Abstract: A receiver may be operable to receive an inter-symbol correlated (ISC) signal, and generate a plurality of soft decisions as to information carried in the ISC signal. The soft decisions may be generated using a reduced-state sequence estimation (RSSE) process. The RSSE process may be such that the number of symbol survivors retained after each iteration of the RSSE process is less than the maximum likelihood state space. The plurality of soft decisions may comprise a plurality of log likelihood ratios (LLRs). Each of the plurality of LLRs may correspond to a respective one of a plurality of subwords of a forward error correction (FEC) codeword.

Abstract: A system may comprise a symbol mapper circuit that outputs C? quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) symbols per orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol. The system may also comprise circuitry operable to process said C? QAM symbols using a circulant matrix to generate a particular OFDM symbol consisting of C+? subcarriers, where C? is a first integer, C is a second integer less than C?, and ? is an integer equal to the number of non-data-carrying subcarriers in the particular OFDM symbol. The circulant matrix may be a P×P matrix, where P is an integer less than C?. The system may comprise a nonlinear circuit that introduces nonlinear distortion to said particular OFDM symbol.

Abstract: One or more embodiments describe a decision feedback equalizer for highly spectrally efficient communications. A method may be performed in a decision feedback equalizer (DFE). The method may include initializing values of tap coefficients of the DFE based on values of tap coefficients of a partial response filter through which said transmitted symbols passed en route to said sequence estimation circuit. The method may include receiving estimates of transmitted symbols from a sequence estimation circuit, and receiving an error signal that is generated based on an estimated partial response signal output by the sequence estimation circuit. The method may include updating values of tap coefficients of the DFE based on the error signal and the estimates of transmitted symbols. The method may include generating one or more constraints that restrict the impact of the error signal on the updating of the values of the tap coefficients of the DFE.

Abstract: A method and system for configuring one or both of a transmitter pulse-shaping filter and a receiver pulse-shaping filter to generate a total partial response that incorporates a predetermined amount of inter-symbol interference (ISI), based on one or more defined performance-related variables and one or more set constraints that are applicable to one or both of the transmitter pulse-shaping filter and the receiver pulse-shaping filters. The predetermined amount of ISI is determined based on an estimation process during extraction of data from an output of the receiver pulse-shaping filter, such that performance of total partial response based communication matches or surpasses performance of communication incorporating filtering based on no or near-zero ISI. The configuring may comprise determining optimized filtering configuration, by applying an optimization process which is based on, at least in part, the one or more constraints and the one or more performance-related variables.

Abstract: An electronic receiver may comprise nonlinear distortion modeling circuitry, interference estimation circuitry, and sequence estimation circuitry. The receiver may receive an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol in the form of an electromagnetic signal. The nonlinear distortion modeling circuitry may generate a nonlinear distortion model that models nonlinear distortion introduced to the received electromagnetic signal en route to the sequence estimation circuitry. The interference estimation circuitry may estimate inter-subcarrier interference present in the received OFDM symbol based on the generated nonlinear distortion model. The estimating of the inter-subcarrier interference may comprise applying the nonlinear distortion model to one or more candidate vectors generated by the sequence estimation circuitry. The sequence estimation circuitry may sequentially process a plurality of received virtual subcarrier values of the OFDM symbol using the estimated inter-subcarrier interference.

Abstract: A receiver may process a received signal to generate a processed received signal. The receiver may generate, during a sequence estimation process, an estimate of a phase error of the processed received signal. The receiver may generate an estimate of a value of a transmitted symbol corresponding to the received signal based on the estimated phase error. The generation of the estimate of the phase error may comprise generation of one or more phase candidate vectors. The generation of the estimate may comprise calculation of a metric based on the one or more phase candidate vectors. The calculation of the metric may comprise phase shifting the processed received signal based on the estimated phase error resulting in a phase-corrected received signal. The calculation of the metric may comprise calculating a Euclidean distance based on the phase-corrected received signal and one or more symbol candidate vectors.

