Robust frequency and timing synchronization for OFDM

A rapid synchronization method is presented for an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) system using either a continuous transmission or a burst operation over a frequency-selective channel. The presence of a signal can be detected upon the receipt of just one training sequence of two symbols. The start of the frame and the beginning of the symbol can be found, and carrier frequency offsets of many subchannels spacings can be corrected. The algorithms operate near the Cramer-Rao lower bound for the variance of the frequency offset estimate, and the inherent averaging over many subcarriers allows acquisition at very low signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs)     

A combined timing and frequency synchronization and channel estimation for OFDM

This letter addresses training-signal-based combined timing and frequency synchronization and channel estimation for orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing systems. The proposed scheme consists of two stages. At the first stage, coarse timing and frequency-offset estimates are obtained. Based on these estimates, a (coarse) channel response estimate is obtained. The timing and frequency-offset estimates at the second stage are obtained by maximum-likelihood (ML) realization based on a sliding observation vector. Then ML channel estimation is performed. A means of complexity reduction by an adaptive scheme is also presented. The simulation results show that the proposed combined approach performs quite well, and circumvents the problem of mismatch among individual synchronization tasks.     

A robust timing synchronization design in OFDM systems?part I: low-mobility cases

In this paper we are interested in designing a robust timing synchronization algorithm for OFDM systems that utilize pilot-aided channel estimation. We first characterize the impact of timing errors on the performance of a pilot-aided OFDM system. We derive analytical expressions for average channel estimation error variance in the presence of timing errors in high delay spread fading environments. The derived expressions show that pilot-aided channel estimators are considerably sensitive to timing synchronization errors due to the impact of rotations in different bases. We then show how to utilize this sensitivity to design a robust timing synchronization algorithm, without training overhead. The proposed algorithm is a cross-block design that uses channel estimation information to improve timing synchronization. We confirm our analytical results by simulating the proposed algorithm in high delay spread fading environments. In this paper, i.e. part I, we focus on timing synchronization for low-mobility cases. The analysis and results are then extended to high-mobility applications in part II.     

A robust timing synchronization design in OFDM systems?part II: high-mobility cases

In this paper we consider the design of a robust timing synchronization algorithm for pilot-aided OFDM systems in high-mobility fading environments. We first analyze the impact of both mobility and timing errors on the performance of a pilot-aided OFDM system for frequency selective fading channels, by deriving an expression for channel estimation error variance. The analysis will show that, even for high levels of mobility, a pilot-aided channel estimator is considerably sensitive to timing errors, due to the impact of rotations in different bases. We then show how this sensitivity can be utilized to design a robust timing synchronization algorithm for mobile OFDM systems, without relying on synchronization training information. Theoretical results are then confirmed by simulating the performance of an OFDM system in high delay and Doppler spread fading environments. Finally, we show how the proposed mathematical framework and algorithm can be used to address timing synchronization in the presence of a frequency offset as well. The analysis of this paper is the extension of the derivations of Part I [8], the accompanying paper on the design of a robust timing synchronizer for low-mobility OFDM systems.     

A robust timing synchronization scheme in multiple antenna systems with Doppler frequency shifts

We propose a timing synchronization scheme for a dual antenna system in Rayleigh-fading environments. Instead of assuming the channel gain to be constant during the training duration, we consider the time-variant nature of the multiplicative distortions and formulate them with linear combinations of eigenfunctions. Then, we derive a formula to find the maximum-likelihood estimation of the channel timing and simulate the performance with both ideal and nonideal channel state information. The results show that this approach outperforms the conventional ones especially when the Doppler spread is severe.     

基于前导序列的OFDM定时同步与信道估计算法

本文针对IEEE802.11a前导序列无法精确定时的缺点,设计了一种新的前导序列,能够通过平台检测实现数据到达预警,之后利用有尖锐峰值的共轭对称结构做精确定时,因此误捕获率低,且不受频率偏移的影响.针对LS算法未考虑噪声带来估计误差的缺点,改进算法将LS算法估计的频域信道传输函数转换到时域,在时域利用信道脉冲响应的有限性,消除一部分噪声,再将其变换到频域替代LS算法所估计的信道传输函数.仿真结果表明,改进算法的均方误差较LS算法约有8dB的性能增益.     

