A 350μW Sign-Bit architecture for multi-parameter estimation during OFDM acquisition in 65nm CMOS

Correct estimation of symbol timing, Carrier Frequency Offset (CFO), and Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) is crucial in Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) communication. Typically, high estimation accuracy is desired, but often comes with increased complexity. Which has a direct repercussion in energy consumption. In this article, an architecture based on Sign-Bit estimation with low complexity, and hence low power dissipation, is presented. The architecture, is capable of estimating the afore-mentioned parameters in virtually any OFDM standard. The proof of concept has been fabricated in 65nm CMOS technology with low-power high-VT cells. Measurements performed with supply voltage of 1.2V. resulted in a power dissipation of 350 μW, 6 times smaller to that of an equivalent 8-bit architecture, and the lowest power density reported in literature.