem.     

Iterative EM receiver for space-time coded systems in MIMO frequency-selective fading channels with channel gain and order estimation

An iterative receiver for a space-time trellis coded system in frequency-selective fading channel is proposed. It performs channel gain estimation and sequence detection by using the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm. Channel order estimation is included in the receiver to avoid unnecessary trellis computations by using the conditional model order estimator (CME). In addition, three modifications to the original CME criterion are proposed to improve the estimation accuracy. Simulation results show that the proposed receiver has a slight degradation in frame error rate performance to the known channel maximum likelihood receiver. Moreover, it outperforms the conventional fixed long-tap length EM receiver with a lesser complexity. Furthermore, the proposed modifications to the CME criterion improve the channel order estimation accuracy, thus minimizing unnecessary computations.     

Channel estimation for the uplink of a DS-CDMA system

This paper deals with channel estimation in the uplink of a direct-sequence code-division multiple-access system operating in a multipath environment. The parameters of interest are the delays and the complex attenuations incurred by the signal echoes along the propagation paths. We propose an iterative approach for estimating the channel parameters of a new user entering the system. The method is based on the space-alternating generalized expectation-maximization algorithm and exploits a training sequence. In comparison to other estimation algorithms, it reduces a complicated multidimensional optimization problem to a sequence of one-dimensional problems. In addition, it can be effectively used in applications over fast-fading channels. Computer simulations are employed to assess the performance of the proposed scheme. It is found that it is resistant to multiuser interference and has accuracy close to the Cramer-Rao lower bound even with very short training sequences.     

Multiuser receiver scheme for full‐rate space–time coded CDMA system with imperfect estimation

By introducing a full‐rate space–time coding (STC) scheme, a synchronous CDMA (code division multiple access) system with full‐rate STC is given, and the corresponding uplink performance is investigated in Rayleigh fading channel with imperfect estimation. Considering that existing STC‐CDMA system has high decoding complexity, low‐complexity multiuser receiver schemes are developed for perfect and imperfect estimations, respectively. The schemes can make full use of the complex orthogonality of STC to reduce the high decoding complexity of the existing scheme, and have linear decoding complexity compared with the existing scheme with exponential decoding complexity. Moreover, the proposed schemes can achieve almost the same performance as the existing scheme. Compared with full‐diversity STC‐CDMA, the given full‐rate STC‐CDMA can achieve full data rate, low complexity, and partial diversity, and form efficient spatial interleaving. Thus, the concatenation of channel coding can effectively compensate for the performance loss due to partial diversity. Simulation results show that the full‐rate STC‐CDMA has lower bit error rate (BER) than full‐diversity STC‐CDMA systems under the same system throughput and concatenation of channel code. Moreover, the system BER with imperfect estimation are worse than that with perfect estimation due to the estimation error, which implies that the developed multiuser receiver schemes are valid and reasonable. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Doubly iterative receiver for block transmissions with EM-based channel estimation

Cyclic-prefix code division multiple access (CP-CDMA), multicarrier CDMA (MC-CDMA) and single carrier cyclic-prefix (SCCP) transmission are some schemes that could support the increasing demand of future high data rate applications. The linear and nonlinear equalizers used to detect the transmitted signal are always far from the Maximum-Likelihood (ML) detection bound. The block iterative generalized decision feedback equalizer (BI-GDFE) is an iterative and effective interference cancelation scheme which could provide near-ML performance yet with very low complexity. In order to deploy this scheme, the channel state information (CSI) must be available at the receiver. In practice, this information has to be estimated by using pilot and data symbols. This paper investigates the problem of channel estimation using the Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm. The BI-GDFE provides the soft information of the transmitted signals to the EM-based algorithm in the form a combination of hard decision and a coefficient so-called the input-decision correlation (IDC). The resultant receiver becomes a doubly iterative scheme. To evaluate the performance of the proposed estimation algorithm, the Cramér-Rao Lower Bound (CRLB) is also derived. Computer simulations show that the bit error rate (BER) performance of the proposed receiver for joint channel estimation and signal detection can reach the performance of the BI-GDFE with perfect CSI.     

