Frequency-division multiple access

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Frequency Division Multiple Access or FDMA is a channel access method used in multiple-access protocols as a channelization protocol. FDMA gives users an individual allocation of one or several frequency bands, or channels. Multiple Access systems coordinate access between multiple users. The users may also share access via different methods such as TDMA, CDMA, or SDMA. These protocols are utilized differently, at different levels of the theoretical OSI model.

Disadvantage: Crosstalk which causes interference on the other frequency and may disrupt the transmission.

Features

• FDMA requires high-performing filters in the radio hardware, in contrast to TDMA and CDMA.
• FDMA is not vulnerable to the timing problems that TDMA has. Since a predetermined frequency band is available for the entire period of communication, stream data (a continuous flow of data that may not be packetized) can easily be used with FDMA.
• Due to the frequency filtering, FDMA is not sensitive to near-far problem which is pronounced for CDMA.
• Each user transmits and receives at different frequencies as each user gets a unique frequency slot

It is important to distinguish between FDMA and frequency-division duplexing (FDD). While FDMA allows multiple users simultaneous access to a certain system, FDD refers to how the radio channel is shared between the uplink and downlink (for instance, the traffic going back and forth between a mobile-phone and a base-station). Furthermore, frequency-division multiplexing (FDM) should not be confused with FDMA. The former is a physical layer technique that combines and transmits low-bandwidth channels through a high-bandwidth channel. FDMA, on the other hand, is an access method in the data link layer.

FDMA also supports demand assignment in addition to fixed assignment. Demand assignment allows all users apparently continuous access of the radio spectrum by assigning carrier frequencies on a temporary basis using a statistical assignment process. The first FDMA demand-assignment system for satellite was developed by COMSAT for use on the Intelsat series IVA and V satellites.

See also

• TDMA
• CDMA
• SDMA
• Flexible Direct Memory Access
• FDM

References

Print Resrouce(Book): Olenewa, J. & Ciampa, M. (2007). Wireless# Guide to Wireless Communications (2nd ed.). Boston, United States: THOMSON COURSE TECHNOLOGY