Bit loading with BER-constraint for multicarrier systems

We present discrete adaptive bit loading algorithms for multicarrier systems with uniform (nonadaptive) power allocation operating in a frequency selective fading environment. The algorithms try to maximize the overall throughput of the system while guaranteeing that the mean bit error rate (BER) remains below a prescribed threshold. We also study the impact of imperfect subcarrier signal-to-noise ratio information on throughput performance. Results show that the proposed algorithms have approximately the same throughput and mean BER as the optimal allocation while having a significantly lower computational complexity relative to other algorithms with near-optimal allocations. Moreover, when compared with algorithms that employ approximations to water filling, the computational complexity is comparable while the overall throughput is closer to the optimum.