Research Summaries

Back 4G LTE/WiMax Signal Identification and Classification Using Cyclostationary Characteristics

Fiscal Year 2011
Division Graduate School of Engineering & Applied Science
Department Electrical & Computer Engineering
Investigator(s) McEachen, II, John C.
Tummala, Murali
Sponsor Secretary of the Air Force (Air Force)
Summary Long Term Evolution (LTE) and WiMax are the two emerging and competing technologies for the next generation of mobile phones. Both technologies use Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA). Both the 3GPP LTE and IEEE WiMax standards are vague about signal parameters to allow providers as much flexibility as possible in deploying their cellular networks. Specifically, both do not specify a specific carrier frequency or bandwidth. Further, both use multiple subcarrier counts, cyclic prefix values and varied subcarrier designations. The collecting these signals without any prior knowledge is difficult at best. Additionally, OFDMA signals in general are designed to allocate both time and frequency units to multiple users. This presents a problem in terms of determining the user allocation boundaries and allocation maps in addition to being able to determine the underlying OFDM waveform. Fortunately, all OFDMA signals incorporate cyclostationary features in their underlying waveform. These features can be exploited to reveal substantial amounts of information about the waveform. The objective of this new research is to develop novel signal identification, classification and differentiation techniques for 4G mobile signals based characteristics associated with their waveforms. Initial work in this area indicates that these techniques can be used without knowledge of the bandwidth, subcarrier counts or subcarrier designations. Validation will be conducted through simulation of 4G mobile intercept under a variety of conditions.
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