On the capacity optimization in multicarrier channel operation

Abstract

AbstractThe transmission plan for a communications channel exploited in multicarrier mode involves the operational parameters and the prediction of the channel impairments with special consideration for the intermodulation noise generated by beating among carriers. The intermodulation noise is a driving factor in the design phase of a transmission plan as it seriously affects the C/N + 1 ratio of the carriers in the channel, being often the dominant factor.The transmission plan of a channel operated in multicarrier mode can be represented as an injective application between two sets: the carriers and the frequency slots of the channel. Classical combinatory laws allow for the prediction of the number of configurations that can be established with sets of unidimensional elements. However, if one of the sets has elements with non‐unidimensional attributes, the classical combinatory laws fail to predict the number of possible configurations. This is the case in multicarrier transmission plans, where the carriers have an associated bandwidth (attribute of the carrier) that typically occupy several frequency slots. In this paper, an expression for the prediction of the number of possible configurations in a transmission plan is derived. This expression permits to select the most appropriate method to achieve transmission plan optimization, as a function of the associated computational resources.The higher the number of configurations, the higher the options for the optimization of the transmission plan. Subsequently, the C/N + I ratio of the carriers can be increased and therefore the quality of the service and the use of the channels resources are improved. Investigation of the space of configurations show that the maximum number of possible configurations is achieved in the range of 70–90% of channel occupation, which converges with the typical operational use of satellite transponders in multicarrier operation.This discussion is applicable not only to the frequency domain but also to any other system where sets of elements with non‐unidimensional attributes have to be considered (time domain, space domain, etc.). Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.