OFDM Signal Detector Based on Cyclic Autocorrelation Function and its Properties

This paper is devoted to research of the general and particular properties of the OFDM signal detector based on the cyclic autocorrelation function. The cyclic autocorrelation function is estimated using DFT. The parameters of the testing signal have been chosen according to 802.11g WLAN. Some properties are described analytically; all events are examined via computer simulations. It is shown that the detector is able to detect an OFDM signal in the case of multipath propagation, inexact frequency synchronization and without time synchronization. The sensitivity of the detector could be decreased in the above cases. An important condition for proper value of the detector sampling interval was derived. Three types of the channels were studied and compared. Detection threshold SNR = -9 dB was found for the signal under consideration and for two-way propagation.