Joint symbol detection and channel parameter estimation in asynchronous DS-CDMA systems

A method for jointly estimating the time delay and complex gain parameters, as well as detecting the transmitted symbols in an asynchronous multipath DS-CDMA system, is presented. A short training sequence is used to obtain a coarse estimate of the channel parameters, which is consequently used to detect the symbols. By exploiting structure in the digitally modulated signals, the method iterates to i) improve the estimate of the channel parameters and ii) reduce the probability of incorrect detection. The method’s efficacy is demonstrated by numerical simulations.