Packet Error Probability of a Transmit Beamforming System With Imperfect Feedback

Average packet error probability (PEP) is an important error statistic for wireless communication system designers. In this paper, we address the problem of analytically quantifying the effect of channel estimation errors, feedback delay and channel vector quantization on the PEP of transmit beamforming multiple-input-single-output (MISO) systems in a spatially independent slow-fading wireless channel environment. We develop an accurate characterization of estimation errors as well as errors due to feedback delay, and tools relevant for deriving analytical expressions for the PEP. The modeling highlights the distinction between errors that arise due to channel estimation from those that arise due to feedback delay and represents an important departure from past work. Analytical expressions are derived for the PEP with BPSK signaling. The derived approximated closed-form analytical expression is complemented by simulations.