Timing and Carrier Synchronization in Wireless Communication Systems: A Survey and Classification of Research in the Last 5 Years

Timing and carrier synchronization is a fundamental requirement for any wireless communication system to work properly. Timing synchronization is the process by which a receiver node determines the correct instants of time at which to sample the incoming signal. Carrier synchronization is the process by which a receiver adapts the frequency and phase of its local carrier oscillator with those of the received signal. In this paper, we survey the literature over the last 5 years (2010–2014) and present a comprehensive literature review and classification of the recent research progress in achieving timing and carrier synchronization in single-input single-output (SISO), multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), cooperative relaying, and multiuser/multicell interference networks. Considering both single-carrier and multi-carrier communication systems, we survey and categorize the timing and carrier synchronization techniques proposed for the different communication systems focusing on the system model assumptions for synchronization, the synchronization challenges, and the state-of-the-art synchronization solutions and their limitations. Finally, we envision some future research directions

Low Complexity Joint Sub-Carrier Pairing, Allocation and Relay Selection in Cooperative Wireless Networks

Multi-carrier cooperative relay-based wireless communication is of particular interest in future wireless networks. In this paper we present resource allocation algorithm in which sub-carrier pairing is of particular interest along with fairness constraint in multi-user networks. An optimization of sub-carrier pair selection is formulated through capacity maximization problem. Sub-carrier pairing is applied in both two-hop Amplify & Forward (AF) and Decode & Forward (DF) cooperative multi-user networks. We develop a less complex centralized scheme for joint Sub-carrier pairing and allocation along with relay selection. The computational complexity of the proposed algorithms has been analyzed and performance is compared with Exhaustive Search Algorithm

Cooperative systems based signal processing techniques with applications to three-dimensional video transmission

Three-dimensional (3-D) video has recently emerged to offer an immersive multimedia experience that can not be offered by two-dimensional (2-D) video applications. Currently, both industry and academia are focused on delivering 3-D video services to wireless communication systems. Modern video communication systems currently adopt cooperative communication and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) as they are an attractive solution to combat fading in wireless communication systems and achieve high data-rates. However, this strong motivation to transmit the video signals over wireless systems faces many challenges. These are mainly channel bandwidth limitations, variations of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in wireless channels, and the impairments in the physical layer such as time varying phase noise (PHN), and carrier frequency offset (CFO). In response to these challenges, this thesis seeks to develop efficient 3-D video transmission methods and signal processing algorithms that can overcome the effects of error-prone wireless channels and impairments in the physical layer. In the first part of the thesis, an efficient unequal error protection (UEP) scheme, called video packet partitioning, and a new 3-D video transceiver structure are proposed. The proposed video transceiver uses switching operations between various UEP schemes based on the packet partitioning to achieve a trade- off between system complexity and performance. Experimental results show that the proposed system achieves significantly high video quality at different SNRs with the lowest possible bandwidth and system complexity compared to direct transmission schemes. The second part of the thesis proposes a new approach to joint source-channel coding (JSCC) that simultaneously assigns source code rates, the number of high and low priority packets, and channel code rates for the application, network, and physical layers, respectively. The proposed JSCC algorithm takes into account the rate budget constraint and the available instantaneous SNR of the best relay selection in cooperative systems. Experimental results show that the proposed JSCC algorithm outperforms existing algorithms in terms of peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR). In the third part of the thesis, a computationally efficient training based approach for joint channel, CFO, and PHN estimation in OFDM systems is pro- posed. The proposed estimator is based on an expectation conditional maximization (ECM) algorithm. To compare the estimation accuracy of the proposed estimator, the hybrid Cram´er-Rao lower bound (HCRB) of hybrid parameters of interest is derived. Next, to detect the signal in the presence of PHN, an iterative receiver based on the extended Kalman filter (EKF) for joint data detection and PHN mitigation is proposed. It is demonstrated by numerical simulations that, compared to existing algorithms, the performance of the proposed ECM-based estimator in terms of the mean square error (MSE) is closer to the derived HCRB and outperforms the existing estimation algorithms at moderate-to-high SNRs. Finally, this study extends the research on joint channel, PHN, and CFO estimation one step forward from OFDM systems to cooperative OFDM systems. An iterative algorithm based on the ECM in cooperative OFDM networks in the presence of unknown channel gains, PHNs and CFOs is applied. Moreover, the HCRB for the joint estimation problem in both decode-and-forward (DF) and amplify-and-forward (AF) relay systems is presented. An iterative algorithm based on the EKF for data detection and tracking the unknown time-varying PHN throughout the OFDM data packet is also used. For more efficient 3-D video transmission, the estimation algorithms and UEP schemes based packet portioning were combined to achieve a more robust video bit stream in the presence of PHNs. Applying this combination, simulation results demonstrate that promising bit-error-rate (BER) and PSNR performance can be achieved at the destination at different SNRs and PHN variance. The proposed schemes and algorithms offer solutions for existing problems in the techniques for applications to 3-D video transmission

Multi-Relay Communications in the Presence of Phase Noise and Carrier Frequency Offsets

