OFDM

Prepared by: Dr / Doaa Gamal

Assistant professor at Faculty of Engineering, Suez Canal University
([email protected])
 Multiplexing
2

 Same transmitter has multiple data streams. They are

combined into one signal over a shared medium.
 Example: Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM)- Time
Division Multiplexing (TDM)
 Multiple Access
3

 Several terminals connected to the same transmission

medium to share its capacity.

Multiple access

OMA NOMA

FDMA TDMA SDMA CDMA

 Frequency division multiple access
4

 The total available frequency bandwidth is divided into

different bands (channels).
 Each channel is assigned to one user.
 Each channel is not dedicated for a specific user, but it is
shared between different users.
 The FDMA technique is used for radio and TV broadcast.
 Time division multiple access (TDMA)
5

 In TDMA, the transmission time is divided into different time slots.

 The time period for all multiplexed samples is called the ‘time
frame’.
 User is assigned (one/a set of) time-slots within a ‘Time Frame’.
 A transmitting user sends its data in the designated time-slot(s), and
waits for the remaining time-frame duration till the next time frame.
 Precise time synchronization among all users is an important feature
of TDMA multiple access strategy.
 The time slot is not dedicated for a specific user, but it is shared
between different users
 TDMA
6
 Space division multiple access (SDMA)
7

 In SDMA, multiple users can be

served over the same bandwidth and
the same time, while utilizing
different transmission beams.
 SDMA utilizes different antenna at
the transmitter side.
 Recently SDMA emerges again due to
the concept of massive MIMO
(multiple input multiple output
antenna)
 Code division multiple access (CDMA)
8

 In CDMA, multiple users can be served over the

same band width, the same time, and the same
beam while utilizing different codes.
ORTHOGONAL FREQUENCY DIVISION MULTIPLEXING
 Agenda
10

 Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)

 Subcarrier spacing and orthogonality
 Overcome ISI and ICI
 Implementation with IDFT
 Advantages and disadvantages of OFDM
 Examples
 Agenda
11

 Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)

 Subcarrier spacing and orthogonality
 Overcome ISI and ICI
 Implementation with IDFT
 Advantages and disadvantages of OFDM
 Examples
 Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)
12

 OFDM was invented more than 50 years ago.

 OFDM has been adopted for several technologies: IEEE
802.11a/g, IEEE 802.16a/d/m.
 Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB).
 Digital Video Broadcasting.
 Wireless USB.
 4G: LTE, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.16m, and IEEE 802.20.
 OFDM
13

 It distributes the data over a large number of subcarriers

that are spaced apart at precise frequencies. This spacing
provides the "orthogonality" in this technique which
prevents the demodulators from seeing frequencies other
than their own.
 FDM vs OFDM
14
15
 FDM vs OFDM
16

 Thus, OFDM can improve the

bandwidth efficiency several time
more than conventional FDM.
 The group of subcarriers
dedicated for a user are called
OFDM symbol.
 The OFDM modulation scheme
offers many advantages for
broadband wireless transport. -It
supports high data rates
 Agenda
17

 Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)

 Subcarrier spacing and orthogonality
 Overcome ISI and ICI
 Implementation with IDFT
 Advantages and disadvantages of OFDM
 Examples
 Subcarrier Orthogonality
18

- Orthogonality simplifies recovery of the N data streams

- Orthogonal subcarriers = No inter-carrier-interference (ICI)
- Time Domain Orthogonality: Every subcarrier of frequency
𝑛
“ " has an integer number of cycles within TOFDM
𝑇𝑂𝐹𝐷𝑀
 Subcarrier Orthogonality
19
 Subcarrier Orthogonality
20
 Subcarrier spacing
21
 Subcarrier spacing
22
 Agenda
23

 Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)

 Subcarrier spacing and orthogonality
 Overcome ISI and ICI
 Implementation with IDFT
 Advantages and disadvantages of OFDM
 Examples
 OFDM and Intersymbol interference (ISI)
24

Fading channel
 OFDM and Intersymbol interference (ISI)
25
 OFDM
26

 One of the main reasons to use OFDM is to increase the

robustness against frequency selective fading.
 In a single carrier system, a single fade can cause the
entire link to fade, but in a multicarrier system only a
small percentage of the subcarriers will be affected.
 OFDM
27

 OFDM Divide the wideband channel with severe ISI into

smaller channels that can be considered AWGN channels.
 Data transmitted over each sub-channel can be
independently & individually optimized.
 The need for complicated equalization of a wideband
channel is replaced by the need of multiplexing & de-
multiplexing the transmitter of the incoming data stream
over a large number of narrow band channels.
 OFDM
28

- OFDM split a high symbol rate data stream into N lower rate
streams
- Transmit the N low rate data streams using N subcarriers
- N subcarriers must be mutually orthogonal
 OFDM and ISI
29
 OFDM and Intersymbol interference (ISI)
30

 Using OFDM, channel length is much

less than symbol duration, so the
channel seems flat to the user
𝑦𝑠𝑐𝑖 [𝑚] = ℎ𝑠𝑐𝑖 [m] 𝑥𝑠𝑐𝑖 [𝑚] +n(m)

 All the delayed versions of the signals

are received within a time which is
much smaller than the OFDM symbol
duration
 Example
31

