Multi-User OFDM MIMO in IEEE 802.11ac: A Simulation Framework to Analysis and Synthesis

In this paper a simulation framework to analyze, design and optimize the physical layer of IEEE 802.11ac wireless local networks focusing on multi-user operation scenario is described and validated. The performance of channel inversion, regularized channel inversion and block diagonalization precoding schemes with zero forcing and minimum mean squared error multiple input multiple output (MIMO) detectors is evaluated over different configurations of 802.11 Task Group n (TGn) and TGac channel models. The expressive power loss due to multi-user operation has shown that more advanced precoding and MIMO detection schemes must be designed to allow satisfactory operation into feasible signal-to-noise-ratio ranges.