Introduces Intercarrier Interference Research Articles

A Model Reduction Approach for OFDM Channel Estimation Under High Mobility Conditions

Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) combines the advantages of high performance and relatively low implementation complexity. However, for reliable coherent detection of the input signal, the OFDM receiver needs accurate channel information. When the channel exhibits fast time variation as it is the case with several recent OFDM-based mobile broadband wireless standards (e.g., WiMAX, LTE, DVB-H), channel estimation at the receiver becomes quite challenging for two main reasons: 1) the receiver needs to perform this estimation more frequently and 2) channel time-variations introduce intercarrier interference among the OFDM subcarriers which can degrade the performance of conventional channel estimation algorithms significantly. In this paper, we propose a new pilot-aided algorithm for the estimation of fast time-varying channels in OFDM transmission. Unlike many existing OFDM channel estimation algorithms in the literature, we propose to perform channel estimation in the frequency domain, to exploit the structure of the channel response (such as frequency and time correlations and bandedness), optimize the pilot group size and perform most of the computations offline resulting in high performance at substantial complexity reductions.

Exploiting Multiple Antennas for Synchronization

Orthogonal frequency-division multiplex (OFDM) offers a low-complexity solution to equalization in multipath channels but does so by increasing the symbol period. This places a limit on the mobility of such systems since time variations in the channel during the symbol period introduce intercarrier interference (ICI), hence, degrading performance. Solutions to reduce ICI in the literature require a high degree of processing. Increasing terminal mobility also places greater requirements on synchronization processing to track the rapidly changing channel. This paper uses multiple antennas at the receiver so that the channel response can be decomposed into a number of more slowly varying channels. Independent synchronization processing and correction can be applied to each of the derived channels before combining the signals prior to the fast Fourier transform (FFT) process. By individually processing the channels, the effective channel is compressed in the time and frequency domains, improving system performance. Perfect tracking of the multipath clusters is initially assumed to show the potential benefits, followed by operation with an idealized tracking algorithm. Operation with more realistic processing algorithms using fixed sectored elements improving the bit error rate (BER) is investigated. Finally, the benefits are then demonstrated with real measured channels from an urban environment.

Joint Effects of Synchronization Errors of OFDM Systems in Doubly-Selective Fading Channels

The majority of existing analyses on synchronization errors consider only partial synchronization error factors. In contrast, this work simultaneously analyzes joint effects of major synchronization errors, including the symbol time offset (STO), carrier frequency offset (CFO), and sampling clock frequency offset (SCFO) of orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems in doubly-selective fading channels. Those errors are generally coexisting so that the combined error will seriously degrade the performance of an OFDM receiver by introducing intercarrier interference (ICI) and intersymbol interference (ISI). To assist the design of OFDM receivers, we formulate the theoretical signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) due to the combined error effect. As such, by knowing the required SINR of a specific application, all combinations of allowable errors can be derived, and cost-effective algorithms can be easily characterized. By doing so, it is unnecessary to run the time-consuming Monte Carlo simulations, commonly adopted by many conventional designs of synchronization algorithms, in order to know those combined error effects.

A Novel Technique for Channel Estimation and Equalization for High Mobility OFDM Systems

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) technique, when used in wireless environments, is known to be robust against frequency selective fading. However, when the channel shows time selective fading, rapid variations destroy the subcarrier orthogonality and introduce inter-carrier interference (ICI). The use of ICI mitigation schemes requires the availability of channel state information (CSI) at the receiver, which is a non-trivial task in fast fading systems. In our work, we have addressed the problem of estimation of rapidly varying channels for OFDM systems. The channel is modeled using complex exponentials as basis functions and the estimation process makes use of the cyclic prefix (CP) part available in OFDM symbols as training. The system is viewed as a state space model and Kalman filter is employed to estimate the channel. Following this, a time domain ICI mitigation filter that maximizes the received SINR (signal to interference plus noise ratio) is employed for equalization. This method performs considerably well in terms of MSE as well as BER at very high Doppler spreads.

