Combined linear-Viterbi equalizers-a comparative study and a minimax design

Combined linear-Viterbi equalizer (CLVE) is a term often used for a class of digital receivers reducing the complexity of the Viterbi detector by assuming an approximate channel model together with linear pre-equalization of the received data. The authors reconsider a weighted least squares design technique for CLVEs by introducing a minimax criterion for suppressing the strongest component of the residual intersymbol interference. Odling (1993) studied the performance of some proposed CLVE design methods and evaluated them by simulated bit error rates. The present authors investigate the performance of the minimax design and of the CLVE designs found in literature for two GSM test channels. They also present a comparison of the CLVE designs based on a common quadratic optimization criterion for the selection of the channel prefilter and the desired impulse response