A Unified MIMO Architecture Subsuming Space Shift Keying, OSTBC, BLAST and LDC

In this paper, motivated by the recent concept of Spatial Modulation (SM), we propose a novel Generalized Space-Time Shift Keying (G-STSK) architecture, which acts as a unified Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) framework. More specifically, our G-STSK scheme is based on the rationale that P out of Q dispersion matrices are selected and linearly combined in conjunction with the classic PSK/QAM modulation, where activating P out of Q dispersion matrices provides an implicit means of conveying information bits in addition to the classic modem. Due to its substantial flexibility, our G-STSK framework includes diverse MIMO arrangements, such as SM, Space-Shift Keying (SSK), Linear Dispersion Codes (LDCs), Space-Time Block Codes (STBCs) and Bell Lab´s Layered Space-Time (BLAST) scheme. Hence it has the potential of subsuming all of them, when flexibly adapting a set of system parameters. Moreover, we also derive the Discrete-input Continueousoutput Memoryless Channel (DCMC) capacity for our G-STSK scheme, which serves as the unified capacity limit, hence quantifying the capacity of diverse MIMO arrangements. Furthermore, EXtrinsic Information Transfer (EXIT) chart analysis is used for designing our G-STSK scheme and for characterizing its iterative decoding convergence.