Approximate MLSE Equalization of SOQPSK-TG in Aeronautical Telemetry

An approximate maximum likelihood sequence estimator (MLSE) equalizer for shaped offset QPSK, version TG (SOQPSK-TG) is derived based on the pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) approximation of SOQPSK-TG using the two principal PAM pulses. The resulting equalizer is a generalization of the equalizer based on the Ungerboeck observation model, where the generalization is to two parallel, cross-correlated symbol streams over parallel intersymbol interference channels. The bit error rate (BER) performance and computational complexity of the approximate MLSE equalizer operating over three example channels, motivated by multipath propagation in aeronautical telemetry and with increasing selectivity, are presented. The BER performance was evaluated using computer simulations and shown to be approximately 5-8 dB better than the best frequency-domain minimum mean-squared error (MMSE) equalizers published in the open literature. The computational complexity, measured by the number of real-valued multiplications, is comparable to that of the frequency-domain MMSE equalizers.