MIMO Networks with One-Bit ADCs: Receiver Design and Communication Strategies

TL;DR

This paper introduces novel receiver designs for MIMO systems using one-bit ADCs, incorporating delay elements and analog combiners to maximize data rates under power constraints.

Contribution

It proposes two new classes of delay-based hybrid receivers with one-bit ADCs and analyzes their fundamental communication limits in MIMO systems.

Findings

Proposed receivers achieve maximum rates with one-bit ADCs at high SNR.

Delay elements improve the performance of low-resolution ADC receivers.

Fundamental limits are characterized for single and multi-user MIMO scenarios.

Abstract

High resolution analog to digital converters (ADCs) are conventionally used at the receiver terminals to store an accurate digital representation of the received signal, thereby allowing for reliable decoding of transmitted messages. However, in a wide range of applications, such as communication over millimeter wave and massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, the use of high resolution ADCs is not feasible due to power budget limitations. In the conventional fully digital receiver design, where each receiver antenna is connected to a distinct ADC, reducing the ADC resolution leads to performance loss in terms of achievable rates. One proposed method to mitigate the rate-loss is to use analog linear combiners leading to design of hybrid receivers. Here, the hybrid framework is augmented by the addition of delay elements to allow for temporal analog processing. Two new classes of receivers consisting of delay elements, analog linear combiners, and one-bit ADCs are proposed. The fundamental limits of communication in single and multi-user (uplink and downlink) MIMO systems employing the proposed receivers are investigated. In the high signal to noise ratio regime, it is shown that the proposed receivers achieve the maximum achievable rates among all receivers with the same number of one-bit ADCs.