Data-aided maximum likelihood frequency synchronization for OFDM systems

Distinct from conventional approaches, we apply a generalized data-aided signal model which can jointly consider the cyclic prefix with the preamble/pilot to propose three data-aided frequency offset estimation algorithms based on the maximum likelihood criterion. The proposed algorithms differ from each other in the processing domain and the observation space. Not only can they systematically estimate both the integer part and the fractional part of the frequency offset, but they can also possess the maximum acquisition range of a discrete time system. The effectiveness of the proposed schemes is verified by mathematical analysis and computer simulation.