Giovanni Garbo

Wireless OFDM-OQAM with a Small Number of Subcarriers

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing based on offset quadrature amplitude modulation (OFDM-OQAM) is a multicarrier signaling technique which trades off robustness for spectral efficiency when compared to conventional OFDM with a cyclic prefix. In this paper, a novel matrix model for passband OFDM-OQAM signaling with a small number of subcarriers over a multipath frequency selective fading channel is presented. Specifically, in OFDM-OQAM a frequency selective channel is divided into many smaller but still frequency selective overlapping channels, so approximating the frequency response of a subchannel by the channel frequency response sampled at the subcarrier frequency may be inadequate. Channel effects may be better characterized if the frequency response of each subchannel is represented as a Taylor expansion at the subcarrier frequency. Simulation results show how the matrix model implemented by means of this approximation is a suitable model for OFDM-OQAM with a small number of subcarriers.

Optimum bandwidth-distance performance in partial response CPM systems

The problem of optimizing the baseband pulse shape in order to obtain the minimum effective bandwidth for a prescribed value of minimum Euclidean distance is treated for partial response CPM. Some comparisons with standard pulses are performed and the results are presented in the form of bandwidth-distance and spectral density plots.

Recovery Capabilities of Rateless Codes on Simulated Turbulent Terrestrial Free Space Optics Channel Model

Free Space Optics (FSO) links are affected by several impairments: optical turbulence, scattering, absorption, and pointing. In particular, atmospheric optical turbulence generates optical power fluctuations at the receiver that can degrade communications with fading events, especially in high data rate links. Innovative solutions require an improvement of FSO link performances, together with testing models and appropriate channel codes. In this paper, we describe a high-resolution time-correlated channel model able to predict random temporal fluctuations of optical signal irradiance caused by optical turbulence. Concerning the same channel, we also report simulation results on the error mitigation performance of Luby Transform, Raptor, and RaptorQ codes.

A design technique for spectral shaping in CPM systems

We describe a technique of pulse shaping able to control the power spectral density of a full-response CPM signal in various frequency ranges, under the constraint of a prescribed minimum Euclidean distance. Some examples illustrating the potentialities of the method and some comparisons with standard pulses are presented.

MUSIC-LS modal channel estimation for an OFDM-OQAM system

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing based on offset quadrature amplitude modulation (OFDM-OQAM) signaling over frequency selective multipath channels shows inter-symbol interference (ISI) and Inter-Channel Interference (ICI) that degrade its performance. Channel equalization and channel estimation are needed to combat these intrinsic interferences. In this paper a novel modal channel estimator based on the MUltiple signal classification (MUSIC) and least squares (LS) algorithms for a wideband passband OFDM-OQAM signaling over static multipath channels is presented. The effects of the frequency selective channel on the received signal are described considering a wideband OFDM-OQAM system model based on Taylor expansion of the channel transfer function. The spatial smoothing technique is employed to obtain time delay estimates based on the MUSIC algorithm from a single observation of the output data. The least squares estimate for the path gains is based on the knowledge of the estimated path delays. Numerical simulation results for the performance of the novel MUSIC-LS modal channel estimator are presented.

MUSIC-based modal channel estimation for wideband OFDM-OQAM

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing based on offset quadrature amplitude modulation (OFDM-OQAM) over wideband frequency selective multipath channels suffers from inter-symbol interference (ISI) and inter-carrier interference (ICI) that degrade its performance. Channel estimation and equalization are needed to combat these interferences. In this paper a novel channel estimator for passband OFDM-OQAM signaling over wideband multipath channels, which is based on multiple signal classification (MUSIC) with the Spatial Smoothing technique is presented. Numerical simulation results are presented in the low number of subcarriers, i.e. wideband, scenario.

Rateless codes performance tests on terrestrial FSO time-correlated channel model

Free Space Optics (FSO) links are affected by several impairments: optical turbulence, scattering, absorption, and pointing. In particular, atmospheric optical turbulence generates optical power fluctuations at the receiver that can degrade communications with fading events, especially, in high data rate links. A way to mitigate FSO link outages can be to add a coding to communications. Nevertheless, in order to study innovative solutions (software or hardware) and to improve the FSO link performance it needs accurate testing models. In this paper we describe an accurate time-correlated channel model able to predict random temporal fluctuations of optical signal irradiance caused by optical turbulence. Moreover, concerning the same channel, we also report simulation results on the error mitigation performance of Luby-Transform, Raptor, and RaptorQ codes.

An Improved Detection Technique for Cyclic-Prefixed OFDM

A novel Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing detection technique compatible to standard (e.g. Wireless LAN) transmitters is proposed. It features enhanced error-rate performance with flexible computational complexity and robustness to imperfect channel estimation. It is based on exploitation of the redundancy available in the cyclic prefix after cancellation of interference from the preceding block. In order to show the effectiveness of our proposal, an analysis of computational complexity and a number of comparisons to the standard per-subcarrier receiver and a previously existing method in terms of error rates are reported.

Statistical analysis of RaptorQ failure probability applied to a data recovery software

In this work, we have implemented a data recovery software integrating the most recent rateless codes, i.e., RaptorQ codes. Thanks to the above-mentioned software, it is possible to recover data loss occurring on several kinds of network conditions. We have performed a statistical analysis of failure probabilities at several configurations of RaptorQ parameters. We have found a good agreement with the theoretical values of a random linear fountain code over Galois Field GF(256). Moreover, we have shown that the probability of having a certain number of failed decoded source blocks - when sending a fixed-size file - follows a Poisson distribution.

Fading mitigation coding techniques for space to ground free space optical communications

In this manuscript, a Geostationary satellite-to-ground Free Space Optics (FSO) downlink channel model has been implemented, which is able to predict temporal irradiance fluctuations caused by scintillation at a wide range of turbulence conditions and for different values of the zenith angle. In order to mitigate fading events that occur in FSO communications, we have also tested the performance of three different families of Rateless Codes (Luby Transform, Raptor and RaptorQ) into our model and found that RaptorQ is the best candidate to mitigate errors in FSO links.