Symbol duration =1000

 Example (Tx side)
32

The transmitter sends the

sum of the two subcarriers
(black curve) which carries
two different symbols
 Example (Tx side)
33

2 successive
transmissions
 Example (Rx side)
34

1st symbol plus its delayed

version due to the channel.
If we ignored the small
duration at the start of the
symbol, we will have

𝑦𝑠𝑐𝑖 [𝑚] = ℎ𝑠𝑐𝑖 [m] 𝑥𝑠𝑐𝑖 [𝑚] +n(m)

 Example (Rx side)
35

1st successive symbols plus

their delayed versions due
to the channel.
If we ignored the small
duration at the start of the
symbol, we will have

𝑦𝑠𝑐𝑖 [𝑚] = ℎ𝑠𝑐𝑖 [m] 𝑥𝑠𝑐𝑖 [𝑚] +n(m)

 Solution (Tx side)
36

To eliminate ISI completely a guard

time is introduced for each OFDM
signal. The guard time is chosen
larger than the expected delay
spread such that multipath
component for one symbol can’t
interfere with the next symbol.
 Solution (Rx side)
37

Guard time removes ISI

In the example : Guard time = 200
 Solution
38

Received symbol on the 1st subcarrier

after correlator receiver (FFT) is the
summation of the 2 paths, Which is

𝑦𝑠𝑐1 [𝑚] = ℎ𝑠𝑐1 [m] 𝑥𝑠𝑐1 [𝑚] +w(m)

where

ℎ𝑠𝑐1 = ℎ𝑠𝑐1 𝑒 𝑗𝜃𝑠𝑐1

If we know ℎ𝑠𝑐1 we can detect the
transmitted symbol
 Channel estimation
39

 The multipath components of every subcarrier adds in the

presence of CP to form a signal with the same frequency
but with different phase and amplitude.
 Channel estimation is used to estimate the channel effects
which can be easily compensated for, in order to receive
the signal correctly.
 Pilot tones (known sequences for both transmitter and
receiver) are inserted throughout the OFDM symbol to
enables the receiver for channel estimation
40
 Inter-carrier interference (ICI)
41

 The guard time could consist of no signal. However the

problem of ICI (Inter-Carrier Interference) would arise. ICI is
the cross talk between different subcarriers which means they
are no longer orthogonal.
 To eliminate ICI , OFDM symbols are cyclically extended in the
guard time. This ensures that delayed replicas of the OFDM
symbol always have an integer # of cycles within the FFT
interval.
 Energy is wasted in the cyclic prefix samples.
 Inter-carrier interference (ICI)
42

 Remember: condition for orthogonality of two subcarriers

 Existence of an integer number of complete cycles
(periods) of both subcarriers within the symbol duration

𝑇𝑂𝐹𝐷𝑀
𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑑 =
𝑚 𝑇𝑂𝐹𝐷𝑀
𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑑 =
𝑛
 Inter-carrier interference (ICI)
43
 ICI problem with empty guard interval
44

Doesn’t satisfy orthogonality

condition due to empty guard
intervals
 ICI solution (cyclic prefix)
45

Rx side

Tx side
 Summary (ISI+ICI)
46

Delay Spread Causes Inter-Symbol-Interference (ISI) and

Inter-Carrier-Interference (ICI)
– Adding a guard interval between OFDM symbols mitigates
this problem
• Zero valued guard interval will eliminate ISI but causes ICI
• Better to use cyclic extension of the symbol
 Summary (ISI)
47
 Summary (overcome ISI)
48
 Summary (overcome ISI+ICI)
49
 Agenda
50

 Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)

 Subcarrier spacing and orthogonality
 Overcome ISI and ICI
 Implementation with IDFT
 Advantages and disadvantages of OFDM
 Examples
 OFDM
51

Conceptual
block diagram
of OFDM
52
 Conceptual block diagram of OFDM
53

The complexity of
multicarrier
system is very high
(large number of
mixers and
oscillators) but FFT
made it possible.

1
∆𝑓 =
𝑇

IDFT
 Discrete representation of OFDM output x(t)
54
 Tx equivalent circuit
55
 OFDM Tx and Rx
56
 Block diagram of OFDM
57
 Agenda
58

 Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)

 Subcarrier spacing and orthogonality
 Overcome ISI and ICI
 Implementation with IDFT
 Advantages and disadvantages of OFDM
 Examples
 OFDM advantages
59
 OFDM disadvantages
60

 Time synchronization
 Frequency synchronization
 Peak to Average Power Ratio
 Peak to average power ratio(PAPR)
61

• PAPR is defined as the ratio of

peak power to the average
power
• PAPR is high for OFDM (problem
+solutions ‘report’)
 Agenda
62

 Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)

 Subcarrier spacing and orthogonality
 Overcome ISI and ICI
 Implementation with IDFT
 Advantages and disadvantages of OFDM
 Examples
 IEEE 802.11a Wireless LAN
63
64
 Example
65
 Solution: Guard time
66
 Solution: symbol duration
67
68
69
 Solution: More parameters
70
 Solution: More parameters
71
72

The total channel bandwidth is

20 MHz with an occupied bandwidth
of 16.6 MHz.
The End