An Efficient Architecture for Detection of Layered Space-Time Block Codes Based on QR Decomposition

A new architecture for detection of linear dispersion space-time codes (LDSTBC) over Rayleigh fading channels is presented. The LDSTBC scheme consists of one Alamouti space-time block code unit, plus two more antennas operating as two layers of V-BLAST in the transmitter. The LDSTBC receiver can operate with three or more antennas simultaneously. The proposed receiver is based on an ordered successive interference cancellation (OSIC) scheme and the QR decomposition, which leads to a suitable hardware implementation. It was designed for the zero-forcing (ZF) criterion; reduced complexity is achieved by means of an adequate rearrangement of the channel matrix elements. The detection scheme proposed is evaluated and compared with other similar reported proposals, assuming a channel without spatial correlation.