PAPR reduction of coded OFDM signals based on iterative codeword construction

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) allows transmission of data with high data rates over broadband radio channels without the need for powerful equalization. However, OFDM is sensitive to non-linearities in the system due to the high peak to average ratio (PAPR) in the transmitted signal. In this paper, we propose a simple method for reducing the PAPR in the OFDM signals using the well known BCH codes. The method relies on an iterative procedure to select a codeword that has a low PAPR from a translation of the code to another partition is loaded in the redundancy of the sent codeword and, therefore, no subcarriers are reserved for transmitting this information. The cost payed for this PAPR reduction is reduced error correction capability. Using this method, a reduction of the PAPR of up to 6 dB can be achieved with moderate complexity.