An Approximate Approach for Layered Space-Time Multiuser Detection Performance and its Application to MIMO Ad Hoc Networks

In this paper, we consider a layered space-time multiuser detection technique and propose an analytical approximation for its performance. Our work is useful in two different stages of network design. On one hand, the approximation may be used to evaluate the bit and packet error performance of communications among a group of terminals making use of multiuser detection. On the other hand, it can also be seen as a very valuable tool from the networking point of view, as it may help in designing radio access control protocols based on multiuser detection, as analytical formulas are very fast to evaluate, in contrast to bit-level simulations that may need a long time to complete. Thus, an analytical formulation is important, because it helps discriminating among different protocol alternatives, speeding up considerably the protocol design phase and the development of new radio access policies for multiuser networks.