INTERLEAVE DIVISION

MULTIPLE ACCESS [IDMA]

BY AMRITA P
S1 MSc COMPUTER SCIENCE
CHRIST NAGAR COLLEGE
Contents
• Introduction
• History
• FDMA ,TDMA and CDMA
• Key Features
• Working Principles
• Advantages and Disadvantages
• Application
• Comparison
• Conclusion
INTRODUCTION
Interleave Division Multiple Access (IDMA) is a wireless
communication technology that has gained interest in recent years.
IDMA is a multiple access scheme that divides the available frequency
spectrum and time slots between users in a way that allows for
efficient transmission of data. IDMA is considered a promising
alternative to other multiple access schemes, such as Code Division
Multiple Access (CDMA) and Time Division Multiple Access
(TDMA), as it has the potential to provide better spectral efficiency
and improved error performance.
IDMA is a promising multiple access scheme that has gained interest
in recent years due to its potential to provide improved spectral
efficiency, error performance, and security. IDMA utilizes interleaving
to spread data symbols over available time slots, which reduces the
effects of multipath fading and interference. The system can be
implemented using different types of interleavers, including block,
convolutional, and turbo interleavers, depending on the specific
requirements of the system and desired performance

• Note : Interleavers are techniques used in communication systems to rearrange or

shuffle data bits or symbols before transmission. Their primary purpose is to make
communication more robust by spreading errors across the data stream, which helps in
error correction.
History
IDMA is introduced a solution to overcome some of the limitations of
CDMA systems .The method builds on the principles of spread-spectrum
communication but uses interleavers instead of spreading codes to
differentiate between users.
In 2003 , IDMA was formally
introduced by Li Ping, a professor at City University of Hong Kong, in a
seminal paper titled Interleave-Division Multiple-Access. This system
simplified the receiver structure by focusing on interleaving patterns to
separate users, leading to lower computational complexity compared to
CDMA.
It is a hybrid version of CDMA and TDMA.
FDMA – Frequency Division Multiple Access
• FDMA is a multiple access technique where the available frequency
spectrum is divided into distinct frequency bands, and each user is
assigned a specific band for communication. It is one of the earliest
and simplest methods for managing multiple users in
communication systems.
• FDMA was one of the earliest multiple access methods, introduced for analog
systems.
• It was used in the first-generation (1G) mobile networks, satellite
communication, and early radio and television broadcasting.
• FDMA divides the frequency spectrum into distinct bands, with each user
assigned a separate frequency channel for communication.
• Characteristics
• Users are assigned distinct frequency bands for communication,
with no overlap between them.
• Users transmit continuously within their allocated frequency band
without time-sharing.
• FDMA is easy to implement and does not require complex
synchronization or coding schemes.
• Guard bands are used to prevent interference between adjacent
frequency bands, which reduces spectral efficiency.
• The number of users is limited by the available frequency spectrum,
making it less suitable for high-density environments.
TDMA - Time Division Multiple Access
• Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) is a digital cellular
telephone communication technology. It facilitates many users to
share the same frequency without interference. Its technology
divides a signal into different timeslots, and increases the data
carrying capacity.
• TDMA was first used in satellite communication systems
by Western Union in its Westar 3 communications satellite in 1979.
It is now used extensively in satellite communications, combat-net
radio systems, and passive optical network (PON) networks for
upstream traffic from premises to the operator.
• Characteristics
• Shares single carrier frequency with multiple users
• Non-continuous transmission makes handoff simpler
• Slots can be assigned on demand in dynamic TDMA
• Less stringent power control than CDMA due to reduced intra cell
interference
• Higher synchronization overhead than CDMA
CDMA- Code Division Multiple Access
• CDMA stands for Code Division Multiple Access. It is basically a
channel access method and is also an example of multiple access.
Multiple access basically means that information by several transmitters
can be sent simultaneously onto a single communication channel.

• 1935 - published by Dmitry Ageev.

