Performance Analysis of DFT-Spread based OFDM Transmission System over Underwater Acoustic Channels

Abstract

This paper presents peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) and bit error ratio (BER) performances of Discrete Fourier Transform Spread Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (DFT-Spread OFDM) system over underwater acoustic channels. Comparing with OFDM transmission systems, the structured mapping between the DFT spread symbols and sub-carriers enables the transmitted signal to have a much lower PAPR in the scheme. And with the application of an additional DFT operation, spreading the information over several subcarriers will make a diversity gain in a frequency-selective fading underwater acoustic channel. Simulations and the experiment results demonstrate that the DFT-spread OFDM system possesses satisfactory PAPR and BER performances, and it is applicable for signal transmission in a benign underwater channel.