Improved time and frequency synchronization for dual-polarization OFDM systems

This article presents techniques for improved estimation of symbol timing offset (STO) and carrier frequency offset (CFO) for dual-polarization (DP) orthogonal frequency division multiplex (DP-OFDM) systems. Recently, quaternion multiple-input multiple-output OFDM has been proposed for high spectral efficiency communication systems, which can flexibly explore different types of diversities such as space, time, frequency, and polarization. This article focuses on synchronization techniques for DP-OFDM systems using a cyclic prefix, where the application of quaternion algebra leads to new improved estimators. Simulations performed for DP system methods show faster reduction of STO estimator variance with a double-slope line in the log-variance line versus signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) plot compared with single-polarization (SP) counterparts, and simulations for CFO estimates show a 3-dB gain of DP over SP estimates for same SNR values defined, respectively, for quaternion-valued or complex-valued signals. Cramer–Rao bounds for STO and CFO are derived for the synchronization methods, correlating with the observed gains of DP over SP OFDM systems.     

一种适用于宽带短波通信OFDM系统符号定时同步的新方法

针对宽带短波通信正交频分复用（OFDM）系统,提出了一种不需要数据辅助的高效符号定时同步方法。该方法利用OFDM符号中的空载波不传输任何数据这一特性,通过最小化空载波上的数据能量来将符号定时点锁定在安全区域内,从而完成符号定时同步。该方法可以有效对抗多径效应,适用于短波通信系统。最后将该方法与Al-Dweik同步方案在宽带短波信道条件下进行了仿真对比,结果表明该方法有着更精确的符号定时同步性能,并且适用于各种星座图调制。     

Performance of robust symbol‐timing and carrier‐frequency estimation for OFDM systems

In recent years, many maximum likelihood (ML) blind estimators have been proposed to estimate timing and frequency offsets for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. However, the previously proposed ML blind estimators utilizing cyclic prefix do not fully characterize the random observation vector over the entire range of the timing offset and will significantly degrade the estimation performance. In this paper, we present a global ML blind estimator to compensate the estimation error. Moreover, we extend the global ML blind estimator by accumulating the ML function of the estimation parameters to achieve a better accuracy without increasing the hardware or computational complexity. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can significantly improve the estimation performance in both additional white Gaussian noise and ITU‐R M.1225 multipath channels. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于FPGA的OFDM系统采样钟同步

利用频域离散导频估计采样钟频偏,采用Farrow结构的数字内插滤波器完成采样钟频偏补偿,并且在充分考虑硬件可实现性下作了简化,从而实现了基于FPGA的全数字域采样钟同步模块,基于实测数据的分析表明,该模块不仅有稳定的性能,而且其模块化设计也有利于更高阶算法或多通道系统的实现。     

Statistical approximation based fine frequency synchronization for OFDM systems

The paper proposes a novel approach for fine frequency synchronization of OFDM syn- chronization systems in multi-path channels. Maximum Likelihood (ML) function of frequency offsets including integral and decimal parts in frequency domain is developed according to the law of great number to eliminate the noise impact of the signal. When the timing delay close to the actual time, the proposed function produces a deep valley indicating frequency offset when large Valley-Square- Error (VSE) appears. Coarse timing offset can also be detected when function’s Valley-Square-Error (VSE) is maximized. Simulation results shows that the proposed algorithm gives very robust estimation of frequency offset, and a coarse timing offset estimation.     

一种OFDM定时同步与载波频偏估计算法

本文提出一个有效的利用周期性前导字的OFDM定时同步与频偏估计算法.算法分为两个步骤,首先根据前导字的特殊结构对Schmidl&Cox算法进行改进,将Schmidl&Cox算法中平台的检测变成单个峰值的检测,并由单峰的位置和复值可同时准确地估计符号定时和分数倍频偏;然后提出"相位差分序列",利用该序列的相关性对整数倍频偏进行估计.文中针对AWGN信道和SUI信道对算法进行了仿真,结果表明本文算法较其它算法具有更好的估计性能和鲁棒性.     

