On the performance of linear MIMO transceivers

In this dissertation, the reliability and throughput of equalization and precoding techniques are analyzed in both several multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) as well as single-input single-output (SISO) scenarios, resulting in several new discoveries as well as explanation certain phenomena that were known but not fully understood.;The first part of this dissertation establishes the diversity of the minimum mean square error (MMSE) MIMO receiver for all fixed rates (spectral efficiencies) in the quasi-static flat-fading MIMO channel. It is shown that full spatial diversity is achieved for all antenna configurations if and only if the rate is below a threshold which itself is a function of the number of antennas. The diversity of the MIMO multiple access channel (MAC) is also obtained. Linear receivers for the quasi-static frequency selective MIMO channel are also analyzed.;The second part of the dissertation is dedicated to linear MIMO precoders, including Wiener filtering, regularized zero-forcing filtering and matched filtering. It is shown that regularized zero-forcing or matched filter suffer from error floors for all positive multiplexing gains. In the fixed-rate regime, these precoders achieve full diversity up to a certain spectral efficiency and zero diversity at rates above it. The diversity in the presence of both linear precoding and linear equalization is also analyzed.;The third part of the dissertation investigates the performance of common transmit diversity techniques, such as Alamouti and cyclic-delay diversity schemes, when used with linear receivers. The effect of block length on the system performance is fully characterized. The fourth and final part of the dissertation investigates decision feedback equalizers in SISO ISI channels. As part of the developments of this part, the notion of the spectral representation of random processes is used for a rigorous analytical framework of decision feedback equalizers.