Performance comparisons of channel estimation techniques in multipath fading CDMA

The problem of pilot-symbol-aided estimation of multipath fading channels in up-link code-division multiple-access (CDMA) systems is considered. The transmitted symbol streams of each user are divided into time-slots; and each time-slot contains a number of pilot-symbols followed by information data symbols. Channel estimation is based on interpolation of the channel values corresponding to the pilot symbols in adjacent time-slots. Existing channel estimation techniques, including the weighted multislot average method and the wavelet expansion method, are studied. Two new channel estimation methods, namely, the robust channel interpolator, and the polynomial channel interpolator, are developed and are compared with these techniques. It is seen that the two new channel estimation methods significantly outperform the existing methods in multipath fading CDMA systems, for a wide range of Doppler values, and under various receiver schemes (with single or multiple receive antennas), such as the RAKE receiver, the interference cancellation receiver, and a receiver which performs iterative channel estimation and interference cancellation.