Coarse time- and frequency synchronization applied in a mobile WiMAX system

Abstract

In this paper, we present coarse synchronization algoritms for OFDM systems, specifically applied with mobile WiMAX transmissions. We consider computationally efficient synchronization algorithms, which are applicable also without full knowledge of the properties of the transmitted signal at the receiver. Although the proposed algorithms are considered for a mobile WiMAX system, their application is not limited to the specific WiMAX signal structure. Indeed, they can be used on any OFDM system with certain type of training sequence. Approaches are considered both for time and for frequency-domain synchronization. In the time-domain case, the proposed algorithm improves the accuracy of a previously studied coarse synchronization approach without significant increase in computational complexity. Furthermore, the considered frequency-domain synchronization method provides computationally efficient and accurate results without explicit prior information on the transmitted signal contents, also in the presence of severe phase error caused by timing inaccuracy.