Real time synchronization for an OFDM/PLC system implemented with a DSP

PLC is a technology for data transmission over the power line and, it is a very attractive area of research since PLC is potentially suitable for sending data at high rates over the existing power system infrastructure. Synchronization is a fundamental process in any OFDM communication system and its implementation must be efficient and fast. This work presents a real time implementation featuring a synchronization method for an OFDM Power Line Communication (PLC) system using a TMS320C6416 DSP. The synchronization method presented in this paper combines techniques based on correlation, linear regression and phase rotation. We propose a specific design for the preamble sequence used in synchronization and channel estimation and present some implementation details that could be useful to implement the referred synchronization algorithm in a real PLC modem.