Optimum pilot pattern for channel estimation in OFDM systems

The performance of channel estimation in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems significantly depends on the pilot signal, which is usually scattered in time and frequency domains. For a given pilot density, the authors optimally design the pilot pattern so as to minimize the mean squared error (MSE) of the channel estimate with the use of a general interpolator. The analytic results are verified by computer simulation.