Performance versus effort for decision feedback equalization - an analysis based on SC/FDE adapted to IEEE 802.11a

In this work we investigate the meaning of decision feedback equalization for a single carrier system with frequency domain equalization (SC/FDE) in an overall system approach, based on the parameters of the IEEE 802.11a standard. The concept of SC/FDE allows an advantageous combination of feed forward frequency domain equalization and feed back equalization in the time domain, that combines low signal processing complexity and powerful equalization. Although the concept of decision feedback equalization (DFE) is a well known and developed theory, this nonlinear equalization is rarely investigated in an overall system approach. Based on that the possible performance gain will be characterized under the constraints of channel characteristics, error propagation, higher order modulation schemes and channel coding. It will be demonstrated that these elements have significant influence on the possible performance of DFE and may reduce the propagated high performance gain.