Superimposed training-based channel estimation and data detection for OFDM amplify-and-forward cooperative systems under high mobility

In this paper, joint channel estimation and data detection in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) amplify-and-forward (AF) cooperative systems under high mobility is investigated. Unlike previous works on cooperative systems in which a number of subcarriers are solely occupied by pilots, partial data-dependent superimposed training (PDDST) is considered here, thus preserving the spectral efficiency. First, a closed-form channel estimator is developed based on the least squares (LS) method with Tikhonov regularization and a corresponding data detection algorithm is proposed using the linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE) criterion. In the derived channel estimator, the unknown data is treated as part of the noise and the resulting data detection may not meet the required performance. To address this issue, an iterative method based on the variational inference approach is derived to improve performance. Simulation results show that the data detection performance of the proposed iterative algorithm initialized by the LMMSE data detector is close to the ideal case with perfect channel state information. © 2006 IEEE.published_or_final_versio

Multipath Parameter Estimation from OFDM Signals in Mobile Channels

We study multipath parameter estimation from orthogonal frequency division multiplex signals transmitted over doubly dispersive mobile radio channels. We are interested in cases where the transmission is long enough to suffer time selectivity, but short enough such that the time variation can be accurately modeled as depending only on per-tap linear phase variations due to Doppler effects. We therefore concentrate on the estimation of the complex gain, delay and Doppler offset of each tap of the multipath channel impulse response. We show that the frequency domain channel coefficients for an entire packet can be expressed as the superimposition of two-dimensional complex sinusoids. The maximum likelihood estimate requires solution of a multidimensional non-linear least squares problem, which is computationally infeasible in practice. We therefore propose a low complexity suboptimal solution based on iterative successive and parallel cancellation. First, initial delay/Doppler estimates are obtained via successive cancellation. These estimates are then refined using an iterative parallel cancellation procedure. We demonstrate via Monte Carlo simulations that the root mean squared error statistics of our estimator are very close to the Cramer-Rao lower bound of a single two-dimensional sinusoid in Gaussian noise.Comment: Submitted to IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications (26 pages, 9 figures and 3 tables

Joint Decision-Directed Channel and Noise-Variance Estimation for MIMO OFDM/SDMA Systems Based on Expectation-Conditional Maximization

A joint channel impulse response (CIR) and noise-variance estimation scheme is proposed for multiuser multiple-input–multiple-output (MIMO) orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing/space-division multiple access (OFDM/SDMA) systems, which is based on the expectation-conditional maximization (ECM) algorithm. Multiple users communicating over fading channels exhibiting a range of different characteristics are considered in this paper. Channel estimation becomes quite challenging in this scenario since an increased number of independent transmitter–receiver links having different statistical characteristics have to be simultaneously estimated for each subcarrier. To cope with this scenario, we design an ECM-based joint CIR and noise-variance estimator for multiuser MIMO OFDM/SDMA systems, which is capable of simultaneously estimating diverse CIRs and noise variance. Furthermore, we propose a forward error code (FEC)-aided decision-directed channel estimation scheme based on the ECM algorithm, which further improves the ECM algorithm by exploiting the error correction capability of an FEC decoder for iteratively exchanging information between the decoder and the ECM algorithm

Coded DS-CDMA Systems with Iterative Channel Estimation and no Pilot Symbols

In this paper, we describe direct-sequence code-division multiple-access (DS-CDMA) systems with quadriphase-shift keying in which channel estimation, coherent demodulation, and decoding are iteratively performed without the use of any training or pilot symbols. An expectation-maximization channel-estimation algorithm for the fading amplitude, phase, and the interference power spectral density (PSD) due to the combined interference and thermal noise is proposed for DS-CDMA systems with irregular repeat-accumulate codes. After initial estimates of the fading amplitude, phase, and interference PSD are obtained from the received symbols, subsequent values of these parameters are iteratively updated by using the soft feedback from the channel decoder. The updated estimates are combined with the received symbols and iteratively passed to the decoder. The elimination of pilot symbols simplifies the system design and allows either an enhanced information throughput, an improved bit error rate, or greater spectral efficiency. The interference-PSD estimation enables DS-CDMA systems to significantly suppress interference.Comment: To appear, IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communication