Abstract: One or more embodiments describe a decision feedback equalizer utilizing symbol error rate biased adaptation function for highly spectrally efficient communications. A method may be performed in a decision feedback equalizer (DFE). The method may include determining values of tap coefficients used by the DFE based. The tap coefficients may be determined based on an error signal that is based on an estimated inter-symbol-correlated (ISC) signal. The tap coefficients may be determined based on a set of error vector(s), where each error vector in the set represents a difference between estimated symbols generated in the receiver and expected symbols. Determining the values of the tap coefficients may include using a symbol error rate function that estimates the actual symbol error rate in the receiver, wherein the symbol error rate function receives as input the set of error vector(s).

Abstract: A transmitter may comprise a symbol mapping circuit that is configurable to operate in at least two configurations, wherein a first of the configurations of the symbol mapping circuit uses a first symbol constellation and a second of the configurations of the symbol mapping circuit uses a second symbol constellation. The transmitter may also comprise a pulse shaping circuit that is configurable to operate in at least two configurations, wherein a first of the configurations of the pulse shaping circuit uses a first set of filter taps and a second of the configurations of the pulse shaping circuit uses a second set of filter taps. The first set of filter taps may correspond to a root raised cosine (RRC) filter and the second set of filter taps corresponds to a partial response filter.

Abstract: Circuitry for use in a receiver may comprise: a front-end circuit operable to receive an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol on a first number of physical subcarriers. The circuitry may comprise a decoding circuit operable to decode the OFDM symbol using an inter-carrier interference (ICI) model, the decoding resulting in a determination of a sequence of symbols, comprising a second number of symbols, that most-likely correspond to the received OFDM symbol, where the second number is greater than the first number. The sequence of symbols may comprise N-QAM symbols, N being an integer. The ISCI model may be based, at least in part, on non-linearity experienced by the OFDM symbol during transmission by a transmitter, propagation over a channel, and/or reception by the receiver. The ISCI model may be based, at least in part, on phase-noise introduced to the OFDM symbol during transmission by a transmitter, propagation over a channel, and/or reception by the receiver.

Abstract: One or more embodiments describe a decision feedback equalizer with multiple cores for highly spectrally efficient communications. An equalization circuit in a receiver may include a decision feedback equalizer circuit having a first plurality of tap coefficients that are determined based on a cost function that receives as input an error signal that is an inter-symbol-correlated (ISC) signal. The decision feedback equalizer circuit may further include a second plurality of tap coefficients that are determined based on a filter with an ISC response. The cost function may determine the mean square of the error signal. The cost function is constrained or unconstrained. The error signal may represents error caused by a channel. In some embodiments, the ISC signal may be a partial response signal, and the filter with an ISC response may be a partial response filter.

Abstract: A receiver may be operable to receive a QAM-based, inter-symbol correlated (ISC) signal having pilot overhead of 5% at a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The receiver may be operable to process the QAM-based, ISC signal to output information at a particular rate with a symbol error rate lower than or equal to 1e-2. The first SNR may be at least 3 dB below a SNR required to achieve the same particular information rate and the same symbol error rate while processing a signal having zero inter-symbol interference.

Abstract: A receiver may comprise a sequence estimation circuit and operate in at least two modes. In a first mode, the sequence estimation circuit may process OFDM symbols received on a first number of data-carrying subcarriers to recover a number of mapped symbols per OFDM symbol that is greater than the first number. In a second mode, the sequence estimation circuit may process OFDM symbols received on a second number of data-carrying subcarriers to recover a number of mapped symbols per OFDM symbol that is equal to the second number. The second number may be equal to or different from the first number. While the receiver operates in the first mode, the sequence estimation circuit may be operable to generate candidate vectors and process the candidate vectors using a controlled ISCI model to generate reconstructed physical subcarrier values.

Abstract: A receiver may be dynamically configurable, during run-time, into a plurality of modes of operation. In a first mode of operation the receiver may demodulate received signals having relative low inter-symbol correlation using a near zero ISI filter and symbol slicing. In a second mode of operation the receiver may demodulate received signals having relatively high inter-symbol correlation using an input filter configured to achieve a desired total partial response and a sequence estimation algorithm.

