Error propagation and recovery in decision feedback equalisers for second order nonlinear channels

Abstract

Nonlinear intersymbol interference is often present in communication and digital storage channels. Decision feedback equalisers can decrease this nonlinear effect by including appropriate nonlinear feedback filters. Although various applications of these types of equalisers have been published in the literature, the analysis of their stability and error recovery has not appeared. In this paper we consider a decision feedback equaliser with a feedback filter based on a discrete Volterra series. We give error propagation, error probability, stability, and error recovery time results for a decision feedback equaliser for 2nd order nonlinear channels, by extending previously published results for the linear channel case. These results can easily be extended for the general Nth order nonlinear channel case.