Fast fourier transform processing in an OFDM system

An FFT processor for an OFDM receiver includes multiple interrelated operational blocks. The FFT processor is configured to perform data demodulation, channel estimation, and fine timing acquisition on received OFDM symbols. The FFT processor incorporates a pipelined FFT engine using a memory architecture shared with channel estimation and demodulation blocks. The combination of the shared memory structure and the pipelined FFT operation enable the channel estimation and demodulation processing to be completed during the time used to capture the next received symbol.