Channel Estimation

in OFDM Systems
Zhibin Wu
Yan Liu
Xiangpeng Jing

OUTLINE

OFDM System Introduction

Channel Estimation Techniques

Performance Evaluation

Conclusion

OFDM Overview

Divides high-speed serial information signal into multiple

lower-speed sub-signals:

Transmits simultaneously at different frequencies in parallel.

Modulation ( BPSK, PSK,QPSK,16QAM, ).

Pilot sub-carriers used to prevent frequency and phase shift

errors.

Usage of cyclic prefix for lower multi-path distortion

Controlled overlapping of bands in one channel

Max spectral efficiency (Nyquist rate)

Easy implementation using inverse FFTs

Easy time-freq. Synchronization

Modulate by switching between time and frequency domain

Introduction to OFDM
Systems

Time-Frequency View

Some Assumptions

Usage of cyclic Prefix

Impulse response of the channel shorter

than Cyclic Prefix

Slow fading effects so that the channel is

time-invariant over the symbol interval

Rectangular Windowing of the transmitted

pulses

Perfect Synchronization of transmitter and

receiver

Additive, white, Gaussian channel noise

System Architecture

System Architecture
(contd)
1. Input to time domain
2. Guard Interval
3. Channel
4. Guard Removal
5. Output to frequency
domain
6. Output
7. Channel Estimation
( ) ( ) { 1 ,..., 2 , 1 , 0 N n k X IDFT n x
( )
( )
( )

'

+ +

1 ,..., 1 , 0 ,
1 ,..., 1 , ,
N n n x
N N n n N x
n x
g g
f
( ) ( ) ( ) n w n h n x y
f f
+
( ) ( ) 1 ,..., 1 , 0 N n n y n y
f
( ) ( ) { 1 ,..., 2 , 1 , 0 N k n y DFT k Y
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
1 ,..., 1 , 0
+ +
N k
k W k I k H k X k Y
ICI AWGN Channel
( )
( )
( )
1 ,..., 1 , 0 N k
k H
k Y
k X
e
e
Estimated
Channel

Pilot for Channel Estimation
T
i
m
e
Carriers
T
i
m
e
Carriers

Comb Type:

Part of the sub-

carriers are always
reserved as pilot for
each symbol

Block Type:

All sub-carriers is
used as pilot in a
specific period

Block-type Channel
Estimation

LS: Least Square Estimation

{
]
]
]
]
]
]
]

1
0
1 1 0
1
.
.
.
,..., ,
N
N
LS
y
y
y
x x x diag X where
y X h

Comb-type Estimation
( ) ( )
( )

'

0 ,
1 ,..., 1 , . inf
l m
p
x
L l data
l mL X k X
Np pilot signals uniformly inserted in X(k)
L=Number of Carriers/Np
xp(m) is the mth pilot carrier value
{Hp(k) k=0,1,,Np} , channel at pilot sub-carriers
Xp input at the kth pilot sub-carrier
Yp output at the kth pilot sub-carrier
LS Estimate
( )
( )
( )
1 ,..., 1 , 0
p
p
p
p
N k
k X
k Y
k H
LMS Estimate
Xp(k)
LMS +
e(k) -
Yp(k)

Interpolation for Comb-type

Linear Interpolation

Second Order
Interpolation
( ) ( )
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
L l
m H
L
l
m H m H
l mL H k H
p p p
e e
<
+ +
+
0
1
( ) ( )
( ) ( ) ( )
( )
( ) ( )
( )

'

+ +
+

N l
m
p
H c m
p
H c m
p
H c
c
c
c
where
l mL H k H
e e
/
1
1 0
1
1
,
2
1
1
, 1 1
0
,
2
1
1

Simulation Parameters
Parameter Specifications
FFT Size 64
Number of Carriers 64
Pilot Ratio 1/16
Guard Length 16
Guard Type Cyclic Extension
data rate of OFDM signal 1Mbps/sub-carrier
Signal Constellation 16QAM

System structure in MATLAB Simulation

OFDM Transmitter
OFDM Receiver

Received and Recovered
Signals
Received signal phases are distorted by multi-path fading

Comb-LS Estimation

Combating multipath rayleigh fading with RLS adaptive

equalization

A detail simulation with MATLAB

20 multipath, random phase, and weibull distribution of

amplitutde
S
y
m
b
o
l

E
r
r
o
r

R
a
t
e

Comb-LS Estimation

Filter length .vs. Sample
Rate
1. Keep the ratio of F/S, increase S
2. Keep S, increase F.
Observed Symbol error rate with F ( filter length ) and
S ( samples per symbol)

Conclusion

OFDM System Introduction

Block Type

Direct or Decision Feedback

Comb Type

LS or LMS estimation at pilot frequencies

Interpolation Techniques

Linear

Second Order

Time Domain

Modulation

BPSK,QPSK,16QAM,DQPSK

Some Results:

Comb Type performs better since it tracks fast fading channels.

RLS algorithm vs. LMS algorithm