WIRELESS

COMMUNICATIONS
Carlos Pupiales Y.
chpupiales@utn.edu.ec
Outline:
• Introduction

• FDMA

• TDMA

• CDMA

• SDMA

• OFDMA

• Hybrid Techniques

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Introduction
• As spectrum is a limited resource, it’s not possible to provide to each user in the
network a voice and control channel.

• Therefore, cellular systems should use a technique to provide simultaneous

communication to many users as possible.

• We have three questions:

• If there is only a single BS, how can it communicate with many MS simultaneously?

• If there are multiple BS, how can operator assign spectral resources to BS in order the
number of users in each BS can be maximized?

• How should BS be placed in a given geographical area?

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Introduction (2)
• In a cellular system, MS should be able to send and receive information while
is performing a call.

• Therefore, it’s necessary duplex channels: Forward and Reverse.

• This duplexing can be achieved using time or frequency domain techniques.

• Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) provides two different bands of

frequencies for every user.

• Time Division Duplexing (TDD) uses time to provide forward and reverse link.
2 time slots are used to achieve this.

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FDMA
• FDMA stands for Frequency Division Multiple Access.

• Each user is assigned one frequency (part of the available spectrum) to perform a call.

• The assignment is done during the call set up and last until the call ends. Only this user
can use these frequencies.

• The BW of a channel is 30 KHz, so it system is implemented in narrowband applications.

• Since FDMA is a continuous transmission scheme, fewer bits are needed for overhead
purposes.

• It requires very good RF filters to minimize Adjacent Interference.

• It has a low spectral efficiency.

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FDMA (2)
• As the BS transmit multiple channels (20-100) at the same time, intermodulation can
arise. Therefore, separate amplifiers for each channel should be used or highly linear
amplifiers.

• What if many users needs access to the network at the same time?

• How much information can the system carry?

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TDMA
• It stands for Time Division Multiple Access.
• It divides the radio spectrum in time slots and each slot only one user can
transmit at the same time.
• It transmit following the buffer-burst method, so the transmission for any user is
noncontinuous.
• The information of many users is multiplexed or interlaced in time.
• Half of the time slots is used for uplink and the other for downlink
communication.
• Likewise, frequencies for uplink and downlink are different.

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TDMA (2)
• Guard time is used for synchronization purposes for the receiver between time
slots and frames.

• Guard time is used for synchronization purposes for the receiver between time
slots and frames.

• The number of time slots depends on modulation technique, available

bandwidth, etc. Usually 8 slots per frame.

• Low battery consumption is achieved due to transmission is in bursts.

• Handoff process is much simpler since MS is able to listen for other BS while it’s
in idle mode.

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TDMA (3)
• Likewise, frequencies for uplink and downlink are different.

• The burst arrange a TDMA frame which contains address and synchronization
information that BTS and MS use to identify each other.

• The efficiency is the percentage of bits per frame which contains data.

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CDMA
• It stands for Code Division Multiple Access.

• The narrowband signal is multiplied by a very large bandwidth signal called spreading
signal.

• Spreading signal is a pseudo-noise code sequence that has a chip rate which is greater
than the data rate of the message.

• All users use the same frequency and may transmit at the same time.

• Each user has its own codeword which is approximately orthogonal to each other.

• The receptor will be able to detect only the codeword which is looking for, the other ones
looks like noise.

• Power control is important to avoid near-far effect

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CDMA (2)
• If the users in the cell increase, the noise will increase as well.

• Only the proper receiver will have the key to demodulate the signal transmitted.

• CDMA uses co-channel cells due to spreading allows it.

• As channel data rates are high, multipath which is delayed by more than a chip rate will
appear as noise.

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CDMA (3)
• Direct Sequence CDMA (DS-CDMA)

• The original data signal is multiplied directly by the high chip rate spreading code.

• Frequency Hoping CDMA (FH-CDMA)

• The carrier frequency at which the original data signal is transmitted is rapidly
changed according to the spreading code.

• Time Hopping CDMA (TH-CDMA)

• The original data signal is not transmitted continuously Instead, the signal is
transmitted in short bursts where the time of the burst is decided by the spreading
code.

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SDMA
• It stands for Space Division Multiple Access.

• It controls the radiated power for each user in space.

