CHAPTER 6

MULTIPLE ACCESS TECHNIQUES

For multiple users to be able to share a common
resource in a managed and effective way requires some
form of access protocol that defines how or when the
sharing is to take place and the means for identifying
individual messages.

Process is known as multiplexing in wired networks
and multiple access in wireless digital communications.
Multiple Access
ACCESS TECHNIQUES
Three classes of multiple access techniques will be
considered:
techniques where individual users are identified
by assigning different frequency slots (FDMA)
techniques where individual users are given
different time slots (TDMA) and
techniques where individual users are given the
same time and frequency slots but are
identified by a different code (CDMA).
Some of the bandwidth all of the time. Simplest and oldest method.
Bandwidth is divided into N non-overlapping frequency bands
Guard bands minimize interference between channels
Each station is assigned a different frequency
No. of channel
Can be inefficient if more than N station want to transmit (resulting
in delays) or traffic is bursty (resulting in unused bandwidth and
delays)
Transmitter requires a difficult combiner with simple individual
amplifiers or a simple combiner with difficult amplifiers
Receiver requires steep filters for adjacent channel rejection
Lower channel bit rate than TDMA means less
susceptible to multipath ISI
Cannot readily support variable user data rates,
fixed channel width means fixed bit rate
Used in AMPS, CT2, DECT, but not favored
for future system




FDMA
All of the bandwidth some of the time
Users share same frequency band in non-overlapping time
intervals, e.g, by round robin
Receiver filters are just windows instead of bandpass filters (as
in FDMA)
Guard time can be as small as the synchronization of the network
permits
All users must be synchronized with base station to within a
fraction of guard time
Guard time of 30-50 microsec common in TDMA
Used in GSM, NA-TDMA, PDC
Cannot readily support variable user data
rates, fixed channel width means fixed
bit rate
Used in AMPS, CT2,
DECT, but not favored for future systems
TDMA
Channel operates at a bit rate several times that required to
support an individual user, so user can send information in a time
slot shorter than own message transaction.
If channel operates at w bit/s and each individual user requires b
bit/s second, channel can ideally support w/b simultaneous users.
Typically users are assigned a time slot for the duration of their
their call - whether they are using it or not and it is likely that
channel capacity is being wasted
To maximise use of channel resources packet transmission is now
common on wired links
The user is not given a fixed repeated time slot but rather
allocated a slot on demand
Has implications for real time services, e.g. video
Similar challenges to FDMA with near / far effects:
signals from a distant user take longer to arrive so we need
guard times (c.f. guard bands in FDMA)

TDMA
received power level variations, but as only one user operates
concurrently the problem is not that of adjacent channel
interference, rather that the receiver must cope with rapid and
large variations in received power level.
again power control is used with its corresponding signalling
overhead.
Advantages
can readily support variable user data rates, by simply assigning
multiple time slots
common TX component design, only one power amplifier
Disadvantages
requires terminal to support a much higher data rate than the user
information rate
challenge of establishing system timing
No. of channel

frame efficiency
TDMA
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TDMA - GSM
GSM is a good example of a TDMA system
GSM handsets transmit data at a rate of 270 kbit/s in
a 200 kHz channel using GMSK modulation.
each frequency channel is assigned 8 users, each having
a basic data rate of around 13 kbit/s
CDMA
All of the bandwidth all of the time ??
In a way, combination of FDMA and TDMA
Narrowband message signal is multiplied by very large bandwidth
spreading signal (pseudo-noise)
All users can use same carrier frequency and may transmit
simultaneously
Each user has own pseudorandom codeword which is approximately
orthogonal to other codewords
Receiver performs time correlation operation to detect only specific
codeword, other codewords appear as noise due to decorrelation
Advantages
No timing coordination unlike TDMA
CDMA uses spread spectrum, resistant
to interference (multipath fading) CDMA
can provide more users per cell
No hard limit on number of users
Disadvantages
Implementation complexity of spread spectrum
Power control is essential for practical operation
Used in IS-95
Traditional CDMA systems have been used by the
military as a means of operating covert radio
communications in the presence of high levels of
interference.
More recently the interference immunity of CDMA for
multiuser communications together with good spectral
efficiency has led to its adoption for public cellular
radio use.
Two distinct types classified as:
direct sequence CDMA
frequency hopping CDMA
Both involve transmission bandwidths many times that
required for an individual user, with the energy of
each users signal spread with time throughout this
wide channel.
Techniques often referred to as spread spectrum

CDMA
each user narrowband data signal is spread by
multiplication with a locally generated wideband signal
The wideband spreading signal is generated using a pseudo
random sequence generator clocked at a very high rate
known as the chipping rate.
Recovery of the individual user data signal at the receiver
(despreading) is accomplished by mixing the received signal
with an identical, accurately timed pseudorandom sequence.
Multiple user operation is achieved by assigning each user a
different spreading code, or a different time alignment of a
common spreading code.

DS-CDMA
Cocktail party example
If there is some correlation between the spreading codes
(almost inevitable) there will be a small contribution to any
individual de-spread user signal from all the other spread users
on the channel.
These cross-correlation properties of the code give rise to an
interference that ultimately limits the performance of the
system.
It is also clear that this interference limit demands stringent
power control such that all users operate at the same power
level at the receiving site.
Advantages
flexible support of variable user data rates (UMTS)
no frequency planning needed for cellular system
Disadvantages
requires very accurate power control
large signal processing overhead
requires large contiguous frequency bandwidth
DS-CDMA