Implementation Aspects of Channel Estimation for 3GPP LTE Terminals

In this paper, hardware implementation aspects of the channel estimator in 3GPP LTE terminals are investigated. A channel estimation ASIC, which handles the real-time channel estimation, is presented. Compared to traditional correlator-based channel estimators, the channel estimator presented boosts the throughput at feasible silicon cost by adopting a recently proposed estimation method named Approximate Linear Minimum Mean Square Error (ALMMSE). In this paper, both the architecture and VLSI implementation of the estimator are elaborated. Implemented using a 65nm CMOS process, the channel estimator supports the full 20MHz bandwidth of 3GPP LTE and consumes only 49 kgates.