A tutorial on network coded cooperation

Network Coding (NC) can significantly help increase the efficient use of network resources. However, directly applying NC to wireless networks is not an effective design solution. Wireless channels are prone to bit errors due to fading, possibly generating erroneous decisions at the relay nodes while applying NC. Furthermore, the broadcast nature of wireless channels may provide a direct communication link between source and destination nodes. In order to combat fading channel impairments, and also to exploit the inherent spatial diversity provided through the direct link, network coded cooperation (NCC) techniques should be incorporated to the NC systems for wireless networks. This tutorial provides an overview of the state-of-the-art in the NCC systems, combining the powerful tools of NC and cooperative communication, in order to increase data transmission rates and robustness of multiple source wireless networks.