Several aspects of the design and optimization of coded multiple-antenna tr
ansmission diversity methods for slowly time-varying channels are explored
from an information-theoretic perspective. Both optimized vector-coded syst
ems, which can achieve the maximum possible performance, and suboptimal sca
lar-coded systems, which reduce complexity by exploiting suitably designed
linear precoding, are investigated, The achievable rates and associated out
age characteristics of these spatial diversity schemes are evaluated and co
mpared, both for the case when temporal diversity is being jointly exploite
d and for the case when it is not, Complexity and implementation issues Mor
e generally are also discussed.