Optimal power allocation for pilot-assisted interference alignment in MIMO interference networks: Test-bed results

This paper addresses channel training and data communication over multi-input multi-input (MIMO) interference networks. We consider a pilot-assisted interference alignment scheme in which part of radio resources are allocated to channel training and the remaining resources are used for data transmission. A more accurate channel estimation can be obtained by increasing pilot transmission power. Since each transmitter has limited energy budget, this implies that less power is available for data transmission. Clearly, there is a trade off between the allocated power for channel training and the one for data communication. In order to investigate this trade off, first we compute an achievable sum-rate, and next we find the optimum power allocation to pilot transmission and data transmission. Finally, we verify these theoretical results with experimental measurements on USRP-based test-bed.