OFDM History

High-data-rate communications systems are limited not by noise, but often more significantly by the intersymbol interference (ISI) due to the memory of the dispersive communications channel.
If the symbol rate exceeds the duration of channel impulse response (CIR), mechanisms must be implemented in order to combat the effects of ISI.
Channel equalization techniques can be used to suppress the echoes caused by the channel. Significant research efforts have been invested into the development of such channel equalizers

Another approach is to utilize an FDM system which employs a set of subcarriers in order to transmit information in parallel subchannels over the same channel.
The data throughput of each channel is only a fraction of the data rate of the single-carrier system having the same throughput.

Frequency Selective Channel

Why OFDM?
Single Carrier Uses the entire bandwidth Short symbol times This causes ISI Multicarrier Splits bandwidth into subchannels Sends information in parallel OFDM: orthogonal subcarriers

OFDM is a considerable option when the channel introduces ISI

Applications: ADSL, DAB, DVB, Hiperlan/2, ...

OFDM Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing 2001-05-31

OFDM History
In 1971, Weinstein suggested using a digital implementation based on the DFT.
The DFT is by its nature cyclically redundant in the frequency domain. The associated harmonically related frequencies can be used as a set of subchannels carriers required by the OFDM system.

Multipath can be described in two domains: time and frequency

Time domain: Impulse response

time

time time Impulse response

Frequency domain: Frequency response

time time

time
Sinusoidal signal as input

f Frequency response

time Sinusoidal signal as output

Modulation techniques: monocarrier vs. multicarrier

Channel Channelization Guard bands N carriers Similar to FDM technique B Pulse length ~ N/B Data are shared among several carriers and simultaneously transmitted Advantages Flat Fading per carrier N long pulses ISI is comparatively short N short EQs needed Poor spectral efficiency because of band guards Furthermore It is easy to exploit Frequency diversity It allows to deploy 2D coding techniques Dynamic signalling

B Pulse length ~1/B Data are transmited over only one carrier

Drawbacks

Selective Fading
Very short pulses ISI is compartively long

EQs are then very long

Poor spectral efficiency because of band guards

To improve the spectral efficiency: Eliminate band guards between carriers To use orthogonal carriers (allowing overlapping)

Orthogonal Frequency Division Modulation

N carriers
Symbol: 2 periods of f0

Transmit f
B
Symbol: 8 periods of f0

+
Symbol: 4 periods of f0

Data coded in frequency domain Transformation to time domain: each frequency is a sine wave in time, all added up.

Channel frequency response

Decode each frequency bin separately Receive time B Time-domain signal f

Frequency-domain signal

Each subcarrier is modulated at a low enough rate that dispersion (ISI) is not a problem. Subcarriers must be spaced so that they do not interfere.

S(f)

f0 cos(2pf0t) x x LPF LPF

f1 Bandwidth, B

fN-1

Detector Detector

r(t)

cos(2pf1t)
x LPF Detector

P/S

cos(2pfN-1t)

Demodulator

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) OFDM is a special case of multicarrier transmission that permits subchannels to overlap in frequency without mutual interference increased spectral efficiency. OFDM exploits signal processing technology to obtain cost-effective means of implementation. Mulitple users can be supported by allocating each user a group of subcarriers.

Bandwidth, ~ B/2

Spectrum of OFDM Signal

When N is large, the power spectral density (PSD) of the transmitted signal is

PSD of OFDM Signal

Textbooks and References

Wireless OFDM Systems: How to Make Them Work Marc Engels, Editor OFDM Wireless LANs: A Theoretical and Practical Guide Juha Heiskala and John Terry OFDM for Wireless Multimedia Communications Richard Van Nee and Ramjee Prasad Single and Multi-Carrier Quadrature Amplitude Modulation Lajos Hanzo, William Webb, and Thomas Keller ADSL, VDSL, and Multicarrier Modulation John Bingham Implementing ADSL David Ginsburg DSL Advances Massimo Sorbara, John Cioffi, and Peter Silverman

OFDM
OFDM also known as Multi-Carrier or Multi-Tone Modulation DAB-OFDM Digital Audio Broadcasting DVD-OFDM Digital Video Broadcasting ADSL-OFDM Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line Wireless Local Area Network IEEE-802.11a, IEEE-802.11g ETSI BRAN (Hyperlan/2)

OFDM Systems
System Transform Size Number Carriers Channel Spacing kHz Bandwidth MHz Sample Rate MHz Symbol Duration sec Data Rate Mbits/s HyperLAN/2 64 52 4 312.5 16.25 20 3.2 0.8 6-54

802.11a

64

52 4

312.5

16.56

20

3.2 0.8

6-54

DVB-T DAB ADSL

2048 1024 2048 8192 256 (down) 64 (up)

1712 842 1536 36-127 7-28

4.464 1.00 4.3125

7.643 1.536 1.104

9.174 2.048 1.104

224 24/48/96 msec 231.9

0.68-14.92 3.072 0.64-8.192

OFDM Advantages
Efficiently Deals With Multi-path Fading Efficiently Deals With Channel Delay Spread Enhanced Channel Capacity Adaptively Modifies Modulation Density Robustness to Narrowband Interference

OFDM Disadvantages
OFDM Sensitive to Small Carrier Frequency Offsets OFDM Exhibits High Peak to Average Power Ratio OFDM Sensitive to High Frequency Phase Noise OFDM Sensitive to Sampling Clock Offsets

Adjacent Symbol Interference (ASI)

Symbol Smearing Due to Channel

Guard Interval Inserted Between Adjacent Symbols to Suppress ASI

Cyclic Prefix Inserted in Guard Interval to Suppress Adjacent Channel Interference (ACI)