Performance Comparison of Non-Data-Aided Symbol Timing-Error Detection for the Raised-Cosine and "Better Than" Raised-Cosine Pulses

The performance of non-data-aided feedback-loop symbol timing synchronization operating with the raised-cosine (RC) and the "better than" raised-cosine (BTRC) pulses is investigated. The individual effects of additive channel noise, self noise, and their product on the variance of the jitter are studied for the two pulses. The BTRC pulse is shown to have better synchronization performance than the conventional RC pulse, except when the signal-to-noise ratio is very large and the excess bandwidth is large. Furthermore, in the case where a prefilter removing self-noise is employed, the BTRC pulse always has a performance gain over the RC pulse. The gain is, for example, as much as 1.4 dB for excess bandwidth of 0.35 without a prefilter and is larger when the excess bandwidth is smaller or a prefilter is employed.