Performance analysis of FBMC/OQAM systems in frequency-selective channels

Abstract

Filter bank multicarrier (FBMC) systems based on offset QAM modulation (FBMC/OQAM) represent an interesting alternative to the widely used OFDM scheme for machine type communications or cognitive radio. In this paper the performance of FBMC/OQAM systems exploiting a single-tap receiver in frequency-selective Rayleigh fading channels, is analyzed. In particular, the SER and the asymptotic SER (i.e., for a large number of subcarriers) for any prototype filter, is derived. Moreover, a simple closed-form approximate expression of the asymptotic SER is obtained by taking into account, for each active subcarrier, only intersymbol interference terms due to the considered subcarrier and the adjacent subacarriers, and intercarrier interference terms due to the adjacent subcarriers. The numerical results show that the obtained SER expression can predict the actual performance of the system while the asymptotic SER expression provides a useful upper-bound. Moreover, the curves obtained by exploiting the derived simple closed-form approximate expression can be used to predict the asymptotic upper-bound when the considered prototype filter is adopted.