Multi-stage MMSE decision feedback equalization for EDGE

Compared to wired channels, time dispersive radio channels possess more frequent nulls in their spectral characteristics. Thus, the performance of linear filters to compensate intersymbol interference degrades dramatically. The well-known nonlinear decision feedback equalizer (DFE) is one approach to improve this behavior. However, in systems with observations of high dimensionality, the optimum DFE structure is computational intensive. In this paper, we apply the method of the multi-stage Wiener filter (MSWF) to a conventional minimum mean square error (MMSE) DFE in order to reduce computational complexity. The application of the new algorithm to an Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) system demonstrates the ability to outperform the even more computational intensive linear Wiener filter (WF).