We propose a linear mean square error channel estimator that exploits the joint space-time-frequency (STF) correlations of the wireless fading channel for applications in multiple-antenna orthogonal frequency division multiplexing systems. Our work generalizes existing channel estimators to the full dimensions including transmit spatial, receive spatial, time, and frequency. This allows versatile applications of our STF channel estimator to any fading environment, ranging from spatially-uncorrelated slow-varying frequency-flat channels to spatially-correlated fast-varying frequency-selective channels.The proposed STF channel estimator reduces to a time-frequency (TF) channel estimator when no spatial correlations exist. In another perspective, the lower-dimension TF channel estimator can be viewed as an STF channel estimator with spatial correlation mismatch for space-time-frequency selective channels.Computer simulations were performed to study the mean-square-error (MSE) behavior with different pilot parameters. We then evaluate the suitability of our STF channel estimator on a space-frequency block coded OFDM system. Bit error rate (BER) performance degradation, with respect to perfect coherent detection, is limited to less than 2 dB at a BER of 10-5 in the modified 3GPP fast-fading suburban macro environment. Modifications to the 3GPP channel involves reducing the base station angle spread to imitate a high transmit spatial correlation scenario to emphasize the benefit of exploiting spatial correlation in our STF channel estimator
