8 Generation, coding and modulation of Layer 1 part 2 signalling
9.6 Pilot Insertion
9.6.1 Introduction
Various cells within the OFDM frame are modulated with reference information whose transmitted value is known to the receiver. Cells containing reference information are transmitted at "boosted" power level. These cells are termed scattered, continual and edge pilots. The locations and amplitudes of these pilots are defined in clauses 9.6.2 to 9.6.4. The value of the pilot information is derived from a reference sequence, rk which is a series of values, one for each transmitted carrier on any given symbol. The reference sequence is defined in clause 9.2.3.
The pilots can be used for frame synchronization, frequency synchronization, time synchronization, channel estimation and can also be used to follow the phase noise.
Table 33 gives an overview of the different types of pilot and the symbols in which they appear. This clause only describes pilots inserted to Data Symbols i.e. scattered, continual and edge pilots. Preamble pilots are described in clause 9.3.3.
Table 33: Presence of the various types of pilots in each type of symbol (X=present)
Symbol PILOT TYPE
Scattered Continual Edge Preamble
Preamble X
Data X X X
The following clauses specify values for cm,l,k, for certain values of m, l and k, where m and l are the C2 Frame and symbol number as previously defined, and k is the OFDM carrier index (see clause 3.2).
9.6.2
Scattered pilot insertion
Reference information, taken from the reference sequence, is transmitted in scattered pilot cells in every symbol except Preamble Symbol(s) of the C2 Frame. The locations of the scattered pilots are defined in clause 9.6.2.1, their amplitudes are defined in clause 9.6.2.2 and their modulation is defined in clause 9.6.2.3.
9.6.2.1
Locations of the scattered pilots
The locations of scattered pilots depend only upon the symbol index l, carrier index k and the GI fraction. A given carrier k of the OFDM signal on a given symbol l will be a scattered pilot if the appropriate equation below is satisfied:
) mod ( ) mod(DX DY DX l DY k ⋅ =
where: DX, DY are defined in table 34.
k: 0 RF origin carrier index. l: Data Symbol index.
Table 34: Parameters defining the scattered pilot patterns
GI Fraction Separation of pilot bearing carriers (D X)
Number of symbols forming one scattered pilot sequence (DY)
1/64 12 4
1/128 24 4
The scattered pilot patterns are illustrated in annex H.
9.6.2.2
Amplitudes of the scattered pilots
The amplitudes of the scattered pilots, ASP, are fixed as 7/3. This amplitude is commonly used for continual pilots and edge pilots as well.
9.6.2.3
Modulation of the scattered pilots
The phases of the scattered pilots are derived from the reference sequence given in clause 9.3. The modulation value of the scattered pilots is given by:
Re{cm,l,k} = ASP 2(1/2 -rk)
Im{ cm,l,k } = 0.
where ASP is as defined in clause 9.6.2.2, rk is defined in clause 9.3, m is the C2 Frame index, k is the frequency index of the carriers.
9.6.3
Continual pilot insertion
9.6.3.1
Locations of the continual pilots
The continual pilot locations are defined within a block of KL1 = 3 408 carriers and this pattern is repeated to support the entire range of possible carriers. The KL1 carrier index block is aligned with the L1 signalling block, whose length is also KL1.
The continual pilot locations within the KL1 carrier index block are defined in table 35. A given carrier index k of the OFDM signal will be a continual pilot if k mod KL1 is matched with one of the numbers in table 34.
Table 35: Continual Pilot Carrier Indices Indices
96 216 306 390 450 486 780 804
924 1 026 1 224 1 422 1 554 1 620 1 680 1 902 1 956 2 016 2 142 2 220 2 310 2 424 2 466 2 736 3 048 3 126 3 156 3 228 3 294 3 366
9.6.3.2
Amplitudes of the Continual Pilots
The amplitudes of the continual pilots, ACP, are fixed as 7/3. This amplitude is commonly used for scattered pilots and edge pilots as well.
9.6.3.3
Modulation of the Continual Pilots
The phases of the continual pilots are derived from the reference sequence given in clause 9.3. The modulation value for the continual pilots is given by:
Re{cm,l,k} = 2 ACP (1/2 -rk)
Im{ cm,l,k } = 0.
where rk is defined in clause 9.3.
9.6.4
Edge pilot insertion
In addition to the scattered and continual pilots, a number of edge pilots are also inserted at the 'edge' carrier locations in every symbol except Preamble Symbol(s). The number of edge pilots depends upon the number of spectrum Notches within an OFDM signal.
9.6.4.1
Locations of the edge pilots
There are two kinds of edge carrier; those carriers at the upper and lower extremes of the OFDM spectrum and those carriers either side of a spectrum Notch. The edge pilots are inserted in both cases.
The lowest frequency edge pilot of the OFDM spectrum is inserted by replacing potential data and scattered pilot carriers. On the other hand the highest frequency edge pilot of the OFDM spectrum is inserted as an extra carrier to the data carriers. This ensures that the edge pilots are on the scattered pilot bearing carriers. These pilot locations are shown in figure 39.
Figure 39: OFDM spectrum edge pilot locations
Edge pilots are also placed either side of spectrum Notches. The edge pilot for the lower frequency edge of a Notch is inserted at carrier index KN,min-1, whereas the edge pilot for the higher frequency edge of a Notch is inserted at carrier index KN,max+1. Where KN,min and KN,max are the start and end carrier indices for a spectrum Notch, details are defined in clause 9.4.1.3. These edge pilots will lie on scattered pilot bearing subcarriers. These pilot locations are shown in figure 40.
Figure 40: Spectrum Notch edge pilot locations
NOTE: The edge pilot locations are always be at integer multiples of Dx. They are scattered pilot bearing carriers.
9.6.4.2
Amplitudes of the Edge Pilots
The amplitude of the edge pilots and the scattered pilots is 7/3.
9.6.4.3
Modulation of the Edge Pilots
The modulation of these cells is exactly the same as for the scattered pilots, as defined in clause 9.6.2.3:
Re{cm,l,k} = 2 ASP (1/2 -rk)