• Broadcast transmission is a waste of energy when just few users are within the cell.

• Broadcast transmission causes interference as well.

• SDMA implies to focus the beam of an antenna to the direction of a user.

• To achieve this, adaptive antennas can be used.

• The great advantage of SDMA is that power and eventually spectrum can be used
more efficiently.

• Less interference.
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OFDMA
• It stands for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access.

• OFDMA is based on OFDM.

• OFDM transmits large amount of data simultaneously using many orthogonal

subcarriers placed very close to each other.

• Each subcarrier is narrowband and carries low data rate.

• The effect of multipath propagation is reduced compared to other approaches.

• Easy equalization in the receiver due to large symbol rate.

• It has the problem of high Peak-to-Average Power Ratio; therefore, amplifiers needs
a wide dynamic range.
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OFDMA

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OFDMA
• Ts = 1 /15KHz

• 66.7 us

• 1 subcarrier has a rate of 15 Ksym/s

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OFDMA

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OFDMA
• ISI due to multi-propagation is overcome adding a guard time between each symbol.

• Even though ISI is still present, it doesn´t disturb the data at the receiver.

• This guard time is called Cycle Prefix (CP)

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OFDMA
• Cycle Prefix allows OFDM to overcome the effect of delay spread from the radio
channel.

• Takes a copy of samples from the end of the symbol and repeat them at the
beginning of OFDM symbol.

• It Increases redundancy; however, it reduces ISI.

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OFDMA

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OFDMA
• How does OFDMA work?

• Using TDMA and OFDM: One user transmit one symbol and then the system switch
to another user.

• Using Packet Ratio, one user transmits one packet modulated in OFDM and then the
system switch to another user.

• Assigning different subcarriers to different users.

• Adjacent subcarriers to one user: Channel estimation is simplified/multiuser diversity.

• Regularly spaced subcarriers to one user: Frequency diversity/no multiuser diversity

• Random spaced subcarriers: Frequency diversity/no multiuser diversity

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OFDMA

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SC-FDMA
• OFDM is very good for downlink purposes because of BS has “unlimited” power;
however, for uplink is not as good due to high Peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR).

• To overcome this, we can use Single Carried FDMA in uplink. It’s a variation of ODFM
which transport in each subcarrier a combination of data symbols instead of each data
being mapped to a separate subcarrier.

• In SC-FDMA, each user’s information is spread along the entire bandwidth

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SC-FDMA

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Hybrid Techniques: FDMA/CDMA
• The available wideband is divided into a number of sub bands with smaller
bandwidth.

• Each sub band becomes a smaller cdma system.

• The advantage is that the spectrum doesn’t need to be contiguous, so users can e
allocated depending on specific requirements.

• The capacity of this system is the sum of individual capacities.

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Hybrid Techniques: TDMA/CDMA
• Users are divided into code groups. Users in each group have the same spreading code
and within a group each user is assigned a time slot.

• At any time, only one user is transmitting in a cell.

• Efficiency is increased because a user can transmit more information.

• The advantage is Near-Far Effect is avoided due to only one user is transmitting at
time.

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Hybrid Techniques: TDMA/CDMA
• Users are divided into frequency carriers and time slots.

• The voice channel becomes narrower.

• More users at the same time can transmit their information.

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Speech Activity
• To detect voice activity allows to maximize the efficiency of a mobile system.

• It basically means to turn on/off the modulator/transmitter according voice activity.

• TDMA takes advantage of this principle.

• Power consumption is reduced.

• Have you realized how a phone call is performed?

• To learn and understand deeper this topic, please read the follow documents.

• http://cdn.intechweb.org/pdfs/104.pdf

• https://eva.fing.edu.uy/pluginfile.php/67091/mod_resource/content/1/codificacion/Codificaci
on_de_voz_y_video_textos_completos_.pdf
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Examples

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Extras

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYRMYSIVj1o
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKy5dOl3Et4

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You should know
• What techniques are used to provide multiple access to cellular networks.

• How to be more efficient in terms of spectrum use and capacity.

• How to maximize the few resources and allocate more users in a small
space.

• How to take advantage of each technique and put them together.

• How take advantage of voice activity to save energy and processing

capabilities.

• How to deal with ISI.

Next time: Cellular Principles

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