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wlanHELTFChannelEstimate

Channel estimation using HE-LTF

Since R2022b

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    Syntax

    chEst = wlanHELTFChannelEstimate(demodSig,cfg)
    chEst = wlanHELTFChannelEstimate(demodSig,cfg,ruNumber)
    [chEst,chEstPilots] = wlanHELTFChannelEstimate(___)
    [chEst,chEstPilots] = wlanHELTFChannelEstimate(___,FrequencySmoothingSpan=span)

    Description

    chEst = wlanHELTFChannelEstimate(demodSig,cfg) returns the channel estimate at the high efficiency long training field (HE-LTF) using the demodulated HE-LTF signal, demodSig, given the parameters specified in the configuration object cfg. For more information about this field, see HE-LTF.

    example

    chEst = wlanHELTFChannelEstimate(demodSig,cfg,ruNumber) returns the channel estimate for the resource unit (RU) of interest for a multi-user (MU) configuration. You must specify cfg as a wlanHEMUConfig object.

    [chEst,chEstPilots] = wlanHELTFChannelEstimate(___) returns the channel estimate at each pilot subcarrier location for each demodulated HE-LTF OFDM symbol in addition to any input argument combination from the previous syntaxes.

    example

    [chEst,chEstPilots] = wlanHELTFChannelEstimate(___,FrequencySmoothingSpan=span) specifies frequency smoothing using a name-value pair argument.

    example

    Examples

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    Open Live Script

    Calculate and plot the channel estimate of an HE SU format channel by using the high efficiency long training field.

    Create an HE SU format configuration object. Generate a time-domain waveform for an 802.11ax packet.

    cfg = wlanHESUConfig;
txSig = wlanWaveformGenerator([1;0;0;1],cfg);

    Multiply the transmitted signal by 0.1 + 0.3i and pass it through an AWGN channel with a signal-to-noise ratio of 25 dB.

    rxSig = awgn((0.1 + 0.3i)*txSig,25);

    Extract the HE-LTF field indices and demodulate the HE-LTF. Perform channel estimation without frequency smoothing.

    idxHELTF = wlanFieldIndices(cfg,"HE-LTF");
demodSig = wlanHEDemodulate(rxSig(idxHELTF(1):idxHELTF(2),:),"HE-LTF",cfg);
est = wlanHELTFChannelEstimate(demodSig,cfg);

    Plot the channel estimate.

    scatterplot(est)
grid

    Figure Scatter Plot contains an axes object. The axes object with title Scatter plot, xlabel In-Phase, ylabel Quadrature contains a line object which displays its values using only markers. This object represents Channel 1.

    The channel estimate matches the complex channel multiplier.

    Open Live Script

    Calculate and plot the channel estimate of an HE SU format MIMO channel by using the high efficiency long training field.

    Create an HE SU format configuration format object, with a channel bandwidth of 160 MHz and two transmit antennas and two space-time streams. Generate a time-domain waveform for an 802.11ax packet.

    cfg = wlanHESUConfig(NumSpaceTimeStreams=2, NumTransmitAntennas=2);
cfg.ChannelBandwidth = "CBW160";
txSig = wlanWaveformGenerator([1;0;0;1],cfg);

    Create a TGax channel system object with a channel bandwidth of 160 MHz and two transmit and receive antennas. Pass the transmitted signal through the TGax MIMO channel.

    tgax = wlanTGaxChannel;
tgax.ChannelBandwidth = "CBW160";
tgax.NumReceiveAntennas = 2;
tgax.NumTransmitAntennas = 2;
rxSig =  tgax(txSig);

    Extract the HE-LTF field indices and demodulate the HE-LTF. Using a filter span of 7, perform channel estimation at each pilot subcarrier location with frequency smoothing.

    idxHELTF = wlanFieldIndices(cfg,"HE-LTF");
demodSig = wlanHEDemodulate(rxSig(idxHELTF(1):idxHELTF(2),:),"HE-LTF",cfg);
[est,estPilots] = wlanHELTFChannelEstimate(demodSig,cfg,FrequencySmoothingSpan=7);

    Plot the absolute value of the channel estimate for the second of the two space-time streams at both receive antennas.

    plot(abs(est(:,2,1)))
hold on
plot(abs(est(:,2,2)))
xlabel("Subcarrier Index")
title("Absolute Value of Channel Estimates at Space-Time Stream 2")
ylabel("Absolute Value of Channel Estimate")
legend("Rx antenna 1", "Rx antenna 2")

    Figure contains an axes object. The axes object with title Absolute Value of Channel Estimates at Space-Time Stream 2, xlabel Subcarrier Index, ylabel Absolute Value of Channel Estimate contains 2 objects of type line. These objects represent Rx antenna 1, Rx antenna 2.

