A Novel Semi-blind Channel Estimation Scheme for Rayleigh Flat Fading MIMO channels (joint LS estimation and ML detection)

Abstract

In this article, the training-based channel estimation (TBCE) and semi-blind channel estimation (SBCE) schemes in Rayleigh flat fading multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channels are investigated. First, least squares (LS), linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE), maximum likelihood (ML), and maximum a posteriori (MAP) channel estimators are presented and simulated. Owing to faster processing and lower bit error rate (BER), the LS estimator is the proper choice for both TBCE and SBCE-ML. It is illustrated that when the number of transmitter and/or receiver antennas increases, the performance of both TBCE and SBCE-ML schemes significantly improves. In addition, Alamouti coding has more effect on the performance of SBCE-ML rather than TBCE. Comparing LS-based TBCE and LS-based SBCE-ML, the simulation results introduce the most appropriate channel estimation method that uses an iterative algorithm. This new proposed method is based on LS estimator and ML detector. Simulation results of this investigation show that LS-based SBCE-ML method compared with LS-based TBCE method in different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) offers lower BER, 25% higher processing time, and 100 times lower training bits.

Keywords:

• Channel estimation
• LS
• LMMSE
• MAP
• ML
• MIMO
• Rayleigh fading
• SBCE
• TBCE

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Shahriar Shirvani Moghaddam

Shahriar Shirvani Moghaddam was born in Khorramabad, Iran, on 27 July, 1969. He received the B.Sc. degree from Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Tehran, Iran and M.Sc. degree from Higher Education Faculty of Tehran, Iran, both in Electrical Engineering, in 1992 and 1995, respectively. Also he received the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Tehran, Iran, in 2001. He has published more than 40 papers in international scientific journals and conferences, 2 books on digital communications and one book chapter about MIMO systems. Since 2003, he has been with the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University (SRTTU), Tehran, Iran. Currently, he is an assistant professor in Digital Communications Signal Processing (DCSP) research laboratory and his research interests include processing of digital communication signals, channel estimation of MIMO systems, and adaptive array antennas. E-mail: [email protected]

Hossein Saremi

Hossein Saremi was born in Tehran, Iran, on 26 August, 1978. He received the B.Sc. degree from the faculty of Applied and Science of Communications (ICT) Factory, Tehran, Iran and M.Sc. degree from Higher Education Faculty (Islamic Azad University) of Tehran, Iran, both in Electrical Engineering, in 2001 and 2008, respectively. Since 2002, he has been senior engineer in TIC (Telecommunication Infrastructure Company). His research interests are in signal processing for mobile communications including channel estimation of MIMO systems. E-mail: [email protected]