OFDM and MC-CDMA:

An Implementation using MATLAB

Arjun R. Kurpad 1PI99EC 014

Ashish Uthama 1PI99EC 017
Saptarshi Sen 1PI99EC 089
Shounak Mondal 1PI99EC 096

Internal Guide: Ms. Geetha Prakash, Lecturer, PESIT

External Guide: Dr. Girish Chandra, Scientist, NAL
Motivation…
High transmission rates over wireline and
wireless channels with protection from
multipath fading

Predicted technique in fourth Generation (4G)

mobile phones

Ideal for bandwidth hogging applications like

Video Conferencing, DAB, DVB, etc

Multiuser capacity possible using MC-CDMA

Objectives
Simulation of a baseband communication
system using OFDM
Using this system to transfer files
between computers using the sound card
Simulation of wireless environment using
fading channels
Multi-User Capability using MC-CDMA
Plotting of BER curves and constellations
Advantages of OFDM
Allows carriers to overlap (no guard band), resulting
in lesser wasted bandwidth without any Inter Carrier
Interference (ICI)
High data rate distributed over multiple carriers
resulting in lower symbol rate (more immune to ISI)
Permits higher data rate as compared to FDM
Increased security and bandwidth efficiency possible
using CDMA – OFDM (MC-CDMA)
Simple guard intervals make the system more robust
to multipath effects.
What is OFDM ??
Orthogonality in time domain…
 What is OFDM ??
Orthogonality in frequency domain…

• Each carrier is modulated using BPSK / QPSK / M-ary QAM

• Frequency response for each carrier is a Sinc(X)
• Overlap of frequency response is possible as against FDM where inter-
carrier spacing is a must
• Frequency responses of the carriers overlap at zero crossings avoiding
Inter Carrier Interference
OFDM Methodology
Understanding Multipath
Why we need the Guard Period…
Equalization Performed in frequency
domain

FFT compulsorily
performed in Receiver

Time domain
convolution replaced
with frequency domain
multiplication –
computationally simpler
code

Adaptive filters used

Multicarrier Code Division Multiple
Access (MC-CDMA)
Combination of CDMA-OFDM to provide
multi user capability

Frequency Diversity avoids deep fades

Simple receiver structure

MC-CDMA Transmitter
MC-CDMA Receiver
Design and Implementation

The Environment:
 Windows OS
 MATLAB (R12) + Toolboxes

The design approach:

 Modular
 Tandem development of Tx and Rx
The Modules Data Parameters

Modulator module: FTX (The Transmitter) Channel Module

BPSK, QPSK, 8QAM

Modulator Module

Channel module:
AWGN, Fading, Physical
Demodulator Module

Equalizer module Equalizer Module FRX (The Receiver)

Parameters Data
MC-CDMA module
The Physical Channel
Separate channel module

Uses DAC/ADC capacity of the sound card

Unique synchronization scheme:

 Time synchronization
 Gain correction
The Physical Channel

Receiver Triggers here OFDM wave

Results
Constellation diagrams

Performance of Physical channel

BER curves for various combinations

Constellation diagram
BER Curve
Screen Shots
SS1.bmp
Applications
1. PC to PC file transfer using the ubiquitous
sound card
2. Digital audio broadcasting (DAB), wireless CD-
quality sound transmission
3. Digital video broadcasting (DVB), specifically,
digital terrestrial television broadcasting
(DTTB)
4. Wireless LAN 802.11a
5. ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line), also
called DMT (Digital Multi Tone)
Demonstration of the
OFDM system…