Kalman filter‐based channel estimation and ICI suppression for high‐mobility OFDM systems

AbstractThe use of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) in frequency‐selective fading environments has been well explored. However, OFDM is more prone to time‐selective fading compared with single‐carrier systems. Rapid time variations destroy the subcarrier orthogonality and introduce inter‐carrier interference (ICI). Besides this, obtaining reliable channel estimates for receiver equalization is a non‐trivial task in rapidly fading systems. Our work addresses the problem of channel estimation and ICI suppression by viewing the system as a state‐space model. The Kalman filter is employed to estimate the channel; this is followed by a time‐domain ICI mitigation filter that maximizes the signal‐to‐interference plus noise ratio (SINR) at the receiver. This method is seen to provide good estimation performance apart from significant SINR gain with low training overhead. Suitable bounds on the performance of the system are described; bit error rate (BER) performance over a time‐invariant Rayleigh fading channel serves as the lower bound, whereas BER performance over a doubly selective system with ICI as the dominant impairment provides the upper bound. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Particle-Based Iterative Blind Receiver for Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing with Frequency Offset

Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems are sensitive to carrier frequency offset (CFO) which introduces intercarrier interference and significantly degrades system performance. This paper describes an iterative blind receiver consisting of a sequential Monte Carlo detector, a CFO estimator, and a compensator to reduce intercarrier interference. The framework is of low complexity due to the separation of tasks in a joint detection problem. In addition, the CFO estimator utilizes soft output of the sequential Monte Carlo detector, which reduces the information loss caused by hard decisions and can obtain the CFO estimate in only one OFDM symbol. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm.

A Bayesian State–Space Approach to Combat Inter-Carrier Interference in OFDM Systems

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is an emerging multi-carrier modulation scheme, which has been adopted for several wireless standards such as IEEE 802.11a and HiperLAN2. A well-known problem of OFDM is its sensitivity to frequency offset between the transmitted and received carrier frequencies. This frequency offset introduces inter-carrier interference (ICI) in the OFDM symbol. In this letter, we investigate two methods for combating the effects of ICI: the extended Kalman filter (EKF) method and a form of the sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) method called sequential importance sampling (SIS). Through simulations, we explore the efficiency of these two methods for various frequency offsets and different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). Our estimates of the frequency offset are very satisfactory, especially in the latter case, resulting in performance improvement of the OFDM modulation scheme.

Iterative Precoding Scheme for Downlink OFDMA System with Carrier-Frequency Offset

In orthogonal frequency-division multiplex access (OFDMA) downlink systems, the carrier-frequency offset (CFO) between the multiple transceivers introduces inter-carrier interference (ICI). In this letter, we propose an iterative precoding scheme to suppress the ICI due to CFO. This scheme is applied at the transmitter, and can jointly cancel the ICI for all the receivers. Moreover, by the studies of the convergence behavior of the iterations, a sufficient condition for the convergence is presented. The theoretical analysis and simulation results both show that this iterative scheme is equivalent to the zero-forcing (ZF) scheme in function, but with much lower complexity.

Analysis of Iterative ICI Cancellation Algorithm for Uplink OFDMA Systems with Carrier-Frequency Offset

SUMMARY In orthogonal frequency-division multiplex access (OFDMA) uplink, the carrier-frequency offsets (CFOs) between the multiple transmitters and the receiver introduce inter-carrier interference (ICI) and severely degrade the performance. In this paper, based on the perfect estimation of each user’s CFO, we propose two low-complexity iterative algorithms to cancel ICI due to CFOs, which are denoted as the basic algorithm and the improved algorithm with decision-feedback equalization (DFE), respectively. For the basic one, two theorems are proposed that yield a sufficient condition for the convergence of iterations. Moreover, the interference-power-evolution (IPE) charts are proposed to evaluate the convergence behavior of this interference cancellation algorithm. Motivated by the IPE chart, the procedure of DFE is introduced into the iterations, which is the basic idea of the improved algorithm. For this improved algorithm, the error-propagation effect are analyzed and suppressed by an efficient stopping criterion. From IPE charts and simulation results, it can be easily observedthat the basic algorithm has the same capability of ICI cancellation as the linear optimal minimum mean square error (MMSE) method, but offers lower complexity, while the improved algorithm with DFE outperforms the MMSE method in terms of the bit-error rate (BER) performance.

Estimation of time-varying channels for pilot-assisted OFDM systems

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems encounter performance degradations because of the time-varying (TV) channels common in wireless environments. The channel variations within one OFDM symbol introduce intercarrier interference. In this case, the frequency domain channel matrix is no longer diagonal, hence the corresponding channel estimation is challenging. In this article, two novel TV channel estimation approaches are proposed for the pilot-assisted OFDM systems, where the channel is approximated by the high-order linear model or the piece-wise linear model in time domain. The least square estimation is derived for the two kinds of channel approximations. The simulation is performed based on realistic TV channels with a fairly high Doppler spread. The results show the significant decreasing of the estimation mean square error using the proposed approaches.

