802.11a Physical Layer Simulation with OFDM Implementation

This OFDM-related 802.11a physical layer simulation program enables users to simulate and analyze wireless communication systems. The implementation employs Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) technology, a widely-used modulation scheme in wireless communications that divides the signal into multiple orthogonal subcarriers. The simulation includes core components such as convolutional encoding for forward error correction, QAM modulation mapping, IFFT/FFT transformations for orthogonal subcarrier generation, and cyclic prefix insertion to mitigate inter-symbol interference. Through this simulation environment, users can evaluate key 802.11a physical layer performance metrics including data transmission rates up to 54 Mbps, channel capacity calculations under various SNR conditions, and interference resistance capabilities. The program provides configurable parameters allowing customization of transmission frequencies, modulation schemes (BPSK, QPSK, 16-QAM, 64-QAM), coding rates (1/2, 2/3, 3/4), and channel models. The architecture supports both ideal channel conditions and realistic multipath fading scenarios with AWGN implementation. Key functions include signal constellation mapping, pilot insertion for channel estimation, and BER/SER performance analysis tools. This simulation serves as a valuable resource for understanding wireless communication principles, conducting research, and developing practical implementations, with modular code structure that facilitates extension to other OFDM-based standards.