A Comparative Performance Evaluation of OFDM, GFDM, and OTFS in Impulsive Noise Channels

In this paper, we present a comparative performance analysis of three prominent multicarrier schemes—orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), generalized frequency division multiplexing (GFDM), and orthogonal time frequency space (OTFS) modulation—in the presence of doubly dispersive fading channels and impulsive noise. This noise, as a disturbance characterized by short-duration random bursts of high energy, can significantly degrade the quality of service across various wireless and wireline communications scenarios. We consider Bernoulli-normal and Middleton Class A distributions as two well-known impulsive noise models and examine five key performance indicators, including spectral efficiency (SE), overall complexity, peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR), bit error rate (BER), and achievable rate. The study of system complexity reveals the computational requirements of these schemes in terms of the number of complex multiplications essential for distinct transceiver blocks. In addition, to address the PAPR, we suggest a novel approach utilizing weighted-type fractional Fourier transform precoding. This method examines the impact of variations in the precoder order and explores the application of iterative algorithms for more optimal designing of the precoder. Throughout a comprehensive investigation, the impact of impulsive noise and users’ mobility on the BER and the achievable rate of the considered schemes is disclosed. Overall, our study indicates that while OFDM performs inadequately in terms of the SE and achievable rate, and GFDM has the poorest output concerning complexity, PAPR, and BER, the OTFS scheme distinguishes itself by effectively balancing these metrics and ensuring reliable communications in mobility scenarios.