A Simplified EM Algorithm for Detection of CPM Signals in a Fading Multipath Channel

Application of the EM (Expectation–Maximization) algorithm to sequence estimation in an unknown channel can in principle produce MLSE (maximum likelihood sequence estimates) that are not dependent on a particular channel estimate. The Expectation step of this algorithm cannot be directly performed for continuous phase modulated (CPM) signals transmitted in a time varying multipath channel. We therefore derive a simplification of the EM algorithm for CPM signals in this channel. Simulations applied to the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) show that the simplified EM algorithm significantly decreases the amount of training data needed for the channel model considered, and removes the majority of the bit errors that are due to imperfect knowledge of the channel.