This paper provides an overview of research in channel modeling for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) data transmission focusing on a radio wave propagation. A MIMO channel is expressed as an equivalent circuit with a limited number of eigenpaths according to the singular-value decomposition (SVD). Each eigenpath amplitude depends on the propagation structure not only of the path direction profiles for both transmission and reception points but also of intermediate regions. Inherent in adaptive control is the problem of instability as a hidden difficulty. In this paper these issues are addressed and research topics on MIMO from a radio wave propagation viewpoint are identified.

We propose a practical blind channel identification algorithm based on the principal component analysis. The algorithm estimates (1) the channel order, (2) the noise variance, and then identifies (3) the channel impulse response, from the autocorrelation of the channel output signal without using the eigenvalue and singular-value decomposition. The special features of the proposed algorithm are (1) practical method to find the channel order and (2) reduction of computational complexity. Numerical examples show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.