Experimental analysis of 5G candidate waveforms and their coexistence with 4G systems

The 5G mobile standard will very likely include a new waveform that addresses scenarios like sporadic lowlatency traffic and dynamic spectrum access (DSA). In both cases the current 4G waveforms have some deficiencies, like the need for strict synchronicity and the high adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR) respectively. Several candidate waveforms can be found in the literature, such Generalized Frequency Division Multiplexing (GFDM), and Universal Filtered MultiCarrier (UFMC). Both use a digital multi-carrier transceiver concept that employs pulse shaping filters to provide control over the transmitted signal’s spectral properties. In this paper we will present experimental results that evaluate the impact of these two waveforms on an existing 4G system. The 4G system was based on Eurecom’s OpenAirInterface for the eNB and a commercial UE. The new waveform was generated using a signal generator.