ML frame synchronization for IEEE 802.11a WLANs on multipath Rayleigh fading channels

We develop a frame-synchronization algorithm for IEEE 802.11a WLANs on multipath Rayleigh fading channels based on the ML detection principle. It is found that the resulting test statistics can be realized by a rake-structure energy detector, with each branch extracting energy for a particular delay. Simulation results for channels with rms delay spreads of 50ns and 100ns show that the proposed algorithm, when compared to a convenient method that uses a simple correlator, provides more than an order-of-magnitude reduction in the probability of synchronization failure at high SNR conditions.