Impairments like time varying phase noise (PHN) and carrier frequency offset (CFO) result in loss of synchronization and poor performance of multi-relay communication systems. Joint estimation of these impairments is necessary in order to correctly decode the received signal at the destination. In this paper, we address spectrally-efficient multi-relay transmission scenarios where all the relays simultaneously communicate with the destination. We propose an iterative pilot-aided algorithm based on the expectation conditional maximization (ECM) for joint estimation of multipath channels, Wiener PHNs, and CFOs in decode-and-forward (DF) based multi-relay orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. Next, a new expression of the hybrid Cramér-Rao lower bound (HCRB) for the multi-parameter estimation problem is derived. Finally, an iterative receiver based on an extended Kalman filter (EKF) for joint data detection and PHN tracking is employed. Numerical results show that the proposed estimator outperforms existing algorithms and its mean square error performance is close to the derived HCRB at differnt signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) for different PHN variances. In addition, the combined estimation algorithm and iterative receiver can significantly improve average bit-error rate (BER) performance compared to existing algorithms. In addition, the BER performance of the proposed system is close to the ideal case of perfect channel impulse responses (CIRs), PHNs and CFOs estimation

Synchronization in Cooperative Communication Systems

Cooperative communication is an attractive solution to combat fading in wireless communication systems. Achieving synchronization is a fundamental requirement in such systems. In cooperative networks, multiple single antenna relay terminals receive and cooperatively transmit the source information to the destination. The multiple distributed nodes, each with its own local oscillator, give rise to multiple timing offsets (MTOs) and multiple carrier frequency offsets (MCFOs). Particularly, the received signal at the destination is the superposition of the relays' transmitted signals that are attenuated differently, are no longer aligned with each other in time, and experience phase rotations at different rates due to different channels, MTOs, and MCFOs, respectively. The loss of synchronization due to the presence of MTOs and MCFOs sets up the recovery of the source signal at the destination to be a very challenging task. This thesis seeks to develop estimation and compensation algorithms that can achieve synchronization and enable cooperative communication for both decode-and-forward (DF) and amplify-and-forward (AF) relaying networks in the presence of multiple impairments, i.e., unknown channel gains, MTOs, and MCFOs. In the first part of the thesis, a training-based transmission scheme is considered, in which training symbols are transmitted first in order to assist the joint estimation of multiple impairments at the destination node in DF and AF cooperative relaying networks. New transceiver structure at the relays and novel receiver design at the destination are proposed which allow for the decoding of the received signal in the presence of unknown channel gains, MTOs, and MCFOs. Different estimation algorithms, e.g., least squares (LS), expectation conditional maximization (ECM), space-alternating generalized expectation-maximization (SAGE), and differential evolution (DE), are proposed and analyzed for joint estimation of multiple impairments. In order to compare the estimation accuracy of the proposed estimators, Cramer-Rao lower bounds (CRLBs) for the multi-parameter estimation are derived. Next, in order to detect the signal from multiple relays in the presence of multiple impairments, novel optimal and sub-optimal minimum mean-square error (MMSE) compensation and maximum likelihood (ML) decoding algorithm are proposed for the destination receiver. It has been evidenced by numerical simulations that application of the proposed estimation and compensation methods in conjunction with space-time block codes achieve full diversity gain in the presence of channel and synchronization impairments. Considering training-based transmission scheme, this thesis also addresses the design of optimal training sequences for efficient and joint estimation of MTOs and multiple channel parameters. In the second part of the thesis, the problem of joint estimation and compensation of multiple impairments in non-data-aided (NDA) DF cooperative systems is addressed. The use of blind source separation is proposed at the destination to convert the difficult problem of jointly estimating the multiple synchronization parameters in the relaying phase into more tractable sub-problems of estimating many individual timing offsets and carrier frequency offsets for the independent relays. Next, a criteria for best relay selection is proposed at the destination. Applying the relay selection algorithm, simulation results demonstrate promising bit-error rate (BER) performance and realise the achievable maximum diversity order at the destination

Channels and parameters acquisition in cooperative OFDM systems

CODIV, FP7/ICT/2007/215477CADWIN, PTDC/EEA – TEL/099241/2008Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT

On bounds and algorithms for frequency synchronization for collaborative communication systems

Cooperative diversity systems are wireless communication systems designed to exploit cooperation among users to mitigate the effects of multipath fading. In fairly general conditions, it has been shown that these systems can achieve the diversity order of an equivalent MISO channel and, if the node geometry permits, virtually the same outage probability can be achieved as that of the equivalent MISO channel for a wide range of applicable SNR. However, much of the prior analysis has been performed under the assumption of perfect timing and frequency offset synchronization. In this paper, we derive the estimation bounds and associated maximum likelihood estimators for frequency offset estimation in a cooperative communication system. We show the benefit of adaptively tuning the frequency of the relay node in order to reduce estimation error at the destination. We also derive an efficient estimation algorithm, based on the correlation sequence of the data, which has mean squared error close to the Cramer-Rao Bound.Comment: Submitted to IEEE Transaction on Signal Processin