Efficient decoding algorithm using triangularity of $\mbf{R}$ matrix of QR-decomposition

An efficient decoding algorithm named ‘divided decoder’ is proposed in this paper. Divided decoding can be combined with any decoder using QR-decomposition and offers different pairs of performance and complexity. Divided decoding provides various combinations of two or more different searching algorithms. Hence it makes flexibility in error rate and complexity for the algorithms using it. We calculate diversity orders and upper bounds of error rates for typical models when these models are solved by divided decodings with sphere decoder, and discuss about the effects of divided decoding on complexity. Simulation results of divided decodings combined with a sphere decoder according to different splitting indices correspond to the theoretical analysis. Index Terms multiple-input multiple-output(MIMO) channels, Near maximum likelihood, MIMO detection, sphere decoder, lattice reduction.