On the complexity-performance trade-off in code-aided frame synchronization

Next generation wireless communication systems are pushing the limits of both energy efficiency and spectral efficiency. This presents a challenge to other functions in the receiver such as frame synchronization. In this paper we examine the trade-off between increased complexity and the improvement in energy and spectral efficiency of code-aided frame synchronization. Parallel and serial approaches to the frame synchronization problem are considered as well as methods for minimizing their complexity. We identify regions over which code-aided frame synchronization improves performance, with respect to a conventional receiver, while maintaining reasonable complexity.