User group-based pilot allocation and data power optimization in cell-free massive MIMO for coexistence of UAVs and ground users

To address the pilot contamination issue in cell-free massive multi-input multi-output (MIMO) systems supporting simultaneous communication between unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ground users (GUEs), a user group-based pilot allocation algorithm is proposed. Furthermore, the system performance is enhanced by optimizing the data power. Initially, the distances between users and pilots are calculated based on the principles of maximizing spectral efficiency and utilizing the largescale fading matrix. Ground users and UAVs are randomly divided into two groups: primary users and shared users. The contamination intensity between users is measured based on the distance between users and pilots, and shared user pairs that are allocated the same orthogonal pilots are generated. Next, a user-centric approach is employed to select a subset of access points (APs) to serve the users. The scalable fractional power optimization strategy is combined as a power optimization scheme for uplink data transmission, providing a controllable trade-off between user fairness and average spectral efficiency. Simulation results demonstrate that the user group-based pilot allocation algorithm significantly improves the system's overall spectral efficiency, and the fractional power optimization algorithm enhances the average spectral efficiency of the system.(c) 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.