Abstract: A method and system for optimizing symbol mapping in partial response based communications that are based on use of pulse-shaping that incorporates a predetermined amount of inter-symbol interference (ISI). Optimizing symbol mapping symbol mapping may comprise configuring optimized constellation mapping for use in mapping and/or de-mapping data communicated using the partial response pulse-shaping. In this regard, the optimized constellation mapping may be based on a reference constellation mapping that is utilized for reference modulation scheme, and the configuring comprises applying adjustments to one or more constellation points in the reference constellation mapping. The optimized constellation mapping may be configured to optimize an applicable minimum distance for one or more selected error patterns for a given spectral compression applied during partial response based communications.

Abstract: A transmitter may comprise a symbol mapper circuit and operate in at least two modes. In a first mode, the number of symbols output by the mapper circuit per orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol transmitted by said transmitter may be greater than the number of data-carrying subcarriers used to transmit the OFDM symbol. In a second mode, the number of symbols output by said mapper circuit per orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol transmitted by said transmitter is less than or equal to the number of data-carrying subcarriers used to transmit said OFDM symbol. The symbols output by the symbol mapper circuit may be N-QAM symbols. While the circuitry operates in the first mode, the symbols output by the mapper may be converted to physical subcarrier values via filtering and decimation prior to being input to an IFFT circuit.

Abstract: A transmitter may be operable to generate a sequence of symbols which may comprise information symbols and one or more pilot symbols. The transmitter may transmit the information symbols at a first power and transmit the one or more pilot symbols at a second power. In instances when a particular performance indicator is below a determined threshold, the first power may be set to a first value and the second power may be set to zero value. In instances when the particular performance indicator is above the determined threshold, the first power may be set to a second value and the second power may be set to a non-zero value. A value of the first power and a value of the second power may be based on an applicable average power limit determined by a communications standard with which the transmitter is to comply.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for timing synchronization for reception of highly-spectrally efficient communications. An example method may include, mapping, in a transmitter, a plurality of transmit bits to a plurality of symbols at a symbol rate that is based on an oscillator signal. The plurality of symbols may be processed via a filter. The processing may result in an inter-symbol correlated (ISC) signal. The oscillator signal may be frequency divided to generate one or more pilot signals having a frequency that is a sub-harmonic of a frequency of the oscillator signal. The pilot signal may be injected into the ISC signal. The injecting may result in an ISC signal with timing carrier. The ISC signal with timing carrier may be transmitted. Gain of the one or more pilot signals may be adjusted based on a spectral mask value associated with the transmitting.

Abstract: A receiver may be operable to generate, utilizing a sequence estimation process, estimates of transmitted symbols which may comprise information symbols and one or more pilot symbols. For each of the information symbols, a corresponding one of the generated estimates may be selected from a first set of one or more values based on a search. For each of the one or more pilot symbols, a corresponding one of the generated estimates may be selected from a second set of one or more values based on a predetermination. The second set of one or more values may comprise one or more symbol values predetermined as corresponding to the one or more pilot symbols. Each of the values in the second set may comprise a known value in a modulation symbol constellation associated with the information symbols. Power of each of the one or more pilot symbols may be zero power.

Abstract: A receiver may be operable to generate estimates of transmitted symbols using a sequence estimation process that may incorporate a non-linear model. The non-linear model may be adapted by the receiver based on particular communication information that may be indicative of non-linearity experienced by the transmitted symbols. The receiver may generate a reconstructed signal from the estimates of the transmitted symbols. The receiver may adapt the non-linear model based on values of an error signal generated from the reconstructed signal, and the values of the error signal may be generated from a portion of the generated estimates that may correspond to known symbols and/or information symbols. The values of the error signal corresponding to the known symbols may be given more weight in an adaptation algorithm, and the values of the error signal corresponding to the information symbols may be given less weight in the adaptation algorithm.

Abstract: One or more embodiments describe a decision feedback equalizer for highly spectrally efficient communications. A method may be performed in a decision feedback equalizer (DFE). The method may include initializing values of tap coefficients of the DFE based on values of tap coefficients of a partial response filter through which said transmitted symbols passed en route to said sequence estimation circuit. The method may include receiving estimates of transmitted symbols from a sequence estimation circuit, and receiving an error signal that is generated based on an estimated partial response signal output by the sequence estimation circuit. The method may include updating values of tap coefficients of the DFE based on the error signal and the estimates of transmitted symbols. The method may include generating one or more constraints that restrict the impact of the error signal on the updating of the values of the tap coefficients of the DFE.