Abstract: A transmitter (20) of an OFDM system (10) splits a data input signal into a pair of OFDM subcarrier streams (S0, S1). The transmitter further implements a cross subcarrier transmitter diversity encoding of the OFDM subcarrier streams (S0, S1). The result is a pair of encoded OFDM subcarrier stream (ES0, ES1) that are transformed into modulated transmitter signals (s0, s1), respectively, which are transmitted to a receiver antenna (60) via an transmitter antenna (50) and a transmitter antenna (51), respectively.

Abstract: Multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems are candidates for higher data rate wireless communication systems. Currently, for a single input single output (SISO) 1802.11a system can provide a transmission data rate up to 54 Mbps. The present invention is a 2 by 2 Multiple In Multiple Out (MIMO) system having a decoding apparatus that increases the data rate to over 100 Mbps but at a computation cost about the same as for optimal decoding for a SISO system and 1/64 of the optimal decoding for a 2 by 2 MIMO system. At a bit error rate (BER) of 10-4 level, the 2 by 2 MIMO system of the present invention provides double the transmission data rate of the SISO system with approximately the same signal to noise ratio (SNR).