Performance analysis of MCFH systems with orthogonal space-time block codes

In this paper, we consider the application of space-time block codes in multicarrier frequency hopping (MCFH) CDMA systems. We evaluate the performance of the system in a slowly Rayleigh fading frequency-selective channel using both a conventional single user receiver and a multistage multiuser receiver. Our analysis indicates that the proposed space-time coded scheme achieves the maximum possible diversity including both spatial and frequency diversities. We also provide some simulation results, and compare them with the results obtained analytically. Our numerical results show that the multiuser interference can degrade the performance of the space-time coded system, when the conventional single user receiver is used.