Comparative Performance Analysis of Uncoded OFDM and SC-FDE Systems

Abstract

In this study, we carry out theoretical analysis combined with computer simulations for performance comparisons between uncoded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and single-carrier frequency-domain equalization (SC-FDE) systems on frequency-selective static channels as well as frequency-selective fading channels. We consider both zero-forcing and minimum mean square error equalizations for data detection. Theoretical evaluations for output signal-to-noise ratio and error rate performance are presented for both OFDM and SC-FDE systems. Then, error rate bounds for both systems are derived. Combining all the analytical results with computer simulations, we reach certain important conclusions on the superiority between OFDM and SC-FDE systems.

Keywords:

• Minimum mean square error
• Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing
• Single-carrier frequency-domain equalization
• Zero-forcing equalization

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rainfield Y. Yen

Rainfield Y. Yen received the B.S. degree in 1966 from National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, the M.S. degree in 1968 from Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, and Ph.D. degree in 1972 from Columbia University, New York, all in Electrical Engineering. He joined TRW, Washington Operation in 1972 as a member of technical staff working in the area of sonar signal processing, adaptive beamforming, and underwater counter-measure system engineering. Until 1984, he joined Tamkang University, Taipei, Taiwan, where he is currently a professor of Electrical Engineering. His research interest includes channel equalization, OFDM, antenna diversity, and MIMO wireless systems. E-mail: [email protected]

Hong-Yu Liu

Hong-Yu Liu received the M.S. degree from National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan in 1994, and the Ph.D. degree from Tamkang University, Taipei, Taiwan in 2006, all in electrical engineering. He joined the faculty of the department of computer and communication engineering at Dahan Institute of Technology in 1998. He was with the Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan, in 2011 where he is currently as an associate professor of Electrical Engineering. His research interests lie in the area of adaptive filtering, multi-channel detection and estimation, and space-time coding. Dr. Liu was elected as an honorary member of the Phi Tau Phi Scholastic Honor Society of the Republic of China in 2006. E-mail: [email protected]