Multiple CFOs Estimation and Implementation of SC-FDMA Uplink System Using Oversampling and Iterative Method

Abstract

Multiple carrier frequency offsets (CFOs) estimation in high speed single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) uplink system is a challenging issue. Most of the existing blind CFO estimation methods work for a certain type of carrier mapping scheme (CMS) or address a single CFO estimation by utilizing long data over frequency selective fading channel. These estimation methods become irrelevant at high speed and multi-user scenarios where CFO changes with symbols and users. In this paper, we propose a blind multiple CFOs estimation method for all CMS of SC-FDMA and implement over testbed. The proposed method requires only one SC-FDMA symbol to attain reliable estimation even in a high mobility environment, i.e., in a doubly selective channel. It exploits the phase difference present between even and odd samples of the received oversampled signal to estimate CFOs. Subsequently, an iterative joint CFO estimation and compensation (IJCEC) method is introduced to remove residual interference and increase CFOs estimation accuracy. Cramer-Rao lower bound is derived to characterize the CFO estimation accuracy of the proposed method. The work is compared with the conventional methods such as MUSIC, ESPRIT, CAZAC, and some existing methods and validated through Monte Carlo simulations. Finally, we authenticate the proposed IJCEC method by performing implementation and measurement on National Instrument testbed setup in an indoor propagation environment.