MIMO-OFDM Channel Estimation Using Pilot Carries

A multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system combined with the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation technique can achieve reliable high data rate transmission over broadband wireless channels. Channel state information for both single-input single-output (SISO) and MIMO systems based on pilot aided arrangement is investigated in this paper. The estimation of channel at pilot frequencies with conventional Least Square (LS) and Minimum Mean Square (MMSE) estimation algorithms is carried out through Matlab simulation. The performance of MIMO OFDM and SISO OFDM are evaluated on the basis of Bit Error Rate (BER) and Mean Square Error (MSE) level. Further enhancement of performance can be achieved through maximum diversity Space Time Block Coding (STBC) and Maximum Likelihood Detection at transmission and reception ends respectively. MMSE estimation has been shown to perform much better than LS but is more complex than LS for the MIMO system using pilot carriers.