Comparison of OFDM with CDMA System in Wireless Telecommunication
for multipath delay spread
Mehul Jain and M. Mani Roja
Abstract- Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)
is a parallel transmission scheme, where a high-rate serial data
stream is split up into a set of low-rate sub streams, each of
which is modulated on a separate subcarrier. Increasing the
number of parallel transmission reduces the data rate that each
individual carrier must convey and that lengthens the symbol
period. This is extremely useful in environments where
multipath fading is high.
Most third generation mobile phone systems are using code
division multiple access (CDMA) as their modulation technique.
Hence, this paper compares the performance of OFDM with
that of CDMA. The analysis of bit error rate (BER)
performance suggests, OFDM is clearly better than CDMA.
This performance is analyzed against extreme multipath delay
spread conditions and with same number of users and total data
transmitted. The channel effects are also same for both systems.
I. INTRODUCTION
RECENTLY, intense interest has focussed on modulation
techniques, which can provide broadband transmission over
wireless channels for applications including wireless
multimedia, wireless Internet access and future-generation
mobile communication systems. One of the main
requirements on the modulation technique is the ability to
combat intersymbol interference (ISI), a major problem in
wideband transmission over multipath fading channels. There
are many methods proposed to combat the ISI e.g. [1], [2].
Multicarrier modulation techniques including orthogonal
frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) are among the
more promising solutions to this problem.
OFDM allows many users to transmit in an allocated band,
by subdividing the available bandwidth into many narrow
bandwidth carriers. Each user is allocated several carriers to
transmit their data. The transmission is generated in such a
way that the carriers used are orthogonal to one another, thus
allowing them to be packed together much closer than
standard frequency division multiplexing (FDM). This leads
to OFDM providing a high spectral efficiency.
Code division multiple access (CDMA) is a spread
spectrum technique that uses neither frequency channels nor
time slots. CDMA technology was originally developed by
the military during World War II [3]. In CDMA, the narrow
band message (typically digitized voice data) is multiplied by
a large bandwidth signal, which is a pseudo random noise
(PN) code. All users in a CDMA system use the same
frequency band and transmit simultaneously. The transmitted
signal is recovered by correlating the received signal with the
PN code used by the transmitter.
0-7803-9179-9/05/$20.00 ©2005 IEEE.
The received radio signal from a transmitter consists of
typically a direct signal plus reflections of object such as
buildings, mountings and other structures. The reflected
signals arrive at a later time than the direct signal because of
the extra path length thus spreading the received energy.
Delay spread is the time spread between the arrival of the first
and last multipath signal seen by the receiver.
II. SYSTEM MODEL
A. OFDM simulation design
The system model for OFDM, as shown in Fig. 1, is
represented by the following blocks:
a. Serial to Parallel Conversion
The input serial data stream is formatted into the word size
required for transmission, e.g. 2bit/word for quadrature phase
shift keying (QPSK) and shifted into a parallel format. The
data is then transmitted in parallel by assigning each data
word to one carrier in the transmission.
b. Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) / Inverse Discrete
cosine Transform (IDCT)
After the required spectrum is worked out, an inverse
transform is used to find the corresponding time waveform
[4]. The guard period is then added where mirror in time, of
the end of the symbol waveform is put at the start of the
symbol which effectively extends the length of the symbol,
while maintaining the orthogonality of the waveform [5].
c. Parallel to Serial conversion
After the guard has been added, the symbols are then
converted back to a serial time waveform. This is then the
base band signal for the OFDM transmission.
d. Channel
A channel model is then applied to the transmitted signal.
This model allows for the signal to noise ratio, multipath and
peak power clipping to be controlled. Multipath delay spread
is added by simulating delay spread using finite impulse
response (FIR) filter. The length of the FIR filter represents
the maximum delay spread, while the coefficient amplitude
represents the reflected signal magnitude.
e. Receiver
The receiver basically does the reverse operation to the
transmitter. The guard period is removed. The fast fourier
transform (FFT) / discrete cosine transform (DCT) of each
symbol is then taken to find the original transmitted spectrum.
The data words are then combined back to the same word size
as the original data.
 Fig. 1. Ofdm simulation flowchart.

