APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M.

Ergen
A Survey
on Channel Estimation Techniques
Based on Pilot Arrangement
in OFDM Systems
by
Mustafa Ergen
Authors: Sinem Coleri, Mustafa Ergen
{csinem,ergen}@eecs.berkeley.edu
Berkeley Web Over Wireless Group
University of California Berkeley
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
Outline

Motivation for OFDM

OFDM System Architecture

Channel Estimation Techniques

Performance Analysis

Conclusion
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
Motivation for OFDM
Disadvantages of FDMA
Bad Spectrum Usage
Disadvantages of TDMA
Multipath Delay spread problem
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
OFDM: Use of Frequency Spectrum

Efficient use of spectrum

Overlap in frequency spectrum of subcarriers

Null point of all other subcarriers at the center frequency of any
particular subcarrier
Frequency spectrum of the subcarriers
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
Multipath Delay Spread

Multi-path delay spread definition

Time spread between the arrival of the first and last

multipath signal, seen by the receiver.

Received radio signal consisting of a direct signal, plus

reflections from objects

Multi-path delay spread effect

Inter-Symbol Interference (ISI) when the delayed

multipath signal overlaps with the symbols following it
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
OFDM: Eliminating ISI

Cyclic Prefix

Prepend the last part of the signal to the beginning of the

signal
Duration of the CP larger than multipath delay spread
Orthogonality of the carriers not affected.
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
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 subcarriers used to prevent frequency and

phase shift errors.
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
Benefits of OFDM

Higher data rates

Overlap of subcarriers

Lower bandwidth than spread spectrum.

High spectral efficiency

Lower multi-path distortion

Usage of cyclic prefix

APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
Our OFDM System 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

APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
System Architecture-1
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
( ) ( ) { }
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
( )
( )
( )
1 ,..., 1 , 0 N k
k H
k Y
k X
e
e
1
7 6
5 4
3 2
System Architecture-2
Input to Time Domain
Guard Interval Channel
Guard Removal Output to Frequency Domain
Output Channel Estimation ICI AWGN Channel Estimated
Channel
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
Pilot Arrangement

Block Type

All sub-carriers
reserved for pilots wit a
specific period

Comb Type

Some sub-carriers are

reserved for pilots for
each symbol
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
Channel Estimation @Block-Type
{ }
1
1
1
1
1
]
1

1
0
1 1 0
1
.
.
.
,..., ,
N
N
LS
y
y
y
x x x diag X where
y X h
LS estimate MMSE estimate
( )
( ) ( ) ( )
MMSE MMSE
k
H H
gg
H
yy
H H
gg
H
gy
yy gy MMSE
k
N
n
j
nk
N
yy gy
MMSE
T
N
N
T
N
Fg h
n E X F XFR yy E R
X F R gy E R
y R R g
e
N
W
F
where y R FR h
gaussian mean zero iid n n n n
g DFT h h h h
n XFg y

1
1
1
1
1
]
1

] | [| ] [
] [
1
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
, , , ] ,..., , [
) ( ] ,..., , [
2
1
2
1
1 1 0
1 1 0
...
.
.
...

1 N 1 N
N
W
0 1 N
N
W
1 N 0
N
W
00
N
W
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
Channel Estimation @ Block-Type
Block Type Decision Feedback Interpolation
( )
( )
( )
1 ,..., 1 , 0 N k
k H
k Y
k X
e
e
( )
( )
( )
1 ,..., 0 N k
k X
k Y
k H
pure
e
H
e
-k
th
sub-carrier Channel Response Estimated
X
e
(k) -> signal demapper -> signal mapper -> X
pure
(k)
Use same channel estimation for the
whole symbol duration
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
Channel Estimation @ Comb-Type Pilot
N
p
pilot signals uniformly inserted in X(k)
L=Number of Carriers/N
p
{H
p
(k) k=0,1,,N
p
} , channel at pilot sub-carriers
X
p
input at the k
th
pilot sub-carrier
Y
p
output at the k
th
pilot sub-carrier
LMS Estimate LS Estimate
( ) ( )
( )

'

0 ,
1 ,..., 1 , . inf
l m
p
x
L l data
l mL X k X
( )
( )
( )
1 ,..., 1 , 0
p
p
p
p
N k
k X
k Y
k H
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
Interpolation @ Comb-Type

Linear Interpolation

Second Order Interpolation

Low pass Interpolation
Spline Cubic Interpolation
Time Domain Interpolation
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
( ) ( )
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
L l
m H
L
l
m H m H
l mL H k H
p p p
e e
<
+ +
+
0
1
Linear Interpolation Second Order Interpolation
( ) ( )
( ) ( ) ( )
( )
( )( )
( )

'

+ +
+

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

Low Pass Interpolation (interp in MATLAB)
Interpolation @ Comb-Type
Time Domain Interpolation
Spline Cubic Interpolation (spline in MATLAB)
Insert zeros into the original sequence
Low-pass filter while passing original data
unchanged
Interpolation such that mean-square error
between ideal and interpolated values min.
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
OFDM Setup
Parameter Specifications
FFT Size 1024
Number of Carriers 128
Pilot Ratio 1/8
Guard Length 256
Guard Type Cyclic Extension
Sample rate of OFDM signal 44.1kHz
Bandwidth 17.5kHz
Signal Constellation BPSK, QPSK, DQPSK,
16QAM
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
Channels
Delay (OFDM samples) Gain Phase(rad)
0 0.2478 -2.5649
1 0.1287 -2.1208
3 0.3088 0.3548
4 0.4252 0.4187
5 0.49 2.7201
7 0.0365 -1.4375
8 0.1197 1.1302
12 0.1948 -0.8092
17 0.4187 -0.1545
24 0.317 -2.2159
29 0.2055 2.8372
49 0.1846 2.8641
Delay Amplitude
0 1
2 0.3162
17 0.1995
36 0.1296
75 0.1
137 0.1
Channel 1
Channel 2
( ) ( ) ( ) n w n ah n h + +1
Time Varying Channel (AR Model)
ATTC
(Advanced Television Technology Center)
and the Grande Alliance
DTV laboratory`s ensemble E model
Simplified version of (Digital Video Broadcasting)
DVB-T channel model
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
Simulation-1
Modulation BPSK
Channel Rayleigh Fading
H(n) Channel 1
Doppler
Frequency
70Hz
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
Modulation QPSK
Channel Rayleigh Fading
H(n) Channel 1
Doppler
Frequency
70Hz
Simulation-2
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
Modulation 16QAM
Channel Rayleigh Fading
H(n) Channel 1
Doppler
Frequency
70Hz
Simulation-3
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
Modulation DQPSK
Channel Rayleigh Fading
H(n) Channel 1
Doppler
Frequency
70Hz
Simulation-4
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
Simulation-5
Modulation 16QAM
Channel AR Fading
H(n) Channel 1
Doppler
Frequency
70Hz
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
Modulation 16QAM
Channel Rayleigh Fading
H(n) Channel 2
Doppler
Frequency
70Hz
Simulation-6
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
Modulation 16QAM
Channel Rayleigh Fading
H(n) Channel 1
SNR 40dB
Simulation-7
APRIL 2002, PARIS IPCN02 M. Ergen
Conclusion
OFDM System
Block Type
Direct or Decision Feedback
Comb Type
LS or LMS estimation at pilot frequencies
Interpolation Techniques
Linear
Second Order
Low Pass
Spline
Time Domain
Modulation
BPSK,QPSK,16QAM,DQPSK
Results:
Comb Type performs better since it tracks fast fading channels.
Low-pass interpolation performs better since mean square error
between the interpolated points and their ideal values is
minimized.