Efficient Decoder for Perfect Space-Time Codes

Perfect space-time block code (STBC) is one of the most excellent space-time codes (STC). An equivalent vertical Bell Laboratories layered space-time (V- BLAST) decoding model is proposed for perfect STBC decoding in this paper. Then, the decoder of minimum mean-square error decision feedback equalizer (MMSE-DFE) Fano-search (abbreviated as "MMSE- DFE-Fano "), which is regarded as one of the most efficient decoding schemes available for STC decoding, is simply modified by unbiased extending and by boundary controlling. Simulation results show that the modified decoder approaches maximum- likelihood (ML) decoding performance with considerably reduced complexity. Compared with "MMSE-DFE-Fano" decoder, the proposed decoder obtains about 2 dB gains with almost no complexity increase at a wide range of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In addition, the proposed decoder is robust to any antenna configurations and to arbitrary modulation constellations. With such efficient decoder, perfect STBC is a promising scheme for broadband data transmission over wireless channels.