In this thesis, a novel training sequence is proposed for timing offset estimation in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. The proposed training sequence and the derived timing offset estimator are proved to outperform traditional schemes. In timing estimation of OFDM systems, the scheme proposed by Schmidl [4,5] is perhaps the most well-known one. However, Schmidl¡¦s scheme has a plateau in timing metric, which substantially degrades system performance. In this thesis, simulation experiments are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed timing offset estimator and the mean square error (MSE) is adopted as the performance measure. Simulation results demonstrate that the performance of the proposed scheme not only improves Schmidl¡¦s scheme, but also outperforms Minn¡¦s [9] and Park¡¦s [10] schemes.

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing systems are much more sensitive to timing and frequency error, therefore there were several methods to estimate time and frequency offset. In the thesis, a novel timing offset estimation method for OFDM systems is proposed, it transmits a specific training symbol in the time domain at transmitter. At the receiver, it estimate the timing offset by using a specific timing metric. The proposed scheme isn¡¦t affected by the frequency offset compare with Zhang¡¦s method, and it can estimate timing offset more accurately than Schmidl¡¦s method and Minn¡¦s method. We will analyze the statistical characteristic of the timing metric we proposed at correct time. According to the analysis and simulation result, it can show the accuracy of our analysis. Finally from the simulation result, it demonstrates that the proposed scheme has better performance.

No description available.

To date the majority of research in the area of cooperative communications focuses on maximizing throughput and reliability while assuming perfect channel state information (CSI) and synchronization. This thesis, seeks to address performance enhancement and system parameter estimation in cooperative networks while relaxing these idealized assumptions. In Chapter 3 the thesis mainly focuses on training-based channel estimation in multi-relay cooperative networks. Channel estimators that are capable of determining the overall channel gains from source to destination antennas are derived. Next, a new low feedback and low complexity scheme is proposed that allows for the coherent combining of signals from multiple relays. Numerical and simulation results show that the combination of the proposed channel estimators and optimization algorithm result in significant performance gains. As communication systems are greatly affected by synchronization parameters, in Chapter 4 the thesis quantitatively analyzes the effects of timing and frequency offset on the performance of communications systems. The modified Cramer-Rao lower bound (MCRLB) undergoing functional transformation, is derived and applied to determine lower bounds on the estimation of signal pulse amplitude and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) due to timing offset and frequency offset, respectively. In addition, it is shown that estimation of timing and frequency offset can be decoupled in most practical settings. The distributed nature of cooperative relay networks may result in multiple timing and frequency offsets. Chapters 5 and 6 address multiple timing and frequency offset estimation using periodically inserted training sequences in cooperative networks with maximum frequency reuse, i.e., space-division multiple access (SDMA) networks. New closed-form expressions for the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) for multiple timing and multiple frequency offset estimation for different cooperative protocols are derived. The CRLBs are then applied in a novel way to formulate training sequence design guidelines and determine the effect of network protocol and topology on synchronization parameter estimation. Next, computationally efficient estimators are proposed. Numerical results show that the proposed estimators outperform existing algorithms and reach or approach the CRLB at mid-to-high SNR. When applied to system compensation, simulation results show that application of the proposed estimators allow for synchronized cooperation amongst the nodes within the network. / Thesis (Ph.D, Electrical & Computer Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2010-07-29 16:52:50.272

This dissertation explores the application of Silvester's space-time block code to the multi-index CPM called "ARTM CPM" in the IRIG 106 standard to solve the "two antenna problem"---the use of two transmit antennas to provide full spatial coverage on an airborne test article and the accompanying self interference due to different delays between the two transmit antennas and the ground-based receive antenna. A symbol-level encoding scheme is derived that allows the burst-based space-time block code to operate in a continuously streaming mode. The results show that the space-time block code can solve the two antenna problem with differential delays, but that the differential delays generate a substantial increase in the computational complexity of the detector. Complexity-reducing techniques are applied and analyzed. The results show that the complexity reductions required to produce a practically realizable detector render the bit error probability performance sensitive to the differential delay. Numerical results are presented to quantify the performance loss due to the differential delay. The use of space-time coded ARTM CPM to solve the two-antenna problem in aeronautical mobile telemetry requires estimates of the parameters that define the propagation environment. The maximum likelihood estimator problem is defined and used to motivate reduced-complexity estimators suitable for use in a real system. A modified gradient descent algorithm performs the search required to find the delay parameters. An "inner" phase lock loop operating with an "outer" frequency lock loop computes decision-directed estimates of the frequency offset. Computer simulations were used to assess the impact on bit error rate performance introduced by the estimators. The simulation results show the combined joint estimator for the delays, channel gains, and frequency offset imposes a 1.15 dB loss in performance. This loss is approximately the same as the 1.1 dB loss due to the complexity-reducing techniques used by the decoder/detector.

