High Throughput via Cross-Layer Interference Alignment for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks
Abstract
Recent investigations into the fundamental limits of mobile ad hoc networks have produced a physical layer method for approaching their capacity. This strategy, known as interference alignment, requires cooperation, rather than competition, among the transceivers in the network. Under ideal circumstances, every user can achieve reliable communication at rates approaching one half of the interference-free capacity. Unfortunately, prior research on interference alignment makes many assumptions that make it difficult to realize interference alignment in practice. This report summarizes the PI's work on realizing interference alignment in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication channels. The emphasis is on networks where clusters of users cooperate together, since this provides a good balance between network overhead and performance. One contribution was to devise a way to add new users to an existing cluster of interference aligned users. Different algorithms were devised as a function of the number of antennas in the network. Another contribution was to analyze interference alignment in a network with random clusters of users. The cases where interference alignment was preferred to other simpler communication strategies was characterized. Another contribution was to determine the impact of distributing the antennas. It was found that distributed antennas lead to higher performance with interference alignment, and new algorithms were designed to achieve that performance. A final contribution was to prototype an interference alignment network. A distributed prototype was constructed with over-the-air synchronization and feedback, demonstrating the viability of interference alignment for small networks in practice.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 26, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA596282
Entities
People
- Robert W. Heath Jr.
Organizations
- University of Texas at Austin