A Unified Synchronization Algorithm for OFDM Systems in Multipath Fading Channel

In conventional OFDM synchronization algorithms, synchronization problems are considered separately. In this paper, we first derive an analytical equation combining all the synchronization errors. With the analytical results, the intercarrier-interference (ICI) due to synchronization errors can be derived. Next, we propose a unified synchronization scheme using similar operations that treats and solves all the contributing synchronization problems independently without regarding to other synchronization errors, at the same time. As a result, system performance can be improved. Besides, the delay time and the hardware complexities in the entire synchronization process can be reduced, because the mentioned advantages facilitate an efficient shared hardware realization, with small area and high hardware utilization. Performance simulations and evaluations of the proposed method are under way and will be reported in the final camera-ready paper.