Dual Mode K-Best MIMO Detector Architecture and VLSI Implementation

Maximum likelihood (ML) detector is the optimal detector for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication systems. K-best decoding algorithm can achieve sub-optimal ML performance with reduced complexity. In this paper we present a novel dual mode architecture for implementation of K-best algorithm. The proposed architecture is fully parallel and can support both QPSK and 16-QAM modulation schemes. Implementation results show that detector's throughput can reach 480 Mbps.