Precoding in downlink multi-carrier code division multiple access systems using expectation maximisation algorithm

The presence of multiple access interference and hardware complexity of the mobile terminal are two major burdens for multi-carrier code division multiple access schemes. Both burdens can be overcome in downlink by precoding the transmitted signal using the knowledge of the channel state information. In multi-user precoding techniques, the transmitter is optimised to combat channel impairments through the use of new spreading sequences that are obtained by solving an optimisation problem based on some criterion. Among these optimisation problems, the problem based on maximum likelihood is hard and complex to solve. In the proposed precoding scheme, the well-suited expectation maximisation algorithm is used to solve this problem. The proposed precoding technique is simulated and its performance is analysed and compared with some other precoding and detecting techniques. The results show that the proposed scheme considerably outperforms the previous precoding schemes.