Two multi-rate transmission schemes, multi-code (MC) and variable-spreading-length (VSL) code, for realizing multimedia communications on three types of OFDM-CDMA systems are proposed. These systems can be integrated into a programmable structure such that the operation can be controlled and adjusted by system parameters and thus the transceiver can be used in different systems without changing the fundamental hardware and software architecture, which serves the trend of software-radio for future application. A transceiver architecture of multi-rate OFDM-CDMA systems is illustrated and showed its programmability such that the general system can operate under different scenarios with a common hardware structure and reconfigure by software implementation.