相干光正交频分复用系统定时同步的改进算法

分析了当前相干光正交频分复用(CO-OFDM)系统中Schmidl&Cox经典算法在光纤信道的定时同步,针对其产生平波现象和对光纤色散(CD)的缺点,提出了改进算法,并通过MATLAB在光纤信道中对两种算法进行了仿真,结果表明,在光纤信道下,改进方法的性能有远优于经典算法,因此改进方法更适合于光纤信道。     

一种基于训练序列的OFDM联合同步新算法

OFDM是一种多载波调制技术,为保证oFDM信号的正确传输,必须保持其子载波之间的完全同步,否则将造成子载波问干扰和符号问干扰,严重影响oFDM系统的性能。本文提出一种新的训练序列同步算法,通过仿真,对新算法和传统Schmidl＆cox时频联合同步算法进行了比较。结果表明,采用新算法具有较高的频偏估计精度和较大的估计范围,同时使符号定时非常精确。     

一种改进的OFDM系统定时同步算法

基于提高OFDM系统整体性能的目的,采用对称相关的性能,通过对Park和Minn等人的算法进行研究,并在其基础上进行了改进,改进算法消除了定时度量中的多余峰值,只有一个准确的峰值,可以很容易的进行时间定时。通过MATLAB进行仿真,结果表明,改进算法的性能比原算法有所改善,并且适用高斯信道和多径衰落信道。     

A time and frequency synchronization scheme for multiuser OFDM

We present a multiuser synchronization scheme for tracking the mobile's uplink time and frequency offsets. It uses the redundancy introduced by the cyclic prefix and does not need additional pilots. We show performance results of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)-based radio interface based on the universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS) parameters. For a UMTS-typical mobile channel environment, the performance of a coherent system employing the scheme is virtually indistinguishable from the performance of a perfectly synchronized system. In a differentially modulated system, synchronization errors decrease the system performance by about 0.7 dB compared to a perfectly synchronized system     

Joint frame synchronization and frequency offset estimation in OFDM systems

A new joint frame synchronization and carrier frequency offset estimation scheme in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems is proposed in this paper, where both frame synchronization and carrier frequency offset estimation can be performed by using only ONE training symbol. Frame synchronization and carrier frequency offset acquisition are performed simultaneously in the proposed scheme. Reliable frame synchronization is obtained in the proposed scheme even in low SNR. The maximum carrier frequency offset acquisition range of the proposed scheme can be up to one half of the total signal bandwidth. The same training symbol can also be utilized to carrier frequency offset Fine Adjustment, which estimates the remaining carrier frequency offset after acquisition with higher accuracy. The performance comparison of the proposed Fine Adjustment algorithm and Schmidl's algorithm by using computer simulation illustrates and verify the superior performance of the proposed algorithm with regard to estimation accuracy.     

Feedback frequency synchronization for OFDM applications

Maximum-likelihood estimation methods are often used to derive carrier frequency recovery schemes for digital receivers. Unfortunately, their rigorous application is generally hindered by analytical difficulties and, in consequence, some approximations must be made to achieve practical results. In this paper we concentrate on frequency recovery for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing signals. Following Daffara and Chouly (see Proc. ICC, p.766-71, June 1993), we derive a feedback synchronizer based on maximum-likelihood methods. Making different approximations, however, we come up with a scheme that is superior in terms of estimation accuracy. Comparisons are also made with other feedback schemes based on heuristic reasoning     

Sensing OFDM systems with timing and frequency offset for cognitive radio networks

In this paper, we consider the detection of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing with timing and frequency offset for cognitive radio over fast time‐varying multipath channels. By making different assumptions on the availability of the timing and frequency offset at the secondary user, we derive two algorithms based on likelihood ratio test and generalized likelihood ratio test, respectively and theoretically obtain the detection performances of them. The proposed algorithms jointly utilize energy of observations and correlation of the cyclic prefix (CP) data. The extensive simulations show that the two algorithms outperform the other CP‐based methods, perform well at very low signal to noise ratio (SNR) and are robust to the CP ratio. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

一种新的基于稀疏导频的OFDM定时同步算法

本文研究了OFDM系统中精确定时估计问题.论文提出了一种新的数据辅助定时同步算法,算法适用于可分辨径数目较少的多径信道环境.通过设计特殊形式的稀疏导频,算法的定时估计精度要优于经典的数据辅助定时估计算法.同时,用同一块导频还可以完成小数倍频偏估计,从而提高了导频的利用效率.仿真表明,算法同时具有较好的定时和频偏估计性能.