An indication method performed by an apparatus deployed in a base station, the method comprising: generating an arrangement indication, wherein the arrangement indication is used to indicate an arrangement manner of a reference signal, the reference signal occupies at least one group of time frequency resources, and the arrangement manner is one manner in the following two manners: a frequency division + code division manner, and a time division + code division manner; in the frequency division + code division manner, each group of time frequency resources occupy a symbol in time domain and at least one contiguous subcarrier in frequency domain, and the reference signal is multiplexed on the group of time frequency resources by using an orthogonal code corresponding to the reference signal; and in the time division + code division manner, each group of time frequency resources occupy at least one contiguous symbol in time domain and a subcarrier in frequency domain, and the reference signal is multiplexed on the group of time frequency resources by using an orthogonal code corresponding to the reference signal; and sending the arrangement indication; the method being characterized in that: in the frequency division + code division manner, different groups of time frequency resources occupy a same quantity of subcarriers in frequency domain; in the time division + code division manner, different groups of time frequency resources occupy a same quantity of symbols in time domain; and a quantity of subcarriers in frequency domain that are occupied by any group of time frequency resources in the frequency division + code division manner is equal to a quantity of symbols in time domain that are occupied by any group of time frequency resources in the time division + code division manner. generating an arrangement indication, wherein the arrangement indication is used to indicate an arrangement manner of a reference signal, the reference signal occupies at least one group of time frequency resources, and the arrangement manner is one manner in the following two manners: a frequency division + code division manner, and a time division + code division manner; in the frequency division + code division manner, each group of time frequency resources occupy a symbol in time domain and at least one contiguous subcarrier in frequency domain, and the reference signal is multiplexed on the group of time frequency resources by using an orthogonal code corresponding to the reference signal; and in the time division + code division manner, each group of time frequency resources occupy at least one contiguous symbol in time domain and a subcarrier in frequency domain, and the reference signal is multiplexed on the group of time frequency resources by using an orthogonal code corresponding to the reference signal; and sending the arrangement indication; the method being characterized in that: in the frequency division + code division manner, different groups of time frequency resources occupy a same quantity of subcarriers in frequency domain; in the time division + code division manner, different groups of time frequency resources occupy a same quantity of symbols in time domain; and a quantity of subcarriers in frequency domain that are occupied by any group of time frequency resources in the frequency division + code division manner is equal to a quantity of symbols in time domain that are occupied by any group of time frequency resources in the time division + code division manner. in the frequency division + code division manner, different groups of time frequency resources occupy a same quantity of subcarriers in frequency domain; in the time division + code division manner, different groups of time frequency resources occupy a same quantity of symbols in time domain; and a quantity of subcarriers in frequency domain that are occupied by any group of time frequency resources in the frequency division + code division manner is equal to a quantity of symbols in time domain that are occupied by any group of time frequency resources in the time division + code division manner.