• 1957 - used by Leonid Kupriyanovich while he was making a model of
automatic wearable mobile phone.
• 1993 - Telecommunications Industry Association(TIA) approved the
standards for CDMA technology.
Characteristics of CDMA
• It allows more users to connect at a given time and thus provides
improved data and voice communication capacity.
• A full spectrum is used by all the channels in CDMA.
• CDMA systems make the use of power control to eliminate the
interference and noise and to thus improve the network quality.
• CDMA encodes the user transmissions into distinct and unique codes
in order to secure its signals.
• In CDMA systems all the cells can thus use the same frequency.
• CDMA systems have a soft capacity.Thus there is no particular limit to
the number of users in a CDMA system but with increase in the
number of users the performance degrades.
Key Features of IDMA

•IDMA is a multiple access scheme that shares the available frequency

spectrum and time slots among users.
•Each user is assigned a unique interleaver sequence to spread data symbols
over time slots.
•Reduces the effects of multipath fading and interference, improving
communication system performance.
Interleavers:
Techniques used in communication systems to reorder or rearrange data
before transmission, helping to reduce the impact of noise and interference
on the signal.
• Types of interleavers
 Block Interleaver: Simplest type, rearranges data in fixed blocks.
 Convolutional Interleaver: Provides moderate complexity and performance.
 Turbo Interleaver: Most complex, offering the best performance in terms of error
correction.
• The choice of interleaver depends on the system's specific requirements and
desired performance.
• IDMA uses a simple, low-complexity code structure, where each user's data is
interleaved by a unique interleaving pattern .
• By interleaving user data and applying a single code to the entire user group,
IDMA can achieve higher spectral efficiency compared to other multiple
access schemes like CDMA or TDMA.
• IDMA systems can adapt to varying channel conditions (communication link
or path between a transmitter and a receiver), making them suitable for
dynamic and changing wireless environments.
 Working Principles
• The basic principle of IDMA is to interleave the data symbols over
the available time slots. Each user is assigned a unique interleaver
sequence that is used to spread the data symbols over the available
time slots. The interleaving process helps to reduce the effects of
multipath fading and interference by spreading the data symbols
over a longer period of time
The interleaving process in IDMA involves the following steps:
 Data Symbol Generation: The data symbols are generated by the
transmitter.
 Each user's data is first encoded using a simple forward error
correction (FEC) code to add redundancy and improve error
resilience , this step ensures that errors introduced during
transmission can be corrected at the receiver.
 Working Principles
 Interleaving: The data symbols are interleaved using a unique
interleaver sequence assigned to each user
o Each user is assigned a unique interleaver pattern, which
rearranges the bits of their encoded data in a distinct way.
o This interleaving ensures that even if users transmit simultaneously
over the same frequency band, their data streams remain
distinguishable.
 Mapping: The interleaved data symbols are mapped onto the
available time slots
o All interleaved data streams from different users are added together
(superimposed) and transmitted over the shared communication
channel.
 Working Principles
 Transmission: The mapped data symbols are transmitted over the
wireless channel
At the receiver, the inverse process is used to recover the original data
symbols. The received data symbols are first demapped from the time
slots and then deinterleaved using the inverse interleaver sequence
assigned to each user.
The demodulated data symbols are then used to recover the original data.
The receiver uses an iterative process to decode each user's data
o It starts by estimating one user's signal while treating other users' signals
as noise.
o The estimate is refined iteratively by subtracting reconstructed signals of
other users from the combined signal, reducing interference.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
IDMA has several advantages over other multiple access schemes,
including:
• Improved Spectral Efficiency: IDMA can provide higher spectral
efficiency than other multiple access schemes, such as CDMA and
TDMA, by efficiently utilizing the available frequency spectrum and
time slots.
• Improved Error Performance: IDMA can provide improved error
performance by reducing the effects of multipath fading and
interference
• LowComplexity: IDMA is a simple and efficient multiple access
scheme that requires less complex hardware and processing than
other schemes, such as CDMA
• Flexibility: IDMA is a flexible multiple access scheme that can be
easily adapted to different wireless communication environments
and applications.
• Security: IDMA can provide improved security by using unique
interleaver sequences for each user, making it difficult for
unauthorized users to access the network.
Disadvantages
IDMA has several disadvantages including:
• High Processing Complexity: Iterative decoding requires multiple
iterations, increasing computational load and power consumption at
the receiver.
• Latency: The iterative process introduces delays, making IDMA
less suitable for real-time applications like voice or video
communication.
• Interleaver Management: Designing, storing, and handling unique
interleaving patterns for multiple users can be complex and
memory-intensive.
• Power Control Challenges: Unequal power levels among users can
lead to interference and reduce system performance.
• Dependence on Channel Conditions: IDMA struggles in highly noisy
or fading environments without robust error correction mechanisms.

