Nonlinear signal processing schemes for OFDM modulations within conventional or LINC transmitter structures

Abstract

This paper considers two classes of digital signal processing schemes, recently proposed by the authors, both combining a nonlinear operation in the time domain with a linear operation in the frequency domain, so as to reduce the envelope fluctuations and allow good power/bandwidth tradeoffs with Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) transmission. These classes can be adopted within both conventional and two-branch, LInear amplification with Nonlinear Components (LINC) transmitter structures . The paper addresses the statistical characterisation of the transmitted frequency-domain blocks, so as to evaluate performances by analytical means, in a unified manner. A set of numerical results, which have been obtained with the help of this analytical method, is presented and discussed. These results allow a comparison between the two classes of signal processing schemes, namely for nonlinear operations of the clipping type, when a conventional transmitter structure is employed. They also allow an accurate evaluation of the phase and gain imbalance effects in the two-branch power amplification case. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.