On the Performance Limits of Pilot-Based Estimation of Bandlimited Frequency-Selective Communication Channels

TL;DR

This paper investigates the fundamental limits of pilot-based methods for estimating bandlimited frequency-selective channels, deriving bounds and properties of optimal sounding waveforms using a tapped-delay line model.

Contribution

It introduces a framework for assessing estimation bounds and characterizes optimal waveforms for channel sounding in frequency-selective channels.

Findings

Derived closed-form Cramer-Rao bounds for channel estimation

Identified properties of optimal sounding waveforms

Provided insights into the limits of pilot-based channel estimation

Abstract

In this paper the problem of assessing bounds on the accuracy of pilot-based estimation of a bandlimited frequency selective communication channel is tackled. Mean square error is taken as a figure of merit in channel estimation and a tapped-delay line model is adopted to represent a continuous time channel via a finite number of unknown parameters. This allows to derive some properties of optimal waveforms for channel sounding and closed form Cramer-Rao bounds.