PLC for the smart grid: state-of-the-art and challenges

This paper aims to review systems and applications for power line communications (PLC) in the context of the smart grid. We discuss the main applications and summarise state-of-the-art PLC systems and standards. We report efforts and challenges in channel and noise modelling, as well as in state-of-the-art transmission technology approaches

Adaptive Spread Spectrum Multicarrier Multiple Access over Wirelines

In this paper, we investigate the dynamic resource allocation adapted to spread spectrum multicarrier multiple access (SS-MC-MA) systems in a multiuser power line communication (PLC) context. The developed adaptive system is valid for uplink, downlink, as well as for indoor and outdoor communications. The studied SS-MC-MA system is based on classical multicarrier modulation like DMT, combined with a spread-spectrum (SS) component used to multiplex several information symbols of a given user over the same subcarriers. The multiple access task is carried out using a frequency division multiple access (FDMA) approach so that each user is assigned one or more subcarrier sets. The number of subcarriers in each set is given by the spreading code length as in classical SS-MC-MA systems usually studied in the wireless context. We derive herein a new loading algorithm that dynamically handles the system conguration in order to maximize the data throughput. The algorithm consists in an adaptive subcarrier, code, bit and energy assignment algorithm. Power spectral density constraint due to spectral mask specications is considered as well as nite order modulations. In that case, it is shown that SS-MC-MA combined with the proposed loading algorithm achieves higher throughput than DMT in a multiuser PLC context. Because of the nite granularity of the modulations, some residual energy is indeed wasted on each subcarrier of the DMT spectrum. The combining of a spreading component with digital multitone (DMT) allows to merge these amounts of energy so that one or more additional bits can be transmitted in each subcarrier subset leading to signicant throughput gain. Simulations have been run over measured PLC channel responses and highlight that the proposed system is all the more interesting than the SNR is low

Performance Analysis of SVD-assisted Downlink Multiuser MIMO Systems

Multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) downlink (DL) transmission schemes experience both multiuser interference as well as inter-antenna interference. Instead of treating all the users jointly as in zero-forcing (ZF) multiuser transmission techniques, the investigated singular value decomposition (SVD) assisted DL multiuser MIMO system takes the individual user’s channel characteristics into account. This translates to a choice of modulation constellation and transmitter power and, in our proposed system, to a choice of number of activated user-specific MIMO layers. The performed joint optimization of the number of activated MIMO layers and the number of bits per symbol along with the appropriate allocation of the transmit power shows that not necessarily all user-specific MIMO layers has to be activated in both frequency-selective and non-frequency selective MIMO channels in order to minimize the overall BER under the constraint of a given fixed data throughput

Subcarrier and power allocation for the downlink of multiuser OFDM transmission

In this paper, a new algorithm for subcarrier and power allocation for the downlink of multiuser OFDM transmission is presented. The proposed algorithm is more stable and it offers a lower complexity and better performance than previous existing algorithms.This work has been partly funded by the Spanish government with project TIC 2002-03498 (ORISE), Education Chamber of Madrid Community and European Social Fund.Publicad

An efficient channel condition aware proportional fairness resource allocation for powerline communications

ISBN: 978-1-4244-2936-3International audiencePowerline communications (PLC) become a viable local area network (LAN) solution for in-home networks. We are witnessing a growing number of in-home devices and services using PLC systems. In this paper, the resource allocation problem with peak BER constraint is investigated in multiuser context. A new proportional fairness resource allocation algorithm which takes into account the channel conditions is proposed for the downlink. This algorithm is based on linear precoded OFDM (LP-OFDM) which enables reliable high bit rate transmission under peak BER constraint. The algorithm tries to maximize the overall throughput of the system under different users required bit rate constraints. Simulations are run over PLC channels and it is shown that proposed algorithms under peak BER constraint give better performance than classical proportional fairness algorithms. In addition, the linear precoding technique brings significant data rate gain and reduces the number of unsatisfied users

Radio resource allocation for multicarrier-low density spreading multiple access

Multicarrier-low density spreading multiple access (MC-LDSMA) is a promising multiple access technique that enables near optimum multiuser detection. In MC-LDSMA, each user’s symbol spread on a small set of subcarriers, and each subcarrier is shared by multiple users. The unique structure of MC-LDSMA makes the radio resource allocation more challenging comparing to some well-known multiple access techniques. In this paper, we study the radio resource allocation for single-cell MC-LDSMA system. Firstly, we consider the single-user case, and derive the optimal power allocation and subcarriers partitioning schemes. Then, by capitalizing on the optimal power allocation of the Gaussian multiple access channel, we provide an optimal solution for MC-LDSMA that maximizes the users’ weighted sum-rate under relaxed constraints. Due to the prohibitive complexity of the optimal solution, suboptimal algorithms are proposed based on the guidelines inferred by the optimal solution. The performance of the proposed algorithms and the effect of subcarrier loading and spreading are evaluated through Monte Carlo simulations. Numerical results show that the proposed algorithms significantly outperform conventional static resource allocation, and MC-LDSMA can improve the system performance in terms of spectral efficiency and fairness in comparison with OFDMA

An efficient channel condition aware proportional fairness resource allocation for powerline communications

ISBN: 978-1-4244-2936-3International audiencePowerline communications (PLC) become a viable local area network (LAN) solution for in-home networks. We are witnessing a growing number of in-home devices and services using PLC systems. In this paper, the resource allocation problem with peak BER constraint is investigated in multiuser context. A new proportional fairness resource allocation algorithm which takes into account the channel conditions is proposed for the downlink. This algorithm is based on linear precoded OFDM (LP-OFDM) which enables reliable high bit rate transmission under peak BER constraint. The algorithm tries to maximize the overall throughput of the system under different users required bit rate constraints. Simulations are run over PLC channels and it is shown that proposed algorithms under peak BER constraint give better performance than classical proportional fairness algorithms. In addition, the linear precoding technique brings significant data rate gain and reduces the number of unsatisfied users

Multiuser MIMO-OFDM for Next-Generation Wireless Systems

This overview portrays the 40-year evolution of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) research. The amelioration of powerful multicarrier OFDM arrangements with multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems has numerous benefits, which are detailed in this treatise. We continue by highlighting the limitations of conventional detection and channel estimation techniques designed for multiuser MIMO OFDM systems in the so-called rank-deficient scenarios, where the number of users supported or the number of transmit antennas employed exceeds the number of receiver antennas. This is often encountered in practice, unless we limit the number of users granted access in the base station’s or radio port’s coverage area. Following a historical perspective on the associated design problems and their state-of-the-art solutions, the second half of this treatise details a range of classic multiuser detectors (MUDs) designed for MIMO-OFDM systems and characterizes their achievable performance. A further section aims for identifying novel cutting-edge genetic algorithm (GA)-aided detector solutions, which have found numerous applications in wireless communications in recent years. In an effort to stimulate the cross pollination of ideas across the machine learning, optimization, signal processing, and wireless communications research communities, we will review the broadly applicable principles of various GA-assisted optimization techniques, which were recently proposed also for employment inmultiuser MIMO OFDM. In order to stimulate new research, we demonstrate that the family of GA-aided MUDs is capable of achieving a near-optimum performance at the cost of a significantly lower computational complexity than that imposed by their optimum maximum-likelihood (ML) MUD aided counterparts. The paper is concluded by outlining a range of future research options that may find their way into next-generation wireless systems