A performance review of PSP for joint phase/frequency and data estimation in future broadband satellite networks

In unknown channels, nonadaptive maximum likelihood sequence detection (NA-MLSD) is far from optimum in the presence of channel-induced uncertainty. To counteract this uncertainty, conventional solutions augment MLSD with external channel estimators. However, for very low SNR values this estimation procedure becomes marginal and the conventional adaptive MLSD (CA-MLSD) approaches perform poorly. We consider joint data decoding and parameter estimation techniques, and in particular per survivor processing (PSP) techniques, as a potentially effective solutions to this problem, at the expense of increased complexity. The performance/complexity tradeoff is addressed for a convolutionally encoded Q-PSK return link of an SHF/EHF satellite system for multimedia services impaired by phase noise and frequency offsets. By contrasting NA-MLSD, CA-MLSD, and PSP, ranges are provided for channel conditions where the tradeoff favors a particular technique. Further, CA-MLSD and PSP are also contrasted in terms of scalar/ vector estimation performance.