Scribd
Upload
22 views6 pages

OFDM and OFDMA

Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is a method that converts incoming serial data into parallel complex numbers, modulates them using IFFT, and transmits them while preventing intersymbol interference through guard intervals. OFDM offers advantages such as immunity to selective fading, resilience to interference, and efficient spectrum usage, but it also has disadvantages like high peak-to-average power ratio and sensitivity to carrier offset. OFDMA, an extension of OFDM, allows multiple users to share resources in both time and frequency domains, making it suitable for broadband wireless networks.

Uploaded by

renit
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
22 views6 pages

OFDM and OFDMA

Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is a method that converts incoming serial data into parallel complex numbers, modulates them using IFFT, and transmits them while preventing intersymbol interference through guard intervals. OFDM offers advantages such as immunity to selective fading, resilience to interference, and efficient spectrum usage, but it also has disadvantages like high peak-to-average power ratio and sensitivity to carrier offset. OFDMA, an extension of OFDM, allows multiple users to share resources in both time and frequency domains, making it suitable for broadband wireless networks.

Uploaded by

renit
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 6

ORTHOGONAL FREQUENCY-DIVISION MULTIPLEXING OFDM

INTRODUCTION

BLOCK DIAGRAM OF OFDM

The incoming serial data is first converted from serial to parallel and grouped into x bits each
to form a complex number. The complex numbers are modulated in a baseband fashion by
the IFFT. And converted back to serial data for transmission. · A guard interval is inserted
between symbols to avoid intersymbol interference (ISI) caused by multipath distortion. The
discrete symbols are converted to analog and lowpass filtered for RF up-conversion. · The
receiver performs the inverse process of the transmitter.

 The orthogonality of subchannels in OFDM can be maintained and individual


subchannels can be completely separated by the FFT at the receiver when there are no
intersymbol interference (ISI) and intercarrier interference (ICI) introduced by the
transmission channel distortion.
 Since the spectra of an OFDM signal is not strictly band limited, linear distortions
such as multipath propagation causes each subchannel to spread energy into the
adjacent channels and consequently cause ISI. ·
 One way to prevent ISI is to create a cyclically extended guard interval, where each
OFDM symbol is preceded by a periodic extension of the signal itself. When the
guard interval is longer than the channel impulse response or multipath delay, the ISI
can be eliminated. ·
 By using time and frequency diversity, OFDM provides a means to transmit data in a
frequency selective channel. However, it does not suppress fading itself. Depending
on their position in the frequency domain, individual subchannels could be affected
by fading.

MATHEMATICAL EQUATION

The complex envelope of the OFDM signal, consisting of N carriers is given by

SPECTRUM OF OFDM

In orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM), an OFDM carrier signal is the sum of


several orthogonal subcarriers. Each subcarrier carries baseband data that is independently
modulated, usually using quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) or phase-shift keying
(PSK). The subcarriers are spaced so that they only partially overlap, with the peak of each
subcarrier intersecting the zero crossing of the neighbouring subcarrier. This is called
orthogonality .The following diagram of OFDM subcarriers depict the saving of bandwidth
obtained by OFDM −
It is precisely because of this frequency separation arrangement, or orthogonality that OFDM
has such excellent immunity to intersymbol interference (ISI). The frequencies of the
subcarriers are chosen specifically to theoretically not interfere with one another. The
spectral shape shown for a sinusoidal subcarrier (which would be an impulse in the
frequency domain) is due to the fact that each subcarrier is modulated by a rectangular
waveform, which yields the Sinc function in the frequency domain (after taking the Fourier
transform, of course).Overlapping frequency domain spectra clearly leads to greater spectral
efficiency, or Bits/Hz.

OFDM advantages & disadvantages

OFDM advantages

OFDM has been used in many high data rate wireless systems because of the many
advantages it provides.

 Immunity to selective fading: One of the main advantages of OFDM is that is more
resistant to frequency selective fading than single carrier systems because it divides
the overall channel into multiple narrowband signals that are affected individually as
flat fading sub-channels.

