Efficient algorithm for decoding layered space-time codes

Layered space-time codes have been designed to exploit the capacity advantage of multiple antenna systems in Rayleigh fading environments. In this paper, a new efficient decoding algorithm based on QR decomposition is presented. It needs only a fraction of computational effort compared to the standard decoding algorithm requiring the multiple calculation of the pseudo inverse of the channel matrix. Introduction: In a Rayleigh fading environment multiple antenna systems provide an enormous increase in capacity compared to single antenna systems. To take advantage of multiple antennas space-time codes (STC) have been introduced to use space as a second dimension of coding. Layered space-time (LST) codes are a special kind of STC with the advantage of a feasible decoding complexity (1). For these LST we introduce a new, efficient way of decoding based on the QR-decomposition.