Channel estimation by using short training sequences in CDMA systems

Multiuser detection techniques are known to be effective to counter the presence of multiuser interference in code division multiple access channels. Multiuser detectors can provide excellent performance only when the channel impulse responses of all the users are precisely known. Hence, channel estimation becomes a challenging issue in mobile communication systems. In this paper, we address the problem of efficient maximum likelihood mobile radio channel estimation at high channel efficiency that requires a short training sequence along with the known spreading sequence. The proposed system can be employed in both the uplink and downlink of a heavily loaded multiuser CDMA system. The extension of the approach with unknown users' delays are also proposed. We present results that show the success of this method in recovering the transmitted bits with a relatively small number of preamble bits.