An adaptive spatial diversity receiver for non-Gaussianinterference and noise

Standard linear diversity combining techniques are not effective in combating fading in the presence of non-Gaussian noise. An adaptive spatial diversity receiver is developed for wireless communication channels with slow, flat fading and additive non-Gaussian noise. The noise is modeled as a mixture of Gaussian distributions and the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm is used to derive estimates for the model parameters. The transmitted signals are detected using a likelihood ratio test based on the parameter estimates. The new adaptive receiver converges rapidly, its bit error rate performance is very close to optimum when relatively short training sequences are used, and it appears to be relatively insensitive to mismatch between the noise model and the actual noise distribution. Simulation results are included that illustrate various aspects of the adaptive receiver performance     

A spatial-temporal decorrelating receiver for CDMA systems withbase-station antenna arrays

We investigate multiuser signal detection with a base-station antenna array for a synchronous DS-CDMA uplink using nonorthogonal codes in Rayleigh fading channels. We have developed a new formulation for a spatial-temporal decorrelating detector using the maximum-likelihood criteria. The detector is shown to be near-far resistant. We propose to implement the spatial-temporal decorrelating receiver iteratively by applying the space-alternating generalized expectation-maximization (SAGE) algorithm. Simulation results show that the SAGE-based decorrelating receiver significantly outperforms the conventional single-user receiver and with performance close to that of a spatial-temporal decorrelating receiver with known channel parameters. We have observed that adding base-station antennas can actually improve convergence of the proposed iterative receiver     

MUI-free receiver for a synchronous DS-CDMA system based on blockspreading in the presence of frequency-selective fading

We discuss a synchronous direct-sequence code division multiple-access (DS-CDMA) system based on block spreading in the presence of frequency-selective fading. Note that block spreading, which is also known as chip interleaving, refers to a spreading of a data block sequence, which is obtained by dividing a data symbol sequence into consecutive blocks. For such a system, we develop a simple new receiver that completely removes the multiuser interference (MUI) without using any channel information. The MUI-free operation is obtained by the use of a shift-orthogonal set of code sequences on which this receiver is based. Within the framework of the MUI-free receiver, we further present a subspace deterministic blind single-user channel estimation algorithm. As a benchmark for the MUI-free receiver and the corresponding subspace deterministic blind single-user channel estimation algorithm, we consider the linear multiuser equalizer and the corresponding subspace deterministic blind multiuser channel estimation algorithm developed by Liu and Xu (1996) for a standard synchronous DS-CDMA system in the presence of frequency-selective fading. We show that the complexity of the MUI-free receiver using the corresponding subspace deterministic blind single-user channel estimation algorithm is much smaller than the complexity of the linear multiuser equalizer using the corresponding subspace deterministic blind multiuser channel estimation algorithm. We further show that the performance of the MUI-free receiver is comparable with the performance of the linear multiuser equalizer. This is for the case in which the channels are known as well as for the case in which the channels are estimated with the corresponding subspace deterministic blind channel estimation algorithm     

Effects of imperfect channel sensing and estimation on the performance of cognitive radio systems

In realistic scenarios of cognitive radio (CR) systems, imperfect channel sensing may occur due to false alarms and miss detections. Channel estimation between the secondary user transmitter and another secondary user receiver is another challenge in CR systems, especially for frequency‐selective fading channels. In this context, this paper presents a study of the effects of imperfect channel sensing and channel estimation on the performance of CR systems. In particular, different methods of channel estimation are analyzed under channel sensing imperfections. Initially, a CR system model with channel sensing errors is described. Then, the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm is implemented in order to learn the channel fading coefficients. By exploiting the pilot symbols and the detected symbols at the secondary user receiver, we can estimate the channel coefficients. We further compare the proposed EM estimation algorithm with different estimation algorithms such as the least squares (LS) and linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE). The expressions of channel estimates and mean squared errors (MSE) are determined, and their dependencies on channel sensing uncertainty are investigated. Finally, to reduce the complexity of EM algorithm, a sub‐optimal algorithm is also proposed. The obtained results show that the proposed sub‐optimal algorithm provides a comparable bit error rate (BER) performance with that of the optimal one yet with less computational complexity.     

