An MLSE receiver using channel classification for Rayleigh fading channels

We propose a channel classification method that identifies the delay path profile of Rayleigh fading channels, which can be used in conjunction with conventional maximum-likelihood sequence estimation (MLSE) receivers. The proposed method determines the appropriate number of delay taps for the MLSE trellis, based on a decision variable obtained from multiple traffic bursts. By formulating the decision variable using the F-distribution, we derive exact expressions for misclassification probability. A new MLSE receiver structure that utilizes the channel classification method is described, and bit error rate (BER) simulation results are presented to demonstrate the performance improvement. The particular application which is discussed is the IS-136 TDMA standard.