Theoretical and measured performance of a DFE modem on a fading multipath channel

The decision-feedback equalizer (DFE) modem considered was developed as part of the Megabit Digital Troposcatter Subsystem. The DFE model developed for fading channel application uses up to four forward filters to combine the received diversity signals. The performance measure for a DFE modem in a fading channel application is the average bit error rate (ABER). A theoretical approach is developed for the calculation of ABER including the effects of intersymbol interference due to multipath and the finiteness of the transversal filter used to realize the forward filter component of the DFE.