Maximum likelihood sequence detection using a pilot tone

This paper derives, analyzes, and simulates a maximum likelihood (ML) sequence detector (MLSD) for a linearly modulated signal transmitted with a pilot tone (PT-MLSD). The transmitted signal is distorted by a time-varying frequency-selective Rayleigh fading channel and corrupted by additive Gaussian noise. The received signal is unsynchronized in that there are residual carrier frequency, carrier phase, and symbol timing offsets. The PT-MLSD treats the channel as a stochastic process, and so symbol sequences are distinguished by their autocovariances. Coherent communication is possible even in overspread channels. As the sequences' autocovariances explicitly account for the channel's time variation, the PT-MLSD's bit error rate (BER) floor is normally lower than the BER floor suffered by receivers that estimate the channel impulse response conventionally. Both the data-bearing signal and pilot tone are used together for synchronization, equalization, and detection. The pilot tone is only needed to remove the constellation's phase ambiguity and provide a stable amplitude reference for QAM constellations. It is not needed for estimating the channel impulse response. The pilot tone does not require a spectral null for its insertion, and it does not significantly degrade the peak-to-average or maximum-to-minimum power ratios. Thus, many of the disadvantages of other pilot tone systems are avoided, as there is no bandwidth expansion, and linear amplification is not made appreciably more difficult.