Performance Simulation of STBC for 2x2 and 4x4 MIMO Systems: A Complete Encoding and Decoding Implementation with Graphical Results

This project involves a detailed performance simulation of Space-Time Block Coding (STBC) for both 2x2 and 4x4 MIMO system configurations. The implementation includes a complete encoding and decoding program written in MATLAB, utilizing Alamouti coding for the 2x2 case and orthogonal STBC designs for the 4x4 configuration. The simulation incorporates maximum likelihood decoding algorithms with proper channel estimation techniques to evaluate bit error rate (BER) performance under Rayleigh fading channels. Key functions implemented include symbol mapping using QPSK modulation, STBC matrix generation, channel coefficient simulation, and optimal combining at the receiver. The resulting simulation plots demonstrate comparative BER versus SNR performance, clearly showing the diversity gains and performance improvements achieved through spatial coding techniques. This simulation provides valuable insights into STBC performance characteristics across different antenna configurations, with the graphical results effectively illustrating the coding gains and diversity benefits in practical MIMO communication systems.