Multiuser receivers for CDMA systems in Rayleigh fading channels

Multiuser demodulation in relatively fast fading channels is analyzed. The optimal maximum likelihood sequence detection (MLSD) receiver is derived and a general suboptimal receiver to approximate the MLSD is proposed. The performance of the parallel interference cancellation (PIC) and decorrelating receivers is compared. The PIC receiver is demonstrated to achieve better performance in known channels than the decorrelating receiver, but it is observed to be more sensitive to the channel coefficient estimation errors than the decorrelator. At high channel loads the PIC receiver suffers from bit error rate (BER) saturation, whereas the decorrelating receiver does not. The performance of data-aided (DA) and decision-directed (DD) multiuser channel estimation is also compared. DA channel estimation is shown to be more robust than DD channel estimation, which may suffer from BER saturation caused by hangups at high signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). The impact of channel estimation filter impulse response on the BER is studied by comparing optimal and suboptimal channel estimation filters. The implementation complexity of the decorrelating and PIC receivers is compared in terms of required floating point operations and clock cycles in a practical communication scenario. It is observed that the PIC receiver is only moderately more complex to implement than the conventional matched filter bank receiver, whereas the decorrelating receiver is significantly more complex     

A theoretical analysis of the performance of code division multipleaccess communications over multimode optical fiber channels-part I:transmission and detection

This paper presents results of a theoretical investigation to evaluate the performance of code division multiple access communications over multimode optical fiber channels in an asynchronous, multiuser communication network environment. The system is evaluated using Gold sequences for spectral spreading of the baseband signal from each user employing direct-sequence biphase shift keying and intensity modulation techniques. The transmission channel model employed is a lossless linear system approximation of the field transfer function for the α-profile multimode optical fiber. Due to channel model complexity, a correlation receiver model employing a suboptimal receive filter was used in calculating the peak output signal at the ith receiver. The performance measures for the system, i.e., signal-to-noise ratio and bit error probability for the ith receiver, are derived as functions of channel characteristics, spectral spreading, number of active users, and the hit energy to noise (white) spectral density ratio     

Iterative decoding of convolutionally encoded signals overmultipath Rayleigh fading channels

We analyze and compare several strategies for iteratively decoding trellis-encoded signals over channels with memory. Soft-in/soft-out extensions of reduced-complexity trellis search algorithms such as delayed decision-feedback sequence estimating (DDFSE) or parallel decision-feedback decoding (PDFD) algorithms are used instead of conventional BCJR and min-log-BCJR algorithms. It has been shown that for long channel impulse responses and/or high modulation orders where the BCJR algorithm becomes prohibitively complex, the proposed algorithms offer very good performance with low complexity. The problem of channel estimation in practical implementation of turbo detection schemes is studied in the second part. Two methods of channel reestimation are proposed: one based on the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm and the second on a simple Bootstrap technique. Both algorithms are shown to dramatically improve the performance of the classical pseudo inverse channel estimation performed initially on a training sequence     

On Maximum-Likelihood Timing Synchronization

In this paper, we address the issue of symbol timing recovery for a coded burst transmission system. As direct maximum-likelihood (ML) estimation is intractable, we resort to the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm in order to derive a receiver that iterates between data detection and synchronization. Conventional data-aided (DA) and decision-directed (DD) synchronizers can be interpreted as special cases of the proposed algorithm. The EM-based technique takes into account code properties and is especially well suited to scenarios where conventional schemes fail to provide the detector with a reliable timing estimate. The performance of the proposed algorithm is compared with conventional techniques through computer simulations, both in terms of mean-square estimation error (MSEE) and bit error rate (BER).