Synchronization in MIMO OFDM systems

In this paper, an overview of carrier frequency offset (CFO) estimation algorithms for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) systems is presented. It is well-known that multicarrier systems suffer from their high sensitivity to mismatches of transmitter and receiver oscillator frequencies. The performance degrades since the CFO destroys the orthogonality of the subcarriers. Hence, extensive research has been done on the estimation and correction of the CFO in Single-Input Single-Output (SISO) systems. Mainly, the proposed algorithms can be categorized into data-aided and blind techniques. Several estimation techniques have been extended to the Single-Input Multiple- Output (SIMO) case where multiple receive antennas can be utilized to gain diversity. However, less attention has been paid on synchronization in the attractive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) case which is topic of tremendous interest in current research. The present paper concentrates on aspects of this new scenario. Starting with algorithms for SISO and SIMO, this contribution reviews briefly proposed carrier frequency synchronization techniques which could be implemented in forthcoming MIMO systems.