Training sequence versus cyclic prefix-a new look on single carrier communication

Abstract

Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM), with the help of a cyclic prefix, enables low complexity frequency domain equalization, but suffers from a high crest factor. Single carrier with cyclic prefix (SC-CP) has the same advantage with similar performance, but with a lower crest factor and enhanced robustness to phase noise. The cyclic prefix is overhead, so we put more information in it by implementing this cyclic prefix as a training sequence (TS). This new training aided frequency domain equalized single carrier (TASC) scheme offers us additional known symbols and enables better synchronization and (potentially) channel estimation, with the same performance as SC-CP.