Iterative Receiver Processing at Relays in PNC-Enabled Multi-Hop Underwater Acoustic Networks

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Zhang, Gewei, Wang, Deqing, You, Lizhao, Cai, Xiangming, Fu, Liqun
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Zhang, Gewei
Wang, Deqing
You, Lizhao
Cai, Xiangming
Fu, Liqun
author_facet Zhang, Gewei
Wang, Deqing
You, Lizhao
Cai, Xiangming
Fu, Liqun
contents Physical-layer network coding (PNC) can increase end-to-end throughput in bi-directional multi-hop underwater acoustic (UWA) networks. However, multipath delay spread and Doppler-induced inter-carrier interference (ICI) in UWA channels can degrade the reliability of PNC transmission in a three-node relay configuration. More critically, error accumulation across multiple relay nodes leads to a pronounced increase in the end-to-end bit error rate (BER) in multi-hop networks. To address this issue, we develop an iterative detection and decoding processing strategy for relay nodes within a PNC-enabled multi-hop UWA network based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation. The proposed design integrates three key algorithms: (i) an adaptive channel-aware factor graph detection algorithm that is suited for time-varying UWA channels; (ii) a parity-check-constrained soft-information refinement algorithm that improves the accuracy of the information feedback from the decoder to the detector; and (iii) a linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE) detection algorithm based on a superimposed model, which offers low computational complexity as an alternative scheme. Extensive simulation results demonstrate that the adaptive detection algorithm achieves BERs on the order of $10^{-5}$ at a relative velocity of 1.5 m/s UWA channel and a signal-to-noise (SNR) of 8~dB. Both lake experiments and sea trials in the Taiwan Strait confirm that the proposed iterative receiver algorithms outperform baseline schemes in terms of BER performance under practical UWA channel conditions, showing their robustness and applicability in real multi-hop deployments.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_21819
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Iterative Receiver Processing at Relays in PNC-Enabled Multi-Hop Underwater Acoustic Networks
Zhang, Gewei
Wang, Deqing
You, Lizhao
Cai, Xiangming
Fu, Liqun
Networking and Internet Architecture
Physical-layer network coding (PNC) can increase end-to-end throughput in bi-directional multi-hop underwater acoustic (UWA) networks. However, multipath delay spread and Doppler-induced inter-carrier interference (ICI) in UWA channels can degrade the reliability of PNC transmission in a three-node relay configuration. More critically, error accumulation across multiple relay nodes leads to a pronounced increase in the end-to-end bit error rate (BER) in multi-hop networks. To address this issue, we develop an iterative detection and decoding processing strategy for relay nodes within a PNC-enabled multi-hop UWA network based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation. The proposed design integrates three key algorithms: (i) an adaptive channel-aware factor graph detection algorithm that is suited for time-varying UWA channels; (ii) a parity-check-constrained soft-information refinement algorithm that improves the accuracy of the information feedback from the decoder to the detector; and (iii) a linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE) detection algorithm based on a superimposed model, which offers low computational complexity as an alternative scheme. Extensive simulation results demonstrate that the adaptive detection algorithm achieves BERs on the order of $10^{-5}$ at a relative velocity of 1.5 m/s UWA channel and a signal-to-noise (SNR) of 8~dB. Both lake experiments and sea trials in the Taiwan Strait confirm that the proposed iterative receiver algorithms outperform baseline schemes in terms of BER performance under practical UWA channel conditions, showing their robustness and applicability in real multi-hop deployments.
title Iterative Receiver Processing at Relays in PNC-Enabled Multi-Hop Underwater Acoustic Networks
topic Networking and Internet Architecture
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.21819