Single-Carrier Frequency Domain Equalization for Broadband Cooperative Communications

Cooperative diversity is an effective technique to combat the fading phenomena in wireless communications without additional complexity of multiple antennas. Multiple terminals in the network form a virtual antenna array in a distributed fashion. Even though each of them is equipped with only one antenna, spatial diversity gain can be achieved through cooperation. In this chapter, we discuss relay-assisted single carrier transmissions extending conventional transmit diversity schemes. We focus on distributed space-frequency block coded single carrier transmission, in order to operate over fast fading channels. A pilot design technique is also discussed for channel estimation of this single carrier cooperative system, which shows better channel tracking performance than conventional block-type channel estimations. In addition, spectral efficient cooperative diversity protocols are presented, where the users access a relay simultaneously or transmit superposed data blocks. Interference from the other user is effectively removed by using an iterative detection technique. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-60566-665-5.ch015