Abstract
Support of multiple users in wideband powerline communication (PLC) is essential to enhance the dependence on such emerging systems. This paper presents novel adaptations of the space division multiple access (SDMA) techniques to PLC. Multicarrier data transmission and orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) techniques are invoked to mitigate the technical challenges of PLC channel impairments and enhance the spectral efficiency. Performance is enhanced using orthogonal Walsh-Hadamard codes. Linear and nonlinear multi-user detection (MUD) schemes are investigated, including the optimal maximum likelihood (ML) methods and the near-optimal sphere detectors(SDs). Presented results indicate the potential of the proposed scheme to enhance wideband PLC systems.