 Resilience to interference: Interference appearing on a channel may be bandwidth


limited and in this way will not affect all the sub-channels. This means that not all the
data is lost.

 Spectrum efficiency: Using close-spaced overlapping sub-carriers, a significant


OFDM advantage is that it makes efficient use of the available spectrum.
 Resilient to ISI: Another advantage of OFDM is that it is very resilient to inter-
symbol and inter-frame interference. This results from the low data rate on each of the
sub- channels.

 Resilient to narrow-band effects: Using adequate channel coding and interleaving it


is possible to recover symbols lost due to the frequency selectivity of the channel and
narrow band interference. Not all the data is lost.

 Simpler channel equalisation: One of the issues with CDMA systems was the
complexity of the channel equalisation which had to be applied across the whole
channel. An advantage of OFDM is that using multiple sub-channels, the channel
equalization becomes much simpler.

OFDM disadvantages

Whilst OFDM has been widely used, there are still a few disadvantages to its use which need to
be addressed when considering its use.

 High peak to average power ratio: An OFDM signal has a noise like amplitude
variation and has a relatively high large dynamic range, or peak to average power
ratio. This impacts the RF amplifier efficiency as the amplifiers need to be linear and
accommodate the large amplitude variations and these factors mean the amplifier
cannot operate with a high efficiency level.

 Sensitive to carrier offset and drift: Another disadvantage of OFDM is that is


sensitive to carrier frequency offset and drift. Single carrier systems are less sensitive.

Uses of OFDM:

 OFDM is used in Digital radio, Digital Radio Mondiale, digital audio broadcasting,
and satellite radio.

 OFDM is used in Wired data transmission, Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line


(ADSL), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1901 powerline
networking, and cable internet providers.
ORTHOGONAL FREQUENCY MULTIPLE ACCESS
OFDMA is essentially a type of OFDM for multiple users. It allocates in both the time domain and the
frequency domain, allowing for multiple users—even those with widely varying use patterns or data
loads. By comparison, OFDM can allocate only sequentially. OFDMA can be seen as an alternative to
combining OFDM with time-division multiple access (TDMA) or time-domain statistical
multiplexing communication. Low-data-rate users can send continuously with low transmission power
instead of using a "pulsed" high-power carrier. Constant delay, and shorter delay, can be achieved.

OFDMA can also be described as a combination of frequency-domain and time-domain multiple


access, where the resources are partitioned in the time–frequency space, and slots are assigned along
the OFDM symbol index, as well as OFDM sub-carrier index.

OFDMA is considered as highly suitable for broadband wireless networks, due to advantages
including scalability and use of multiple antennas, and ability to take advantage of channel frequency
selectivity. In spectrum sensing cognitive radio, OFDMA is a possible approach to filling free
radio frequency bands adaptively.

Fig. 1 — OFDM vs. OFDMA modulation


Application of OFDMA
OFDMA technology can be applied anywhere data is sent along radio waves, including the:
 Mobility mode of the IEEE 802.16 wireless standard known as WiMAX
 Wireless LAN (WLAN) standard IEEE 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6)
 IEEE 802.20 mobile wireless metropolitan-area network (WMAN) standard
 Downlink of the 3GPP Long-Term Evolution (LTE) fourth-generation mobile broadband
standard (4G)
Advantages
 Allows simultaneous low-data-rate transmission from several users.
 Pulsed carrier can be avoided.
 Lower maximal transmission power for low-data-rate users
 Shorter delay and constant delay
 Contention-based multiple access (collision avoidance) is simplified.
 Further improves OFDM robustness to fading and interference
 Combat narrow-band interference.
 Flexibility of deployment across various frequency bands with little needed modification to
the air interface
 Averaging interferences from neighbouring cells, using different basic carrier permutations
between users in different cells
 Interferences within the cell are averaged by using allocation with cyclic permutations
 Enables single-frequency network coverage, where coverage problem exists and gives
excellent coverage.
 Offers frequency diversity by spreading the carriers all over the used spectrum.
 Allows per-channel or per-subchannel power.

You might also like