Relay-assisted Channel Estimation for Amplify-and-forward Relaying Systems

DOI: 10.5176/978-981-08-9266-1_mobicona11

Authors: Jeng-Shin Sheu and Jenn-Kaie Lain

Abstract:

This study investigates channel estimation for amplify-and-forward (AF) relaying systems. Channel estimation of a relay path (source-relay-destination) with AF relaying is unique in that both individual source-to-relay and relay-to-destination links are necessary at the destination to perform optimum combining of signal receptions from the direct path (source-to-destination) and relay path if employing a cooperative diversity transmission. Until now, however, few literatures have studied composite channel estimation of the relay path. This work proposes a relay assisted channel estimation for respective estimations of source-to-relay and relay-to-destination links. Relay assistance disintegrates composite channel estimation into individual estimations of source-to-relay and relay-to-destination links, performed at the relay and designation, respectively. Computer simulations show that the channel estimation error incurred by relay imposes slight performance degradation for cooperative diversity, and has nothing to do with the performance if not applying cooperative diversity transmission.

Keywords: Channel estimation, amplify-and-forward relay, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)