Novel receiver structure for joint timing recovery and equalization in frequency selective channels

This paper presents a new receiver structure that addresses the difficult problem of achieving symbol synchronization given a frequency-selective channel. The new joint timing recovery and equalizer structure is partitioned into a number of component parts. The most critical of these component parts, a magnitude equalizing portion which is insensitive to timing errors, is positioned prior to timing recovery, effectively creating an all-pass channel between the transmitter and timing recovery portion of the receiver. Such a structure gives rise to gains in both receiver performance and robustness, and allows the use of less complex symbol synchronization schemes. It is also shown that the magnitude equalizing portion of the equalizer can be retro-fitted to existing receiver designs for corresponding gains.