• Although interleaving helps distribute errors, IDMA is still susceptible

to burst errors in highly adverse channel conditions, which can
challenge the iterative decoding process.
Applications

•Internet of Things (IoT):

Suitable for IoT networks due to its scalability and ability to support
a large number of devices with varying data requirements.
•Wireless Communication Systems:
IDMA is used in mobile communication networks to efficiently
handle multiple users in environments with high interference, such as
4G and beyond.
•Satellite Communication:
IDMA is applied in satellite systems for reliable multi-user
communication, where robustness against interference and noise is
critical.
• Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Communication:
Ideal for M2M systems, where numerous devices communicate
simultaneously, benefiting from IDMA's low complexity and high
spectral efficiency.
• Future 5G and 6G Networks:
IDMA's ability to handle massive connectivity and non-orthogonal
user signals makes it a potential candidate for next-generation
networks.
• Wireless Sensor Networks: IDMA can be used in wireless sensor
networks to provide improved energy efficiency and better network
performance
Real Life Applications
• Smart Cities:
IDMA can support communication between thousands of connected
devices in a smart city infrastructure, such as sensors for traffic
management, pollution monitoring, and public safety.
• Healthcare Systems:
Used in wearable health devices and telemedicine systems to
transmit patient data securely and efficiently to healthcare providers,
even in noisy environments.
• Connected Vehicles:
Enables reliable communication between vehicles and roadside units
in vehicular networks, supporting autonomous driving and traffic
safety applications.
• IoT Applications:
Supports diverse IoT ecosystems like smart homes, industrial
automation, and agriculture, where many devices need to share a
common network.
• Disaster Recovery:
IDMA is useful in emergency communication systems, where
multiple rescue teams or devices need simultaneous, robust, and
interference-free communication in challenging conditions.
 Comparison
Feature IDMA FDMA CDMA TDMA

Access Technique Differentiates users Allocates distinct Differentiates Assigns unique

by unique frequency bands to users with unique time slots to users
interleavers users codes

Spectral Efficiency High (many users Low (fixed Moderate to high Moderate (time
in the same frequency (depends on code slots limit active
bandwidth) allocation) design) users)

Interference Handles Low interference Requires strict Low interference

Management interference using (distinct frequencies) power control to (separate time slots)
iterative decoding avoid interference

Scalability High (add users Low (limited Moderate (code Low (fixed time
with new frequency spectrum) reuse is possible) slots limit users)
interleavers)
Features IDMA FDMA CDMA TDMA

Complexity Moderate to High Low (simple High (complex Moderate

(iterative frequency code generation (synchronization
decoding needed) allocation) and decoding) required)

Power Control Moderate to strict Minimal (due to Strict (to manage Moderate
frequency cross-code (depends on slot
separation) interference) synchronization)

Latency High (iterative Low Low Moderate (wait

decoding delay) for assigned slot)

Best Use Case High-density Low-data-rate Cellular systems Systems with

systems, IoT, 5G systems (e.g., (e.g., 3G defined user slots
analog radio) networks) (e.g., 2G GSM)
CONCLUSION
IDMA is a promising multiple access scheme that has gained interest in
recent years due to its potential to provide improved spectral efficiency,
error performance, and security. IDMA has several advantages over other
multiple access schemes, including improved spectral efficiency, error
performance, and security, as well as lower complexity and greater
flexibility. It has potential applications in various wireless communication
systems, including mobile communication systems, satellite
communication systems, and wireless sensor networks.
In conclusion, IDMA is a promising technology with many potential
benefits in the field of wireless communication. As wireless
communication systems continue to grow and evolve, IDMA may become
an increasingly important tool for improving network performance and
efficiency