Capacity Achieving Pilot Design for MIMO-OFDM Over Time-Varying Frequency-Selective Channels

In this paper, the authors analyze the capacity of MIMO-OFDM systems that utilize pilot symbols to acquire estimation of the radio channel at the receiver. An analytical framework is developed to derive the optimal pilot boost and optimal pilot overhead over time-variant frequency selective channels. In addition, to illustrate the achievable capacity, several numerical examples are given assuming different pilot boosts, pilot overheads, and number of transmit antennas. Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is often considered as a candidate technology for future wireless communication systems, e.g., within IST WINNER (WorldWireless Initiative New Radio) project.