Broadband MC DS-CDMA Using Space-Time and Frequency-Domain Spreading

In this contribution multicarrier direct-sequence codedivision multiple-access (MC DS-CDMA) using space-time spreading (STS) assisted transmit diversity and frequency-domain (F-domain) spreading is investigated in the context of broadband communications over frequency-selective Rayleigh fading channels. We consider the attainable capacity extension of broadband MC DS-CDMA with the advent of using Time-Frequency-domain (TF-domain) spreading. The BER performance of STS assisted broadband MC DS-CDMA using Binary Phase Shit Keying (BPSK) modulation and TF-domain spreading is investigated by simulation for a range of parameter values. Both the correlation based singleuser detector and the decorrelating multiuser detector are considered. Our study shows that the number of users supported by the broadband MC DS-CDMA system is determined by the product of the T-domain spreading factor and the F-domain spreading factor, while it is independent of the frequency diversity order. Furthermore, when multiuser detection assisted F-domain spreading is considered, the broadband MC DS-CDMA system is capable of supporting a substantially increased number of users, while maintaining a similar bit error ratio (BER) performance to that of the broadband MC DS-CDMA system using no F-domain spreading.