EUROPEAN TRANSACTIONS ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Eur. Trans. Telecomms. 2008; 19:497498

Published online 5 March 2008 in Wiley InterScience
(www.interscience.wiley.com) DOI: 10.1002/ett.1277

Special Issue on IDMA and Related Techniques

Guest Editorial

Interleave-division multiple access (IDMA) is a special

code-division multiple access (CDMA) scheme, where
each user is assigned a different interleaver, rather than
a different spreading sequence as in direct-sequence
code-division multiple access (DS-CDMA). In IDMA, the
user data is rst encoded by an arbitrary (typically low-rate)
channel encoder. The encoded symbols, often referred
to as chips, are scrambled and interleaved on chip level,
before modulation is performed. Chip-level scrambling
may be performed before or after chip-level interleaving.
Each user may employ the same channel encoder and
the same scrambler, but in IDMA the interleaver pattern
is user-specic. Due to channel encoding, chip-by-chip
interleaving and scrambling, pseudo-random code words
are generated, according to C. E. Shannons principle of
random coding. IDMA is particularly suitable for the uplink,
since best performance is achieved by a multi-user detector
employing the knowledge of all interleaver patterns.
The principles of IDMA have independently been
proposed by several authors. The idea of chip-interleaving
in DS-CDMA (employing a xed block interleaver) dates
back to Cirpan and Tsatsanis [1]. User separation is
done by means of different spreading sequences. Frenger
et al. introduced chip-level interleaving in conjunction with
low-rate channel encoding, called code-spread CDMA
[2]. All users employ the same channel encoder and the
same interleaver. User separation is done by user-specic
scrambling. Bruck et al. were perhaps the rst proposing
user-specic interleaving on chip level [3]. It was shown that
interleaving is a suitable method to increase the asymptotic
distance for coded transmission. Mahadevappa and Proakis
also proposed user-specic interleaving on chip level (chipinterleaved CDMA), however in conjunction with userspecic spreading codes instead of a xed arbitrary channel
encoder [4]. They also proposed a suitable receiver structure
based on the turbo principle. Li Ping et al. nally coined the
term IDMA by combining low-rate channel encoding, chiplevel user-specic interleaving and scrambling [5]. They
Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

developed a low-cost iterative receiver structure among

other achievements such as multi-antenna IDMA, power
control for IDMA, etc.
In the mean time, several variations have been proposed.
For example, in References [6, 7] interleave-division
multiplexing (IDM) has been introduced. In IDM, several
data streams of the same user are bundled. IDM is not just
an alternative to classical multiplexing techniques (such as
FDM, TDM and CDM), but may be seen as a combined
modulation/channel coding scheme. Therefore, IDM is
an alternative to uncoded and coded modulation schemes
(including high-order modulation schemes), trellis-coded
modulation (TCM), and bit-interleaved coded modulation
(BICM). IDM may be referred to as chip-interleaved coded
modulation (CICM) in order to illustrate commonalities
with BICM. IDM may be combined with any multipleaccess scheme (such as IDM/TDMA, IDM/OFDMA,
IDM/IDMA, etc.), but is also applicable for single-user
systems and broadcasting systems. Performance-wise, IDM
and fully synchronised IDMA are identical.
The combination of IDM and IDMA (i.e. IDM/IDMA)
has been proposed in Reference [8] (in conjunction with a
reliability-based bit-loading algorithm) and is called multilayer IDMA for short. Multi-layer IDMA is actually a joint
modulation, channel coding and multiple access scheme.
Multi-layer IDMA is (in conjunction with proper channel
coding, power allocation and interference cancellation)
capacity approaching without active shaping even for binary
code words and offers a very exible system design. Multilayer IDMA supports adaptive bit loading, efcient channel
estimation and unequal error protection. One of the layers
can be used to implement chip-based channel estimation
suitable for ultra-fast fading channels. The same pilot layer
can be used for navigation purposes. In conjunction with
multiple antennas, the full range between spatial diversity
and spatial multiplexing can be served in a unied structure.
Currently, another research area is the combination of
OFDM(A) and IDM(A). Especially OFDM-IDMA has

