Antenna selection for spatial multiplexing systems with linear receivers

TLDR

Future cellular systems will use spatial multiplexing with multiple antennas, making it desirable to select a subset of transmit antennas for link initialization, maintenance, or handoff. The paper proposes a criterion for selecting the optimal antenna subset in spatial multiplexing systems with linear coherent receivers over slowly varying channels. The method selects the antenna subset that maximizes the minimum post‑processing SNR of the multiplexed streams. Simulations show the algorithm yields a diversity advantage, enabling linear receivers to perform well over fading channels.

Abstract

Future cellular systems will employ spatial multiplexing with multiple antennas at both the transmitter and receiver to take advantage of large capacity gains. In such systems it will be desirable to select a subset of available transmit antennas for link initialization, maintenance or handoff. We present a criterion for selecting the optimal antenna subset when linear, coherent receivers are used over a slowly varying channel. We propose use of the post-processing SNRs (signal to noise ratios) of the multiplexed streams whereby the antenna subset that induces the largest minimum SNR is chosen. Simulations demonstrate that our selection algorithm also provides diversity advantage thus making linear receivers useful over fading channels.