A Joint PHY and MAC Layer Design for Coded Random Access with Massive MIMO

TL;DR

This paper introduces a comprehensive analysis and design framework for coded random access in massive MIMO systems, integrating PHY and MAC layer considerations to optimize grant-free wireless communication.

Contribution

It develops a density evolution-based analysis tool that incorporates physical channel effects and multi-antenna processing, advancing beyond simplified models.

Findings

The analysis tool accurately predicts system performance.

Physical layer effects significantly influence coded random access.

The approach enables optimized system design for massive MIMO scenarios.

Abstract

Grant-free access schemes are candidates to support future massive multiple access applications owing to their capability to reduce control signaling and latency. As a promising class of grant-free schemes, coded random access schemes can achieve high reliabilities also with uncoordinated transmissions and therefore in presence packet collisions. In this paper, an analysis tool for coded random access, based on density evolution, is proposed and exploited for system design and optimization. In sharp contrast with the existing literature, where such tools have been developed under simplified channel assumptions, the proposed tool captures not only MAC layer features, but also the physical wireless fading channel and a realistic physical layer signal processing based on multiple antennas and randomly-chosen orthogonal pilots. Theoretical results are validated by comparison with symbol-level Monte Carlo simulations.