An Investigation of MIMO Performance in the Indoor Ricean Environment

In this paper, we investigate the Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) channel capacity in indoor Ricean channels based on MIMO channel measurements at 2.45 GHz. The measured data is analysed using a super resolution parameter estimation algorithm. Our results demonstrate that the line-of-sight (LOS) component in a Ricean scenario influences indoor MIMO performance through increased spatial correlation between array elements. We found that indoor channels with higher values of Ricean K factor have smaller numbers of effective multipath components and increased spatial correlation. Measurement results also showed that, the effect of varying antenna height on indoor MIMO capacity is also due to the spatial correlation of multipath propagation and has a close relationship with the separation between the transmitter and receiver. Zhongwei Tang is currently with the Wireless Technologies Laboratory at CSIRO. He was with Microwave and Wireless Technology Research Laboratory (MWTRL), Information and Communication Group, Faculty of Engineering of the University of Technology Sydney, Australia, where he pursued his Ph.D. Degree. His current research interests include RF propagation, MIMO Space-Time channel measurements, characterization and channel modelling, smart antennas, MIMO systems and array signal processing. Ananda S. Mohan is currently a member of the Faculty of Engineering, University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), Australia where he leads research on antennas, microwaves, wave propagation, and wireless technology. He received a Ph.D. degree in electrical communication engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India and was a Scientist and Senior Scientist at the Research and Training Unit for Navigational Electronics, Hyderabad, India. At UTS, he directed the Sydney microwave design resource centre and was the associate program leader of the co-operative research centre for satellite systems. He currently directs the microwave and wireless technology research laboratory and a core member of the university research centre on health technologies. His current teaching and research interests include wireless mobile communications, microwaves and antennas, smart antennas and applications of microwave and wireless technology in medicine and has obtained many competitive research grants in these areas. Dr. Mohan was a co-recipient of the Priestly memorial award from the Institute of Radio and Electronic Engineers (IREE), Australia. He was a member of the organizing and technical Program Committees of the IEEE Globecom'98, APMC 2000, and International Symposium on Wireless Systems and Networks, 2003 and IASTED International Conference on Antennas, Radar, and Wave Propagation, for 2004 and 2005.