Robust data detection in asynchronous DS-CDMA in the presence of timing uncertainty

The decorrelating and minimum mean squared error data detectors for direct sequence code division multiple access (DS-CDMA) communications systems are known to exhibit low vulnerability to the near-far problem. Nevertheless, the performance of these algorithms is highly sensitive to an accurate knowledge of the user propagation delays as well as inter-symbol and/or inter-chip interference such as that produced by frequency-selective fading channels. A new sub-optimum symbol-by-symbol detector is presented which is robust in the presence of these two effects.