A Consideration on ML Blind Signal Estimation based on Finite-Alphabet Characteristic in QPSK Modulation

QPSK 신호 입력시스템에서의 유한 알파벹 기반 ML 블라인드 신호 추정 비교

In this paper, a performance comparison between two blind signal estimation algorithms in a LTI channel is considered. The two algorithms, Iterative Least-Squares with Projection (ILSP) and a modified ILSP, are based on the finite-alphabet property of input symbols. This case typically arises in a multiple access system with a sensor array antenna at the receiving end. We start with the formulation of a maximum-likelihood (ML) estimation problem under an additive white Gaussian noise assumption. A blind ML estimator is derived with its iterative algorithm for calculation. Then we narrow down the consideration of this problem to QPSK case so that a modified algorithm is proposed for $\pi$/4-QPSK case. The modified version is compared with the original ILSP algorithm in terms of the rate of the convergence to global minima. A computer simulation shows that the modified algorithm gives a better performance. This result implies that the performance of the blind separation algorithms may be greatly improved by adopting a smart coding scheme with rich structure.