The mathematical expressions for DCT and FFT [6], [7] are B. CDMA simulation design
given by equation (1) to equation (4).
The system model for CDMA as shown in Fig. 2 describes
One-dimensional discrete cosine transform is given by, forward link, which can also represent reverse link, where
N −1
π (2n + 1)k uncorrelated but not orthogonal PN codes are used for each
X [k ] = α [k ]∑ x[n]cos( ), user, instead of Walsh codes.
n =0 2N
k = 0,....., N − 1 (1) Forward Link (base to mobile station): The forward link of
and its inverse discrete cosine transform is given by, the CDMA system is modeled using orthogonal Walsh codes
to separate the users. Each user is randomly allocated a Walsh
N −1
π (2n + 1)k
x[ n] = ∑ α [k ] X [k ]cos( ), code to spread the data to be transmitted. The transmitted
k =0 2N signals from all the users are combined together and then
passed through a radio channel model. This allows for
n = 0,....., N − 1 (2)
clipping of the signal, adding multipath interference and
where adding noise to the signal.
 1  The receiver uses the same Walsh code that was used by
α [k ] =   , k=0 the transmitter to demodulate the signal and recover the data.
 N  After the received signal has been despread using the Walsh
code, it is sub-sampled back down to the original data rate.
 2  This is done by using integrate and dump filter, followed by a
α [k ] =   , 1 ≤ k ≤ N −1 comparator to decide whether the data was a 1 or a 0. The
 N  received data is then compared with the original data
One-dimensional fast fourier transform is given by, transmitted to calculate the bit error rate (BER).
N −1
X [k ] = ∑ x[n]WNnK , k = 0,....., N − 1 (3) Reverse Link (mobile to base station): The reverse link of
n=0
the CDMA link can be simulated in a very similar way to the
and its inverse fast fourier transform is given by, forward link except that orthogonal Walsh codes are not used.
N −1
1 It is extremely difficult to use orthogonal codes effectively in
x[ n] =
N
∑ X [k ]W
k =0
− nk
N
, n = 0,....., N − 1 (4)
a reverse link from the mobiles to the base station because of
the difficulty in synchronizing the system accurately enough.
where For this reason simple pseudo random sequence which are
WN = e − j 2π / N is called Twiddle factor uncorrelated, but not orthogonal are used for the PN codes of
 Fig. 2. Shows the model used for the simulations of the CDMA (forward link).
each user instead of the Walsh codes.
III. PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
A. Parameters for Simulation in OFDM System
Simulations were performed incorporating all the design
features presented in the previous section. 3000 symbols
(24000 bits) of random data were taken as input. Here the
transform size was taken as 1024 and number of carriers as
256. Modulation technique was taken as binary phase shift
keying (BPSK) and QPSK. Channel effects were simulated,
by clipping, which was assumed to be 1. Noise level
amplitude was taken as zero. Multipath was taken into
account by assuming single reflection 3 dB attenuated than
the direct signal and delayed by 0-510 samples as shown in
Fig. 3.
B. Simulation Results
OFDM results with channel effects for larger multipath
delay spread samples is shown in Fig. 3 (BER vs. multipath
delay spread) which shows FFT-BPSK is clearly better than
DCT-BPSK under extreme multipath delay spread conditions.
Under normal multipath delay spread conditions, DCT-BPSK
gives nearly same results as FFT-BPSK. FFT-QPSK is also
shown, in order to compare its performance with DCT-BPSK
and FFT-BPSK. It is giving higher BER since 2 bits were lost
per carrier compared to BPSK. We can also see from graph,
OFDM is tolerant to small multipath delay spread (0-30)
samples, which is giving zero BER.
256-carrier system was used, as it would allow up to 32
users, if each were allocated 8 carriers. The aim was that each
user has multiple carriers, so that if several carriers are lost
due to frequency selective fading, than the remaining carriers
will allow the lost data to be recovered using forward error
correction. For further investigation, we will use 256-carrier
system in OFDM for 30 users instead of 32 users, so as to
simplify comparison with CDMA.
This OFDM system for larger samples is developed so that
it can be compared with 10/30 users in CDMA, which will
transmit 100 symbols of random data per user i.e. 3000
symbols in case of 30 users (same for 30 users in OFDM
system). The channel effects will also be same for both
systems.
C. Parameters for Simulation in CDMA System
Simulations were performed incorporating all the design
features presented in the previous section. Here the process
gain was taken as 64 and number of user as 10/30. 100
symbols (800 bits) of random data were taken as input for
each user. Modulation technique was taken as BPSK.
Channel effects were simulated, by clipping, which was
assumed to be 1. Noise level amplitude was taken as zero.
Multipath was taken into account by assuming single
reflection 3 dB attenuated than the direct signal and delayed
by 0-510 samples as shown in Fig. 4.
 Fig. 3. Simulation results for FFT and DCT for various multipath delay spread (0-510) samples.

Fig. 4. Plotting BER vs. multipath delay spread for 10 and 30 users in CDMA (reverse link).

D. Simulation Results multipath delay spread conditions. In CDMA, multipath

CDMA results with channel effects for larger multipath
delay spread samples is shown in Fig. 4 (BER vs. multipath
delay spread), which shows CDMA results for 10 users is
clearly better than CDMA results for 30 users under
simply appears as noise. This noise leads to an increase in the
amount of interference seen by each user subjected to the
multipath and thus increases the received BER.
Fig. 4 shows the effect of delay spread on the reverse link
of a CDMA system. It can be seen that the BER is flat which
is to be expected, as the reflected signal becomes
uncorrelated.
This CDMA system is giving high BER compared to
OFDM system where BER is zero for small multipath delay
spread (0-30) samples. This CDMA system which transmits
100 symbols of random data per user i.e. 1000 symbols in
case of 10 users, is giving higher BER compared to DCT-
BPSK for 30 users in OFDM system (3000 symbols). This
CDMA system which transmits 3000 symbols in case of 30
users, is giving much higher BER compared to DCT-BPSK
for 30 users in OFDM system (3000 symbols). The channel
effects were also same for both systems. Here, FFT-BPSK is
giving better results than DCT-BPSK under extreme
multipath conditions and hence CDMA was compared with
DCT-BPSK.
IV. CONCLUSIONS AND FURTHER INVESTIGATION
In this paper, a cellular mobile radio system based on
Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) which
is a parallel transmission scheme, where a high-rate serial
data stream is split up into a set of low-rate sub streams, each
of which is modulated on a separate subcarrier, was analyzed
and simulated. This paper work also compared the
performance of OFDM system with that of CDMA system.
The analysis of BER performance suggested OFDM is clearly
better then CDMA system. This performance was analyzed
against extreme multipath delay spread conditions and with
same number of users and total data transmitted. The channel
effects were also same for both systems.
Other factors, which also impair the orthogonality of the
subcarriers such as phase and gain hits, phase jitter and
frequency offset have not been considered. This paper has
concentrated on OFDM, however most practical system
would use forward error correction to improve the system
performance. Thus more work needs to be done on studying
forward error correction schemes that would be suitable for
data transmission.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors would like to acknowledge gratefully Dr. H. B.

Kekre for his helpful suggestions throughout the course of
this project.

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