Comparative BER Performance Analysis of Two Novel Methods for the Simulation of Correlated MIMO Fading Channels in 3D Environments

The Deterministic Riemann Sum Method (DRSM) and the Randomized Riemann Sum Method (RRSM) are two novel parameter computation methods for the design of sum-of-cisoids-based simulators of narrowband multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) mobile fading channels. The performance of both methods regarding the approximation of important statistical functions of MIMO fading channels has been analyzed extensively in other papers. Nevertheless, their effectiveness in approximating relevant system performance metrics, such as the bit error probability (BEP), has not been investigated so far. This paper aims to close the gap by presenting a comparative analysis of the DRSM and RRSM with respect to (w.r.t.) the BEP of an antenna diversity system. A variety of simulation scenarios comprising isotropic and non-isotropic scattering conditions in a three-dimensional propagation environment, as well as uniform linear and uniform circular antenna arrays, are considered for the analysis. The results show a good fit between the bit error rate (BER) curves obtained by applying both methods and the theoretical BEP curves that serve as benchmarks. However, it was observed that the RRSM outperforms in general the DRSM. In addition to evaluating the BER performance of the DRSM and RRSM, guidelines are provided for those interested in applying these new channel simulation methods to the analysis of modern MIMO wireless communication systems.