Non-binary coding for vector channels

We consider the application of non-binary coding schemes to vector channels, in particular we apply q-ary LDPC codes to multiple-antenna transmission schemes. Based on the principle of providing a good equivalent channel to the coding scheme, we directly map the code symbols to the transmit signal and find some suitable multi-dimensional mappings. The performance is assessed by simulations and we find that non-binary coding with direct mapping provides a significant advantage over its binary counterpart and over some space-time diversity schemes.