Performance limits of coded diversity methods for transmitter antenna arrays

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.