Joint Channel Estimation and Synchronization Techniques for Time Interleaved Block Windowed Burst OFDM

Abstract: From a conceptual perspective, 5G technology promises to deliver low latency, high data rate and more reliable connections for the next generations of communication systems. To face these demands, modulation schemes based on Orthogonal Frequency Domain Multiplexing (OFDM) can accommodate these requirements for wireless systems. On the other hand, several hybrid OFDM-based systems such as the Time-Interleaved Block Windowed Burst Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (TIBWB-OFDM) are capable of achieving even better spectral confinement and power efficiency. This paper addresses to the implementation of the TIBWB-OFDM system in a more realistic and practical wireless link scenarios by addressing the challenges of proper and reliable channel estimation and frame synchronization. We propose to incorporate a preamble formed by optimum correlation training sequences, such as the Zadoff-Chu (ZC) sequences. The added ZC preamble sequence is used to jointly estimate the frame beginning, through signal correlation strategies and a threshold decision device, and acquire the channel state information (CSI), by employing estimators based on the preamble sequence and the transmitted data. The employed receiver estimators show that it is possible to detect the TIBWB-OFDM frame beginning and provide a close BER performance comparatively to the one where the perfect channel is known.