Apparatus and method for fixed delay tree search

摘要

A method for identifying a signal subject to intersymbol interference comprising the steps of receiving tau +1 samples of the signal where tau is greater than or equal to one; searching a tree representation of known values to determine the path of the branch of the tree which most closely corresponds to the tau +1 samples of the signal; and releasing the symbol of the first metric of the determined branch. The released symbol is the identity of the sample. Preferably, the receiving step includes the step of receiving tau +1 sequential samples, with each sample corresponding to a unique portion of the signal, and the searching step includes the step of comparing each symbol of each metric of each path of each branch with the symbol's corresponding sample in regard to time. An apparatus for identifying a signal subject to intersymbol interference comprising a device for implementing a fixed delay tree search on samples of the signal to determine a symbol associated with a given sample and then releasing that sample. The apparatus also is comprised of a device for inputting samples to the implementing a device.