Asynchronous multi-user uplink transmission with generalized frequency division multiplexing

This paper investigates the applicability of generalized frequency division multiplexing (GFDM) for an uplink scenario where several users are not perfectly synchronized, as it appears in wireless sensor networks (WSN). We compare the performance in terms of inter-user interference (IUI) caused by time and frequency misalignments between users, where the physical layer is realized with GFDM and OFDM. It is shown that IUI can be significantly reduced when using GFDM. Furthermore, we propose a data-aided phase error estimation and compensation algorithm which is capable of correcting residual phase errors at the receiver.