Capacity evaluation with channel estimation error for the Decode-and-Forward relay PLC networks

In this paper, the achievable information rates of three Decode-and-Forward (DF) relay protocols are investigated with linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE) channel estimation in powerline communications (PLC) networks. Analysis of how the channel estimation errors impact the performance of unidirectional and bidirectional relay protocols is given. Realistic simulations are performed to evaluate the performance for varying the number of pilot Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols and the robustness of different protocols is discussed. Solutions for how to mitigate the impact of channel and noise on the protocol to maximise performance are also discussed.