There has recently been growing interest in using physical layer network coding techniques to facilitate information transfer in wireless relay networks. The physical layer network coding technique takes advantage of the additive nature of wireless signals by allowing two terminals to transmit simultaneously to the relay node. This technique has several performance benefits, such as improving utilization and throughput of wireless channels and reducing delay. In this thesis, we present an algorithm for joint decoding of two unsynchronized transmitters to a modulo-2 sum of their transmitted messages. We address the problems that arise when the boundaries of the signals do not align with each other and when their phases are not identical. Our approach uses a state-based Viterbi decoding scheme that takes into account the timing offsets between the interfering signals. As a future research plan, we plan to utilize software-defined radios (SDRs) as a testbed to show the practicality of our approach and to verify its performance. Our simulation studies show that the decoder performs well with the only degrading factor being the noise level in the channel.

Multiuser and cooperative orthogonal frequency division multiplexing(OFDM) systems are being actively researched and adopted in wireless standards, owing to their advantages of robustness to multipath fading, modularity, and ability to achieve high data rates. In OFDM based systems, perfect frequency and timing synchronization is essential to maintain orthogonality among the subcarriers at the receiver. In multiuser OFDM on the uplink, timing offsets (TOs) and/or carrier frequency offsets (CFOs) of different users, caused due to path delay differences between different users, Doppler and/or poor oscillator alignment, can destroy orthogonality among subcarriers at the receiver. This results in multiuser interference (MUI)and consequent performance degradation. In this thesis, we are concerned with the analysis and mitigation of the effect of large CFOs and TOs in multiuser OFDM systems, including uplink orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA),uplink single-carrier frequency division multiple access(SC-FDMA), and cooperative OFDM. Uplink OFDMA: In the first part of this thesis, we analytically quantify the effect of large CFOs and TOs on the signal-to-interference plus noise ratio(SINR) and uncoded bit error rate(BER) performance of uplink OFDMA on Rayleigh and Rician fading channels, and show analytical results to closely match with simulation results. Such an SINR/BER analysis for uplink OFDMA in the presence of both large CFOs as well as TOs has not been reported before. We also propose interference cancelling(IC) receivers to mitigate the performance degradation caused due to large CFOs and TOs of different users. SC-FDMA versus OFDMA: An issue with uplink OFDMA is its high peak-to-average power ratio(PAPR).Uplink SC-FDMA is proposed in the standards as a good low-PAPR alternative to uplink OFDMA; e.g., SC-FDMA has been adopted in the uplink of 3GPP LTE. A comparative investigation of uplink SC-FDMA and OFDMA from a sensitivity to large CFOs and TOs view point has not been reported in the literature. Consequently, in the second part of the thesis, we carry out a comparative study of the sensitivity of SC-FDMA and OFDMA schemes to large CFOs and TOs of different users on the uplink. Our results show that while SC-FDMA achieves better performance due to its inherent frequency diversity advantage compared to OFDMA in the case of perfect synchronization, its performance can get worse than that of OFDMA in the presence of large CFOs and TOs. We further show that use of low-complexity multistage IC techniques, with the knowledge of CFOs and TOs of different users at the receiver, can restore the performance advantage of SC-FDMA over OFDMA. Cooperative OFDM: Cooperative OFDM is becoming popular because of its ability to provide spatial diversity in systems where each node has only one antenna. In most studies on cooperative communications, perfect time synchronization among cooperating nodes is assumed. This implies that the transmissions from different cooperating nodes reach the destination receiver in orthogonal time slots. In practice, however, due to imperfect time synchronization, orthogonality among different nodes’ signals at the destination receiver can be lost, causing inter-symbol interference(ISI).In the third part of the thesis, we investigate cooperative OFDM communications using amplify-and-forward(AF) protocol at the relay, in the presence of imperfect timing synchronization. We derive analytical expressions for the ISI as function of timing offset for cooperative OFDM with AF protocol, and propose an IC receiver to mitigate the effects of timing offset induced ISI.