T-BLAST for Wireless Communications: First Experimental Results

In earlier papers [1]–[5], we described a novel multitransmit, multireceive (MTMR) antenna system for wireless communications. This new system, turbo Bell-Labs layered space–time (T-BLAST) architecture, combines the benefits of layered space–time coding concepts and turbo principles in the multitransmit, multireceive antenna system design. In particular, the random layered space–time codes designed by using a set of block convolutional codes and random space–time interleavers and the space–time turbo-like decoding operation allow T-BLAST to realize the benefits of MTMR systems in a computationally feasible manner. The goal of this paper is to present experimental results of T-BLAST based on real-life data collected using the Bell-Labs experimental multiple antenna system with eight transmit and five and six receive antennas. The experimental results show the practical virtues of T-BLAST.