A comparison of frequency offset tracking algorithms for OFDM

The estimation and tracking of the carrier frequency offset is a crucial issue in the implementation of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. This paper compares two popular frequency offset tracking schemes. The first is the pilot tone-based method where the frequency offset is derived by correlating received symbols with known symbols, and the second is the cyclic prefix-based scheme which utilizes the periodicity created by the insertion of the cyclic prefix (CP). These two approaches are compared in simulation to characterize their sensitivities to frequency offset, constellation size, and timing error. Our study shows that the pilot tone-based algorithm is sensitive to frequency offset and modulation scheme, while the cyclic prefix-based method is sensitive to timing error.