Generalized Frequency Division Multiplexing in Wireless Communication Systems
Summary
Generalized Frequency Division Multiplexing (GFDM) is a flexible, block-filtered multicarrier modulation scheme that extends the principles of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) by allowing multiple pulse-shaped subsymbols per subcarrier within a single transmission block. This framework employs circular convolution in the frequency-domain generation of signals, enabling a wide selection of pulse shaping filters to control spectral confinement and reduce undesired emissions. By tuning filter parameters and symbol arrangements, GFDM can achieve lower peak-to-average power ratios (PAPR) and stricter out-of-band (OOB) suppression compared with conventional OFDM, while supporting non-orthogonal multiple access and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configurations. These attributes make GFDM a compelling candidate for 5G and beyond, where diverse requirements in spectral efficiency, latency, and coexistence with legacy systems must be balanced. Practical challenges such as synchronization, channel estimation in time-variant and dispersive environments, and robustness to radio-frequency impairments including phase noise have driven extensive research into receiver algorithms, equalisation schemes, and hybrid waveform designs. Applications span terrestrial cellular networks at sub-6 GHz and mmWave frequencies, underwater and free-space optical links, as well as rural or remote deployments demanding spectrum agility. The unifying principle of GFDM lies in its modular architecture, which can subsume other multicarrier schemes, offering a unified approach to waveform engineering for next-generation wireless systems.
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Generalized Frequency Division Multiplexing in Wireless Communication Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in generalized frequency division multiplexing in wireless communication systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Generalized Frequency Division Multiplexing (GFDM): A block-filtered multicarrier modulation scheme that generalises OFDM by using multiple pulse-shaped subsymbols per subcarrier.
Subsymbol: An individual modulated symbol within a block of GFDM, shaped by a filter and assigned to a specific subcarrier.
Pulse shaping filter: A filter applied to each subsymbol to control its time-frequency characteristics and reduce spectral leakage.
Circular convolution: A mathematical operation used in GFDM modulation where filters wrap around block boundaries to maintain continuity.
Peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR): A measure of signal amplitude fluctuations that affects power amplifier efficiency in multicarrier systems.
Out-of-band (OOB) radiation: Unwanted signal emissions outside the allocated frequency band, which GFDM seeks to suppress via filter design.
References
- Performance of GFDM Systems Using Quadratic Programming Pulse Shaping Filter Design. IEEE Access (2020).
- A Novel GFDM Waveform Design Based on Cascaded WHT-LWT Transform for the Beyond 5G Wireless Communications. Sensors (2021).
- Joint Channel and Phase Noise Estimation and Data Detection for GFDM. IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society (2021).
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