Joint Fountain and Network Coding for Multiple-Input Multiple-Output Wireless Communication

Increases Throughput over Lossy Channels for Wireless Data Transfer and Communication

This multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) wireless data transmission system utilizes joint FoUntain coding and Network coding (FUN) to achieve unprecedented high throughput over lossy channels. The internet continues to play an increasingly significant role, and wireless data transfer is becoming more important. Because of this, future internet backbone traffic needs to shift towards wireless mesh networks. Available network protocols are not ready for a complete transition to wireless mesh networks because they are largely based on the infrastructure of wired networks and point-to-point transmission models.

Researchers at the University of Florida have developed what they call MIMO FUN, a wireless meshed network protocol that maximizes the MIMO throughput by applying inter-session random linear network coding (RLNC) and makes use of the shared nature of wireless channels. Experimental results show that this approach increases throughput in existing schemes for MIMO wireless networks.

Application

Wireless meshed network protocol that maximizes MIMO for improved wireless communication and data transfer

Advantages

• Uses random linear network coding (RLNC) to code all transmitted packets, reducing the number of transmissions and improving the bandwidth
• Codes transmitted packets through local schemes on terminal and relay nodes, maximizing the ranks of packets received by all terminal nodes
• Keeps record of the coding coefficients of the packets correctly received by neighboring nodes in each relay node, maintaining knowledge of the packet ranks received by neighboring nodes and generating coded packets that maximize the ranks of packets received by neighboring nodes

Technology

The MIMO FUN (FoUntain coding and Network coding) protocol optimizes throughput of all-to-all transmission scenarios by using terminal and relay nodes. All nodes operate as transmitters and receivers. The terminal nodes are unable to communicate directly because they are out of the range of transmission. To combat this, all the terminal nodes communicate through relay nodes. Terminal nodes transmit packets of information to the relay node, and the relay node traditionally sends the packets to all other terminal nodes. Relay nodes in MIMO FUN can receive all packets of information and linearly combine the information to reduce the number of transmissions needed. The saved transmissions can accommodate sending new data, improving the bandwidth. The nodes may take different topologies or multiple relay nodes can restructure to allow the information to transfer to the whole network while using the fewest number of transmissions.