Performance evaluation of OFDM transmission over impulsive noisy channels

Abstract

When impulsive noise occurs in a general power line communication (PLC) channel, it is known that the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) systems are relatively robust to such noise. In this paper, we provide a closed-form analysis of a communication channel where Impulsive Noise (IN) and Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN) coexist. Our analysis is used to describe a “noise power spread phenomenon” which spreads impulsive noise over all OFDM carriers thereby contributing to the robustness of OFDM systems, particularly those with a large number of carriers. The closed form analysis was simulated and a number of data plots are provided which demonstrate the significant features and impact of impulsive noise on OFDM systems.