Multiple Access Technology

There are 3 types of multiple access technology

1.       Time division multiple access (TDMA)

2.       Frequency division multiple access (FDMA)

3.       Code division multiple access (CDMA)

Time Division Multiple Access means that the wireless carrier of one bandwidth is divided into multiple time division channels in terms of time (or called timeslot). Each user occupies a timeslot and receives/transmits signals within this specified timeslot. Therefore, it is called time division multiple access. This multiple access mode is adopted in both a digital cellular system and a GSM. TDMA is a complex architecture and the simplest case is that a single channel carrier is divided into many different timeslots, each of which transmits one-way burst-oriented information. The key part in TDMA is the user part, in which each user is allocated with one timeslot (allocated when a call begins). The user communicates with a base station in a synchronous mode and counts the timeslot. When his own timeslot comes, the mobile station starts a receiving and demodulation circuit to decode the burst-oriented information sent from the base station. Likewise, when a user wants to send any information, he should first cache the information and waits for his timeslot to come. After a timeslot begins, the information is transmitted at a double rate and next burst-oriented transmission begins to be accumulated.

Frequency Division Multiple Access:  frequency division, sometimes called channelization, means dividing the whole available spectrum into many single radio channels (transmit/receive carrier pair). Each channel can transmit one-way voice or control information. Under the control of the system, any user can be accessed to any of these channels. Analog cellular system is a typical example of FDMA structure. Similarly, FDMA can also be used in a digital cellular system, except that pure frequency division is not adopted. For example, FDMA is adopted in GSM and CDMA.

CDMA is a multiple access mode implemented by Spread Spectrum Modulation. Unlike FDMA and TDMA, both of which separate the user information in terms of time and frequency, CDMA can transmit the information of multiple users on a channel at the same time. That is to say,mutual interference between users is permitted. The key is that every information before transmission should be modulated by different Spread Spectrum Code-Sequence to broadband signal, then all the signals should be mixed and send. The mixed signal would be demodulated by different Spread Spectrum Code-Sequence at the different receiver.Because all the Spread Spectrum Code-Sequence is orthogonal,only the information that was be demodulated by same Spread Spectrum Code-Sequence can be reverted in mixed signal.