Collaborative Blind Equalization for Time-Varying OFDM Applications Enabled by Normalized Least Mean and Recursive Square Methodologies

In this work, a collaborative blind equalization method for the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signals in time-varying channels is presented. Equalizers are eliminated the inter-symbol interference (ISI) in the received signals caused by channel distortions. The conventional adaptive equalization requires sending the training-sequences periodically to synthesize the channel model, which can only provide redundant information, and consequently decrease the channel utilization and complicate the system. To overcome this drawback, the blind equalization methods, which need not send the training-sequences periodically, is developed. However, the conventional blind equalization methods still suffer from various disadvantages. The normalized least mean square (NLMS) method is able to converge rapidly, whereas its equalization error is relatively large. The recursive least square (RLS) method has smaller steady-state error but low convergence rate, demanding massive training sequences. To further enhance the equalization performance of time-varying OFDM systems, which is typically with massive calculation, a collaborative blind equalization is proposed in this work, which is able to effectively combine the characteristics of the conventional NLMS and RLS methods together. The numerical simulations demonstrate the proposed LM-RS method can exhibit quite good performance. Particularly, as compared with the conventional NLMS and RLS methods, the proposed LM-RS method achieves smaller steady-state error and lower complexity, as well as similar convergence rate. All these results indicate that the proposed collaborative LM-RS blind equalization method is suitable for the OFDM transmission under the time-varying wireless application environments.