    Input Arguments

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    Demodulated HE-LTF signal, specified as an NST-by-NSYM-by-NR array. NST is the number of occupied subcarriers, NSYM is the number of demodulated HE-LTF OFDM symbols, and NR is the number of receive antennas.

    Data Types: single | double
    Complex Number Support: Yes

    Format configuration, specified as one of these objects: wlanHEMUConfig, wlanHESUConfig, wlanHERecoveryConfig, or wlanHETBConfig.

    RU number in an HE MU transmission, specified as a positive integer. The RU number specifies the location of the RU within the channel. For example, consider an 80 MHz transmission with two 242-tone RUs and one 484-tone RU, in order of absolute frequency. For this allocation:

    • RU number 1 corresponds to the 242-tone RU in the 20 MHz subchannel at the lowest absolute frequency (size 242, index 1).

    • RU number 2 corresponds to the 242-tone RU in the 20 MHz subchannel at the next lowest absolute frequency (size 242, index 2).

    • RU number 3 corresponds to the 484-tone RU in the 40 MHz subchannel at the highest absolute frequency (size 484, index 2).

    Note

    The function requires this input when you specify cfg as a wlanHEMUConfig object. (since R2024a)

    Data Types: single | double

    Span of the frequency smoothing filter, specified as a positive odd integer. The span is expressed as a number of subcarriers. The function applies frequency smoothing when span is greater than one. For more information on when to specify this input, see Frequency Smoothing.

    Output Arguments

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    Channel estimate between all combinations of space-time streams and receive antennas, returned as an NST-by-NSTS,total-by-NR array. NST is the number of occupied subcarriers. NSTS,total is the total number of space-time streams for all users. In the single-user case, NSTS,total=NSTS. In the multi-user case, NSTS,total is the sum of the values of NSTS for each user of the RU of interest. NR is the number of receive antennas.

    Data Types: single | double
    Complex Number Support: Yes

    Channel estimate at each pilot subcarrier location for each HE-LTF symbol, returned as an NSP-by-NSYM-by-NR array. NSP is the number of pilot subcarriers, NSYM is the number of demodulated HE-LTF OFDM symbols, and NR is the number of receive antennas. The function performs this estimate assuming one space-time stream at the transmitter.

    Data Types: single | double
    Complex Number Support: Yes

    More About

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    HE-LTF

    The HE-LTF is located between the HE-STF and data field of an HE packet.

    As described in Section 27.3.11.10 of IEEE® Std 802.11ax™-2021, the receiver can use the HE-LTF to estimate the MIMO channel between the set of constellation mapper outputs (or, if STBC is applied, the STBC encoder outputs) and the receive chains. An HE PPDU supports three HE-LTF types: 1x HE-LTF, 2x HE-LTF, and 4x HE-LTF, which determine symbol durations of 3.2, 6.4, and 12.8 µs, respectively. In these durations, guard intervals are omitted.

    The number of HE-LTF OFDM symbols transmitted can be one, two, four, six, or eight. The following table, adapted from Table 21-13 in IEEE Std 802.11™-2020, shows how the number of HE-LTF OFDM symbols depends on the number of space-time streams.

    NSTS,totalNSYM
    11
    22
    34
    44
    56
    66
    78
    88

    Frequency Smoothing

    Frequency smoothing can improve channel estimation by averaging out noise.

    Frequency smoothing is recommended only for cases in which a single transmit antenna is used. Frequency smoothing consists of applying a moving-average filter that spans multiple adjacent subcarriers. Channel conditions dictate whether frequency smoothing is beneficial.

    • If adjacent subcarriers are highly correlated, frequency smoothing results in significant noise reduction.

    • In a highly frequency-selective channel, smoothing can degrade the quality of the channel estimate.

    References

    [1] IEEE Std 802.11-2020 (Revision of IEEE Std 802.11-2016). “Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications.” IEEE Standard for Information Technology — Telecommunications and Information Exchange between Systems — Local and Metropolitan Area Networks — Specific Requirements.

    [2] IEEE Std 802.11ax-2021 (Amendment to IEEE Std 802.11-2020). “Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications. Amendment 1: Enhancements for High Efficiency WLAN.” IEEE Standard for Information Technology — Telecommunications and Information Exchange between Systems. Local and Metropolitan Area Networks — Specific Requirements.

    Extended Capabilities

    C/C++ Code Generation
    Generate C and C++ code using MATLAB® Coder™.

    Version History

    Introduced in R2022b

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    See Also

    Objects

    Functions