MIMO Wireless Linear Precoding

This article provides a tutorial of linear precoding for a frequency- flat, single-user MIMO wireless system, examining both theoretical foundations and practical issues. The article first discusses principles for CSIT (channel-side information at the transmitter) acquisition and develops a dynamic CSIT model, which spans perfectly to statistical CSIT, taking into account channel temporal variation. It then presents the capacity benefits of CSIT and information theoretic arguments for exploiting the CSIT by linear precoding. A precoded system structure is then described, involving an encoder and a linear precoder. Criteria for designing the precoder are then discussed, followed by specific designs for different CSIT scenarios.