Optimal subcarrier pairing scheme for maximal ratio combining in OFDM power line communications

Power line communication (PLC) networks for a smart grid require high reliability for data communications. In order to improve the reliability of PLC networks, we consider a maximal ratio combining (MRC) diversity scheme for a power line orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system. An optimal subcarrier pairing scheme is proposed to maximize the MRC gain. Numerical results are presented to verify that the proposed scheme provides enhanced performance.