Channel estimation with TCH codes for machine-type communications

TCH codes possess several properties that allow us to use them efficiently in various applications. One of these applications is channel estimation and, in this dissertation, it is studied the performance of TCH codes to estimate the channel in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing system, regarding Machine-Type Communications. Bit error rate performance results were obtained by executing simulations that allowed the evaluation of the impact of using two different pilot techniques, such as data multiplexed and implicit pilots, different pilot power levels and different modulations, QPSK and 64-QAM. Pilots based on TCH codes are also compared with other conventional pilots. Results show that TCH codes have a very positive and reliable performance. Joint timing synchronization and channel estimation is also performed using different sparse based approaches, such as Orthogonal Matching Pursuit, L1- regularized and Iterative Reweighted L1. TCH codes are compared against different sequence types, namely Zadoff-Chu sequences and pseudorandom codewords, and variations in the pilot size, the channel length and the observation window size are executed in order to understand their effects. Results ultimately illustrate that TCH codes can be effectively used in joint channel estimation and synchronization, managing to withstand worst simulation conditions better than its counterparts. It is also proven that compressed sensing can successfully be utilized in joint synchronization and channel estimation, an area where its use has not been very explored.Os códigos TCH possuem várias propriedades que nos permitem usá-los eficientemente em diversas aplicações. Uma delas é a estimação de canal e nesta dissertação é estudado o desempenho dos códigos TCH em estimação de canal num sistema OFDM, tendo em conta as comunicações Machine-Type. Resultados que ilustram a taxa de erro de bit foram obtidos através de simulações que permitem avaliar o impacto de usar diferentes técnicas de pilotos, nomeadamente multiplexados e implícitos, diferentes valores de potência para os pilotos e diferentes modulações, QPSK e 64-QAM. Também é feita a comparação entre os pilotos TCH e pilotos convencionais. Os resultados mostram que os pilotos TCH tem um desempenho muito positivo e confiável, dentro dos parâmetros testados. Também é efetuado o estudo de sincronização e estimação de canal conjunta usando métodos esparsos como o OMP, o L1-regularized e o Iterative Reweighted L1. Os códigos TCH são comparados com outros tipos de sequências, tais como as sequências Zadoff-Chu e os códigos pseudo-aleatórios. São consideradas variações no tamanho dos pilotos, no comprimento do canal e no tamanho da janela de observação para perceber quais são os seus efeitos no desempenho. Os resultados demonstram que os códigos TCH podem ser utilizados com sucesso em estimação de canal e sincronização conjunta e conseguem aguentar condições adversas de simulação melhor que os outros pilotos utilizados. Também é provado que compressed sensing pode ser utilizado com sucesso em sincronização e estimação conjunta, que é uma área onde o seu uso ainda não foi explorado aprofundadamente

Channel estimation, data detection and carrier frequency offset estimation in OFDM systems

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) plays an important role in the implementation of high data rate communication. In this thesis, the problems of data detection and channel and carrier frequency offset estimation in OFDM systems are studied. Multi-symbol non-coherent data detection is studied which performs data detection by processing multiple symbols without the knowledge of the channel impulse response (CIR). For coherent data detection, the CIR needs to be estimated. Our objective in this thesis is to work on blind channel estimators which can extract the CIR using just one block of received OFDM data. A blind channel estimator for (Single Input Multi Output) SIMO OFDM systems is derived. The conditions under which the estimator is identifiable is studied and solutions to resolve the phase ambiguity of the proposed estimator are given.A channel estimator for superimposed OFDM systems is proposed and its CRB is derived. The idea of simultaneous transmission of pilot and data symbols on each subcarrier, the so called superimposed technique, introduces the efficient use of bandwidth in OFDM context. Pilot symbols can be added to data symbols to enable CIR estimation without sacrificing the data rate. Despite the many advantages of OFDM, it suffers from sensitivity to carrier frequency offset (CFO). CFO destroys the orthogonality between the subcarriers. Thus, it is necessary for the receiver to estimate and compensate for the frequency offset. Several high accuracy estimators are derived. These include CFO estimators, as well as a joint iterative channel/CFO estimator/data detector for superimposed OFDM. The objective is to achieve CFO estimation with using just one OFDM block of received data and without the knowledge of CIR

Estimation and detection techniques for doubly-selective channels in wireless communications

A fundamental problem in communications is the estimation of the channel. The signal transmitted through a communications channel undergoes distortions so that it is often received in an unrecognizable form at the receiver. The receiver must expend significant signal processing effort in order to be able to decode the transmit signal from this received signal. This signal processing requires knowledge of how the channel distorts the transmit signal, i.e. channel knowledge. To maintain a reliable link, the channel must be estimated and tracked by the receiver. The estimation of the channel at the receiver often proceeds by transmission of a signal called the 'pilot' which is known a priori to the receiver. The receiver forms its estimate of the transmitted signal based on how this known signal is distorted by the channel, i.e. it estimates the channel from the received signal and the pilot. This design of the pilot is a function of the modulation, the type of training and the channel. [Continues.