Convolutional Network-Coded Cooperation in Multi-Source Networks with a Multi-Antenna Relay

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We propose a novel cooperative transmission scheme called "Convolutional Network-Coded Cooperation" (CNCC) for a network including N sources, one M-antenna relay, and one common destination. The source-relay (S-R) channels are assumed to be Nakagami-m fading, while the source-destination (S-D) and the relay-destination (R-D) channels are considered Rayleigh fading. The CNCC scheme exploits the generator matrix of a good (N+M', N, v) systematic convolutional code, with the free distance of dfree designed over GF(2), as the network coding matrix which is run by the network's nodes, such that the systematic symbols are directly transmitted from the sources, and the parity symbols are sent by the best antenna of the relay. An upper bound on the BER of the sources, and consequently, the achieved diversity orders are obtained. The numerical results indicate that the CNCC scheme outperforms the other cooperative schemes considered, in terms of the diversity order and the network throughput. The simulation results confirm the accuracy of the theoretical analysis.