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GUEST EDITORIAL

attracted considerable attention [9, 10]. The potential of

IDM-OFDMA is less exploited so far.
Possible applications of IDMA include 4G systems,
evolution of existing CDMA systems, ultra wideband
communications, ad hoc and sensor networks, network
coding, underwater communications and navigation, etc.
IDM is even more universally applicable and may substitute
any modulation scheme, TCM, and BICM.
This special issue features four papers on IDMA and
related techniques. The rst paper is a semi-tutorial
on Multi-Layer Interleave-Division Multiple Access
authored by Peter A. Hoeher, Hendrik Schoeneich and
Justus Ch. Fricke, University of Kiel, Germany. The paper
covers theoretical issues (such as capacity bounds, power
allocation and receiver analysis) as well as a wide range of
practical issues (such as quality of service aspects, multilayer automatic repeat request and joint navigation and
communication with a unied signal structure).
The second paper is entitled Single- and Multi-Carrier
IDMA Schemes with Cyclic Prexing and Zero Padding
Techniques. The paper is authored by Qinghua Guo,
Xiaojun Yuan and Li Ping, City University of Hong Kong.
The main contribution is a comparison of single-carrier
IDMA (SC-IDMA) and multi-carrier IDMA (OFDMIDMA) with cyclic prexing (CP) and zero padding (ZP),
respectively. All four combinations (SC-IDMA-CP, SCIDMA-ZP, OFDM-IDMA-CP and OFDM-IDMA-ZP) are
studied. A unied iterative MMSE detector is developed. It
is argued that ZP achieves best performance.
The third paper, written by Oliver Nagy, Mark C. Reed
and Zhenning Shi, National ICT Australia, is entitled
Performance Analysis of a Generic System Model for
Uncoded IDMA using Serial and Parallel Interference
Cancellation. For a synchronised IDMA scheme with
repetition coding, an equivalent matrix model is derived.
This model allows for novel insights of the principles
of IDMA, and for a derivation of the optimal maximum
a posteriori detector. Parallel and serial interference
cancellation receivers are compared. Finally, differences
and similarities between IDMA and DS-CDMA are studied.
The forth paper is entitled Two-Stage Detection of
Partitioned Random CDMA and written by Lukasz
Krzymien, Dmitri Truhachev and Christian Schlegel,
University of Alberta, Canada, and Murat Burnashev,
Moscow, Russia. Partitioned CDMA is a generalisation

Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

of IDMA in the sense that sections (partitions) rather

than chips are interleaved. The primary contribution
is an analysis of a low-complexity iterative receiver.
The inuence of the power distribution, asynchronous
transmission and the near-far resistance are investigated.
In conclusion, I would like to thank all authors and
reviewers who have contributed to this special issue
and hope that this issue promotes further research and
development in this new area.
REFERENCES
1. Cirpan H, Tsatsanis M. Chip interleaving in direct sequence CDMA
systems. Proceedings of IEEE ICASSP97, Munich, Germany, 1997;
38773880.
2. Frenger P, Orten P, Ottosson T. Code-spread CDMA using maximum
free distance low-rate convolutional codes. IEEE Transactions on
Communications 2000; 48(1):135144.
3. Bruck S, Sorger U, Gligorevic S, Stolte N. Interleaving for outer
convolutional codes in DS-CDMA systems. IEEE Transactions on
Communications 2000; 48(7):11001107.
4. Mahadevappa R, Proakis J. Mitigating multiple access interference
and intersymbol interference in uncoded CDMA systems with chiplevel interleaving. Transactions on Wireless Communications 2002;
1(4):781792.
5. Ping L, Liu L, Wu KY, Leung WK. A unied approach to multiuser
detection and space-time coding with low complexity and nearly
optimal performance. Proceedings of 40th Allerton Conference on
Communication, Control, and Computing, Monticelli, Illinois, 2002.
6. Schoeneich H, Hoeher PA. A hybrid multiple access scheme
approaching single user performance. Proceedings of Sixth Baiona
Workshop on Signal Processing in Communications, Baiona, Spain,
2003; 163168.
7. Ma X, Ping L. Coded modulation using superimposed binary codes.
IEEE Transactions on Information Theory 2004; 50(12):33313343.
8. Schoeneich H, Hoeher PA. Adaptive interleave-division multiple
accessa potential air interface for 4G bearer services and wireless
LANs. Proceedings of 1st IFIP International Conference on Wireless
and Optical Communications and Networks (WOCN2004), Muscat,
Oman, 2004; 179182.
9. Mahafeno I, Langlais C, Jego C. OFDM-IDMA versus IDMA with
ISI cancellation for quasi-static Rayleigh fading multipath channels.
Proceedings of 4th International Symposium on Turbo Codes &
Related Topics, Munich, Germany, 2006.
10. Wang P, Xiao J, Ping L. Comparison of orthogonal and non-orthogonal
approaches to future wireless cellular systems. IEEE Vehicular
Technology Magazine 2006; 1(3):411.

Peter A. Hoeher
University of Kiel
Kaiserstr. 2, D-24143 Kiel
Germany
E-mail: ph@tf.uni-kiel.de

Eur. Trans. Telecomms. 2008; 19:497498

DOI: 10.1002/ett