Maximum likelihood detection for multicarrier systems employing non-orthogonal pulse shapes

Investigation of detection schemes for non-orthogonal multicarrier modulation (MCM) is motivated by two reasons. Firstly, non-orthogonal MCM offers a higher degree of freedom in pulse-shaping design. Secondly, the problem of detecting orthogonal MCM under channel distortion can be viewed as a problem of detecting non-orthogonal MCM. In this work, the maximum likelihood detector (MLD) is considered for non-orthogonal multicarrier systems. In the absence of inter-block interference, it is shown that the MLD can be efficiently achieved by a Viterbi algorithm (VA). In contrast to using the VA for channel equalization, the proposed VA has its survivor metrics running in the""frequency domain". Incorporating this VA with an interference-canceling approach, we also develop a decision feedback MLD for the case of non-zero inter-block interference. Superior bit error performance of the MLDs is demonstrated by simulations.