Robust Codes for 2× 2 MIMO Block Fading Channels

Golden space-time trellis coded modulation (GSTTCM) scheme was proposed in [1] for a high rate 2×2 multipleinput multiple-output (MIMO) system over slow fading channels. In this paper, we present the design criteria of GST-TCM over general block fading channels, where the channel matrix is constant over a fraction of the codeword length and varies from one fraction to another independently. However, the code construction and optimization can be difficult to implement. We therefore analyze the performance of GST-TCM for slow fading over block fading channels. The impact of the block fading channel on the code performance is analyzed using a truncated Union Bound technique. We finally show both analytically and by simulation that the GST-TCM designed for slow fading channels are indeed robust to various channel conditions. This feature is particularly useful for transmission over multipath channels using multicarrier modulation such as OFDM.