Reducing the effect of co-channel interference over the Rayleigh fading channel by combining coding and diversity

We consider the combination of coding and diversity as an alternative to maximum-likelihood multi-user detection to combat co-channel interference in the presence of Rayleigh fading. This detection scheme is based on the decorrelation receiver proposed by Lupas and Verdu (1989) for coded multiuser applications and by Winters, Salz and Gitlin (1994) for uncoded narrowband diversity systems. We analyze its performance in a narrowband coded diversity system where it is matched to a subset of interfering signals. The results obtained show that an adaptive receiver strategy enables to approach the performance of an interference-free system at signal-to-interference ratios as low as 0 dB.