Efficient Channel Estimation Techniques for Amplify and Forward Relaying Systems

In this paper, we present a channel estimation scheme for Amplify-and-Forward (AF) relaying systems, using measurements at the destination only. A Least-Squares (LS) based channel estimation algorithm is developed, that provides the destination with full knowledge of all channel responses involved in the transmission. To investigate the algorithm performance, the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRB) is analytically computed and compared with the asymptotic covariance of the proposed estimator. Since the existing estimator does not reach the CRB, we also propose and analyze an improved algorithm by taking into account the noise characteristics via weighted LS (WLS). The improved algorithm is asymptotically efficient, since it attains the CRB as the SNR tends to infinity.