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Generalized Frequency Division Multiplexing: A Flexible Multicarrier Waveform

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Multiple Access Techniques for 5G Wireless Networks and Beyond

Abstract

The next generation of wireless networks will face different challenges arising from new application scenarios. A multicarrier waveform, being superior to the 4G waveform orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), therefore, has been an important research item on the physical layer. In the 5G standardization process, improving the spectral efficiency of OFDM is one primary goal of waveform engineering. To this end, simple signal processing techniques such as time domain windowing and subband-based filtering are favorable solutions because of their low complexity and straightforward backward comparability. In this chapter, we introduce an advanced multicarrier waveform termed generalized frequency division multiplexing (GFDM). It serves as a multicarrier waveform framework that nicely encapsulates the above-mentioned signal processing techniques with additional design space reserved for forward comparability beyond 5G. While providing the flexibility, it has a hardware-friendly structure that permits energy efficiency implementation. This feature makes it a strong candidate solution for mixed-service mixed-numerology networks.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    We refer to each inner product of the rows of the DFT matrix with the time domain signal as a frequency bin.

  2. 2.

    Pilot subcarrier is referred to a subcarrier in which \(M_p\) pilots are multiplexed with \(M_d\) data subsymbols while \(M = M_p + M_d\).

  3. 3.

    Here we consider the features that were suggested when FBMC and GFDM were invented. As the recent progress in waveform engineering, these features start becoming mutually usable. Therefore, they may no longer be regarded as distinct.

  4. 4.

    Due to different choices of the filter, it is difficult to achieve the same frame duration without violating the bandwidth constraint. Considering the strict regulation on the spectrum, identical bandwidth is our primary constraint.

  5. 5.

    For FBMC, the guard time interval to accommodate the filter tail between blocks can be too large. Therefore, in both configuration types, we only consider one block per framework to ensure a good temporal efficiency.

  6. 6.

    For every six information bits input to the turbo code, we keep all information bits plus two parity bits respectively generated by the two identical component convolutional codes.

  7. 7.

    Given the power-delay profile, the discrete-time channel model is obtained by sampling the low-pass filtered CIR, where the bandwidth equals the sampling rate. The discrete-time model very often have more resolvable paths than the power-delay profile. This is because the delays specified by the power-delay profile are not integer multiples of the sampling period.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vodafone Chair Mobile Communication Systems, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany

    Ahmad Nimr, Shahab Ehsanfar, Martin Danneberg, Dan Zhang & Gerhard Fettweis

  2. National Instruments Corp., 11500, Mopac Expwy, Austin, TX, 78759, USA

    Nicola Michailow

  3. Intituto Nacional de Telecomunicações (Inatel), Santa Rita do Sapucai, MG, Brazil

    Henry Douglas Rodrigues & Luciano Leonel Mendes

Authors
  1. Ahmad Nimr
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  2. Shahab Ehsanfar
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  3. Nicola Michailow
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  4. Martin Danneberg
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  5. Dan Zhang
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  6. Henry Douglas Rodrigues
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  7. Luciano Leonel Mendes
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  8. Gerhard Fettweis
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Correspondence to Ahmad Nimr .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, USA

    Mojtaba Vaezi

  2. The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom

    Zhiguo Ding

  3. Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA

    H. Vincent Poor

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Nimr, A. et al. (2019). Generalized Frequency Division Multiplexing: A Flexible Multicarrier Waveform. In: Vaezi, M., Ding, Z., Poor, H. (eds) Multiple Access Techniques for 5G Wireless Networks and Beyond. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92090-0_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92090-0_4

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