IET Communications
Research Article
Efficient frequency-domain channel
equalisation methods for OFDM/OQAM-PON
with intensity modulation and direct detection
ISSN 1751-8628
Received on 29th August 2016
Revised 1st December 2016
Accepted on 5th January 2017
E-First on 16th March 2017
doi: 10.1049/iet-com.2016.1029
www.ietdl.org
Bangjiang Lin
1
, Xuan Tang
1
, Xi Fang
2
, Yi Wu
3
, Hui Li
3
1
Quanzhou Institute of Equipment Manufacturing, Haixi Institutes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fujian, People's Republic of China
2
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Optical Communication Systems and Networks, Peking University, People's Republic of China
3
Key Laboratory of OptoElectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of Ministry of Education, Fujian Normal University, People's Republic of
China
E-mail: linbangjiang@163.com
Abstract: In this study, the authors present efficient frequency-domain channel estimation (CE) methods based on the adjacent
subcarriers frequency-domain averaging (ASFA) and minimum mean squared error (MMSE) schemes for the orthogonal
frequency division multiplexing/offset quadrature amplitude modulation (OFDM/OQAM) passive optical network (PON) system.
The complete channel transmission response for OFDM/OQAM-PON with the chromatic dispersion induced intrinsic imaginary
interference effect is systemically derived. Compared with the conventional interference approximation CE method, ASFA and
MMSE offer improved receiver sensitivity.
1 Introduction
Nowadays, passive optical network (PON) has been deployed
worldwide to provide broadband access [1, 2]. The sustaining
growth of bandwidth demand requires the transport capacity of
next-generation PON upgraded to support 40 Gb/s or even higher.
To support higher data rate in one common network, several access
technologies have been proposed, such as time division multiple
access, wavelength division multiplexing, optical code division
multiplexed access, and orthogonal frequency division
multiplexing (OFDM) access [3–5]. Among them, the OFDM-PON
has received much attention, due to its high spectral efficiency and
extreme flexibility on both multiple services access and dynamic
bandwidth allocation [6–9]. In addition, the OFDM-PON with
cyclic prefix (CP) has high tolerance against the inter-symbol
interference (ISI) caused by chromatic dispersion (CD). However,
insertion of the CP will lead to reduced spectral efficiency.
OFDM/offset quadrature amplitude modulation (OFDM/
OQAM) utilises well-designed pulse shapes but no CP, and hence
has the advantages of reduced out-of-band energy and a higher
spectral efficiency [10, 11]. To date, OFDM/OQAM systems have
already been introduced in the digital ratio technical standards [12],
wireless regional area network (WRAN IEEE 802.22) [13],
coherent optical communications [14–16], and intensity
modulation and direct detection (IM/DD) transmission system [17].
The interference approximation method (IAM) combined with
frequency averaging is used to combat the intrinsic imaginary
interference (IMI) induced by CD [17]. However, both the IAM
preamble and block-type pilot are required, which reduces the
spectral efficiency.
In this paper, the complete channel transmission response with
the CD induced IMI effect for OFDM/OQAM-PON is systemically
derived. To eliminate the IMI effect, efficient frequency-domain
channel estimation (CE) methods based on the adjacent subcarriers
(SCs) frequency-domain averaging (ASFA) and minimum mean
squared error (MMSE) schemes are proposed. Both ASFA and
MMSE perform CE based on the channel frequency response
(CFR) calculated from conventional IAM method [18]. Therefore,
no additional preamble is required which improve the spectral
efficiency. In ASFA estimator, the estimated matrix for multiple
adjacent frequency SCs is averaged to reduce the fluctuation of
noise. The minimum mean square error (MMSE) estimator known
as the optimal linear estimator in the mean square error sense at the
cost of increased complexity has been widely studied in wireless
OFDM systems [19–21]. On the basis of the MMSE estimation, we
derive the theoretical expression of the MMSE estimator for the
OFDM/OQAM. As shown in our simulation, compared with IAM
method, ASFA offers improved receiver sensitivity by about 0.5
and 1 dB for quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) and 16-
quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) mapping, respectively,
and the receiver sensitivity gains of MMSE are about 1.5 and 2.5
dB for QPSK and 16QAM, respectively.
2 OFDM/OQAM scheme
Fig. 1 shows the schematic block diagram of the proposed OFDM/
OQAM-PON with IM/DD. At the transmitter (Tx), the input binary
data stream are encoded into the baseband symbols am, k, m = 0, 1,
2,…,M−1, where M is the number of total SCs and k is the time
index. Then the real and imaginary parts a
m, k
R
and a
m, k
I
, are
multiplied by an additional term, respectively. Following inverse
fast Fourier transform and passing through a filter banks, the two
parts are combined and then converted into serial data stream,
which is given as
s t =
∑
k = 0
N
s
− 1
∑
m = 0
M − 1
e
j(π/2) m + 2k
e
j2πmv
0
t
a
m, k
R
g(t − 2kτ
0
) + ja
m, k
I
g(t − 2kτ
0
− τ
0
) ,
(1)
(1) can be rewritten as [18]
s t =
∑
n = 0
2Ns − 1
∑
m = 0
M − 1
d
m, n
g(t − nτ
0
)e
j2πmv
0
t
e
j(π/2)
m + n
g
m, n
t
,
(2)
where N
s
denotes the number of baseband symbols blocks. The
block number n is equal to 2k and 2k + 1 for the real and imaginary
part, respectively. Therefore, the transmitted real-valued symbol on
the mth SC of nth OFDM/OQAM block is
d
m, n
= a
m, k
R
ifn = 2k,
d
m, n
= a
m, k
I
ifn = 2k + 1.
(3)
IET Commun., 2017, Vol. 11 Iss. 6, pp. 872-877
© The Institution of Engineering and Technology 2017
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