GFDM BER Under Synchronization Errors

Generalized frequency division multiplexing (GFDM) is a candidate waveform for the air interface of the fifth generation mobile network. In one of the foreseen scenarios for this future network, known as massive machine type communication, the demand for a low power consumption and a loose synchronization scheme might result in residual symbol-time and carrier-frequency offsets. The overall system performance under time and frequency misalignments is crucial in this application scenario. The main aim of this letter is to present an analytical model to evaluate the performance degradation in terms of bit error rate for GFDM when synchronization is not perfect. The analytical results are corroborated with computational simulation BPSK mapping. The agreement between simulation and theoretical curves shows that the model presented in this letter can be used to predict the GFDM bit error rate performance under the presence of synchronization errors.