A novel symbol synchronization scheme for OFDM

In the multi-stage symbol synchronization strategy for DVB-T COFDM, we proposed a low complexity and good performance coarse symbol synchronization (CSS) algorithm and an accurate fine symbol synchronization (FSS) algorithm. The new CSS algorithm is based on the autocorrelation property of the OFDM signal and estimates the symbol start position by measuring partial cyclic prefix (CP) correlation results. It has lower complexity and better performance (in multipath channel) compared with the conventional maximum likelihood (ML) method. The proposed FSS algorithm is based on pilots and estimates the residual symbol deviation by all-pilots in an OFDM symbol, including continual pilots and scattered pilots. It can acquire more accurate estimation results than the conventional algorithm only using scattered pilots. The analysis and simulations show the improved performance of the CSS algorithm and the FSS algorithm proposed in this paper.