Adaptive Linear Symbol Detection for OFDM Systems in Time-Frequency-Selective Fading Channels

Time-frequency-selective, equivalently time-variant multipath, fading channels in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems introduce intercarrier interference (ICI), resulting in severe performance degradation. To suppress the effect of ICI, several symbol detection methods have been proposed, all of which are based on the observation that most of the ICI's power is distributed near the desired subcarrier. However, these methods usually ignore the channel variation in a OFDM symbol block by fixing the number of considered ICI terms. Therefore, we propose a novel frequency-domain symbol detection method with moderate complexity, which adaptively determines the number of ICI terms within each OFDM symbol block.

A Blind Maximum Likelihood Carrier Frequency Offset Correction Approach for OFDM Systems over Multipath Fading Channels

In orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems, carrier frequency offset (CFO) destroys the orthogonality between subcarriers and hence introduces intercarrier interference. In this paper, a maximum likelihood CFO correction (ML-CFOC) approach is proposed to compensate for the deleterious effects of CFO. The ML-CFOC method exploits the independence between the desired signals and is based on a novel simplified independent component analysis algorithm. The proposed ML-CFOC approach is successfully implemented for OFDM systems over multipath fading channels without requiring training sequences. Computer simulations are given to illustrate the optimal performance of the ML-CFOC.

Iterative Equalization Technique for Double-Selective Channel Estimation in OFDM Systems

In OFDM based mobile communication systems, channel variation during one symbol period introduces intercarrier interference (ICI). Conventional pilot-aided equalization mitigates the ICI at the price of band inefficiency. On the other hand, the blind or semi-blind equalization method, which utilizes the known statistic properties of the transmitted data, will raise system complexity. In this letter, without bandwidth-consuming pilots, a novel channel estimation and tracking method based on an iterative equalization technique (IET) is proposed. The proposed approach successfully achieves a good compromise between bandwidth efficiency and system complexity, and its validity is demonstrated by numerical simulations, especially for fast fading channel.

A Multicarrier CDMA System for Joint Time-Frequency Diversity Using Divided Spreading Sequence

One of the principal disadvantages of multicarrier modulation technique is the sensitivity to the frequency offset introduced by Doppler shift. This frequency offset introduces inter-carrier interference (ICI) among the multiplicity of carriers in the multicarrier modulated signal. However, Doppler spread induced by temporal channel variations can provides another means for diversity. In this paper, we propose a modified multicarrier code division multiple access (CDMA) system to exploit Doppler diversity as well as multipath diversity. The key work of our framework is a canonical time-frequency-based decomposition of the mobile wireless channel into series of independent fading channel. The decomposition naturally leads to a time-frequency generalization of the Rake receiver that exploits both multipath and Doppler diversity.

Mathematical analysis of the impact of timing synchronization errors on the performance of an OFDM system

This letter addresses the effect of synchronization errors that are introduced by an erroneous detection of the start of an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol. Throughout this letter, the term timing error would refer to this type of error. Such errors degrade the performance of an OFDM receiver by introducing intercarrier interference (ICI) and intersymbol interference (ISI). They can occur due to either an erroneous initial frame synchronization or a change in the power delay profile of the channel. In this letter, we provide a mathematical analysis of the effect of errors on the performance of an OFDM receiver in a frequency-selective fading environment. The analysis presented in this letter is for the case that no equalization technique has been used to mitigate the introduced ICI and ISI. We find exact formulas for the power of interference terms and the resulting average signal-to-interference ratio. We further extend the analysis to the subsample level. Our results show the nonsymmetric effect of errors on the performance of an OFDM system. Finally, simulation results confirm the analysis. The results of this letter can be easily extended to address the effect of such errors on DMT modems.

ICI mitigation for pilot-aided OFDM mobile systems

Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) is robust against frequency selective fading due to the increase of the symbol duration. However, for mobile applications channel time-variations in one OFDM symbol introduce intercarrier-interference (ICI) which degrades the performance. This becomes more severe as mobile speed, carrier frequency or OFDM symbol duration increases. As delay spread increases, symbol duration should also increase in order to maintain a near-constant channel in every frequency subband. Also, due to the high demand for bandwidth, there is a trend toward higher carrier frequencies. Therefore, to have an acceptable reception quality for the applications that experience high delay and Doppler spread, there is a need for ICI mitigation within one OFDM symbol. We introduce two new methods to mitigate ICI in an OFDM system with coherent channel estimation. Both methods use a piece-wise linear model to approximate channel time-variations. The first method extracts channel time-variations information from the cyclic prefix. The second method estimates these variations using the next symbol. We find a closed-form expression for the improvement in average signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) when our mitigation methods are applied for a narrowband time-variant channel. Finally, our simulation results show how these methods would improve the performance in a highly time-variant environment with high delay spread.