Peak-to-Average Power Ratio (PAPR) Reduction for OFDM

The telemetry community has been challenged in its search for additional spectrum for its aeronautical mission. With a fixed amount of spectrum the challenge becomes focused on increased spectrum efficiency. Today’s best solution for spectrum efficiency is Orthogonal Frequency Division Modulation (OFDM). This approach has proven effective with both cellular LTE as well as IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN systems. OFDM has seen limited use in telemetry systems in part due to issues related to high peak to average ratio of OFDM signals. This paper reviews approaches to resolving these issues and proposes a scheme for peak conditioning of OFDM signals to reduce the peak to average ratio. Results of preliminary experimental work are promising.