Performance of link adaptation algorithms and reconfigurable antennas for MIMO-OFDM wireless systems

Data rates and channel capacity in MIMO-OFDM wireless systems can be improved through the use of Adaptive Modulation and Coding (AMC) and pattern reconfigurable antennas. In this paper, we propose a Spatially Adaptive Modulation and Coding (SAMC) scheme that operates in two stages. In the first, it searches for the optimal antenna configuration. Then, the technique applies AMC based on the post-processing Signal-to-Noise Ratio (ppSNR) yielded by the selected configuration and additional system constraints. The AMC algorithm uses fixed link tables defined by ppSNR regions for supportable spectral efficiencies. The performance of the proposed scheme in a 2×2 MIMO-OFDM wireless system in an indoor environment is evaluated.