Advanced Time- and Frequency-Domain Adaptive Equalization in Multilevel QAM Digital Radio Systems

Abstract

Digital radio systems employing multilevel QAM are at least optionally equipped with adaptive time- and/or frequency-domain equalizers. Their purpose is to reduce the vulnerability of these systems to linear distortion caused by multipath propagation. Linear transversal filters are prominent candidates for the realization of time-domain equalizers, especially for high-capacity applications. They are well known for their good performance and their relatively easy implementation at a high data rate. On the other hand, decision feedback equalizers are known to be very capable of eliminating linear distortion, especially of the so-called minimum-phase type. But realization problems are likely to occur in a high-speed application. A solution is proposed which merges the relative advantages of both the linear transversal and the decision feedback approaches. The goal of a frequency-domain equalizer, which is the restoration of the shape of the power density spectrum of the received signal without any recovered carrier and timing signals, can also be achieved with the aid of a transversal filter. The performance obtained with the joint utilization of the novel timeand frequency-domain equalizers is described.