Recently, a new frequency-domain equalization (FDE) technique, called overlap FDE, that requires no GI insertion was proposed. However, the residual inter/intra-block interference (IBI) cannot completely be removed. In addition to this, for multicode direct sequence code division multiple access (DS-CDMA), the presence of residual inter-chip interference (ICI) after FDE distorts orthogonality among the spreading codes. In this paper, we propose an iterative overlap FDE for multicode DS-CDMA to suppress both the residual IBI and the residual ICI. In the iterative overlap FDE, joint minimum mean square error (MMSE)-FDE and ICI cancellation is repeated a sufficient number of times. The bit error rate (BER) performance with the iterative overlap FDE is evaluated by computer simulation.

OFDM, MC-CDMA and DS-CDMA are being researched vigorously as the prospective signaling technique for the next generation mobile communications systems, which will be characterized by the broadband packet technology. With packet transmissions, hybrid ARQ (HARQ) will be inevitable for error control. HARQ with rate compatible punctured turbo (RCPT) codes is one of the promising techniques. Data rate equivalent to the OFDM system can be attained with MC-CDMA and DS-CDMA by assigning all the available codes to the same user resulting in what is commonly referred to as multicode MC-CDMA and multicode DS-CDMA. A rake receiver is used for receiving the DS-CDMA signals. However, recently minimum mean square error frequency-domain equalization (MMSE-FDE) has been proposed for the reception of DS-CDMA signals. In this paper, we introduce RCPT HARQ to DS-CDMA with MMSE-FDE and compare its throughput performance with OFDM, multicode MC-CDMA and multicode DS-CDMA with rake combining. MMSE weight for packet combining is introduced and the soft value generation for turbo coding in MC-CDMA and DS-CDMA with MMSE-FDE is presented. The throughput is theoretically evaluated for the uncoded case. For RCPT-HARQ, the comparison is done by computer simulations. It is found that the throughput of HARQ using DS-CDMA with MMSE-FDE is the same as or better than using MC-CDMA. However, with higher level modulation, type I HARQ using OFDM is better than using either MC-CDMA or DS-CDMA; for type II HARQ without redundancy in the first transmission, however, MC-CDMA and DS-CDMA gives a higher throughput.

In downlink MC-CDMA, orthogonal variable spreading factor (OVSF) codes can be used to allow multirate communications while maintaining the orthogonality among the users with different data rates. In this paper, we point out that simple selection of the OVSF codes results in degraded performance. We show that this happens because simple code selection results in power concentration over certain consecutive subcarriers; severe power loss in the received signal occurs when these subcarriers experience a deep fade in a frequency selective fading channel. In addition, we show two effective techniques to avoid the performance degradation: random code selection and frequency interleaving; which technique provides a better performance depends on modulation level, code multiplexing order, and presence of channel coding.

Similar to direct sequence code division multiple access (DS-CDMA), site diversity can be applied to a multicarrier-CDMA (MC-CDMA) cellular system to improve the bit error rate (BER) performance for a user with weak received signal power, thus resulting in an increased link capacity. In this paper, the downlink site diversity reception using frequency-domain equalization based on minimum mean square error (MMSE) is considered for a MC-CDMA cellular system. A set of active base stations to be involved in the site diversity operation is determined based on the received signal power measurement by a mobile station. Downlink capacity with site diversity is evaluated by computer simulation. The impacts of path loss exponent and shadowing loss standard deviation on the site diversity effect are discussed. Furthermore, the performance improvement by antenna diversity reception is discussed.