Accurate BER Performance Comparison of Frequency Domain and Time Domain π/4-DQPSK OFDM Systems

An exact closed-form bit error rate (BER) expression is derived for an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing system with π/4-shifted differentially encoded quadrature phase shift keying (π/4-DQPSK) in the presence of carrier frequency offset over frequency-selective fast Rayleigh fading channels. Different system configurations, including time domain differential modulation, frequency domain differential modulation, single channel reception, and multi-channel reception with maximal ratio combining, are considered in the exact BER analysis. For a small number of subcarriers, the BER expression can be calculated directly. A Monte Carlo method is designed to evaluate the BER for a large number of subcarriers. The analytical expression can be used to investigate the effect of several channel parameters, including mean delay spread and maximum Doppler spread, on the system BER performance. Particularly, the effect of carrier frequency offset on the system performance, and the differences and opportunities to use frequency domain differential modulation or time domain differential modulation, can be studied in a quantitative way for a more realistic wireless channel environment model.