Performance comparison of blind and non-blind channel equalizers using artificial neural networks

In digital communication systems, multipath propagation induces Inter Symbol Interference (ISI). To reduce the effect of ISI different channel equalization algorithms are used. Complex equalization algorithms allow for achieving the best performance but they do not meet the requirements for implementation of real-time detection at low complexity, thus limiting their application. In this paper, we present different blind and non-blind equalization structures based on Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) and, also, we analyze their complexity versus performance. Since the activation function at the output layer depends on the cost function with respect to the input, in the present work we use mean squared error as loss function for the output layer. The simulated network is based on multilayer feedforward perceptron ANN, which is trained by utilizing the error back-propagation algorithm. The weights of the network are updated in accordance with training of the network to improve the convergence speed. Simulation results demonstrate that the implementation of equalizers using ANN provides an upper hand over the performance and computational complexity with respect to conventional methods

Harnessing machine learning for fiber-induced nonlinearity mitigation in long-haul coherent optical OFDM

© 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Coherent optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (CO-OFDM) has attracted a lot of interest in optical fiber communications due to its simplified digital signal processing (DSP) units, high spectral-efficiency, flexibility, and tolerance to linear impairments. However, CO-OFDM’s high peak-to-average power ratio imposes high vulnerability to fiber-induced non-linearities. DSP-based machine learning has been considered as a promising approach for fiber non-linearity compensation without sacrificing computational complexity. In this paper, we review the existing machine learning approaches for CO-OFDM in a common framework and review the progress in this area with a focus on practical aspects and comparison with benchmark DSP solutions.Peer reviewe

Efficient channel equalization algorithms for multicarrier communication systems

Blind adaptive algorithm that updates time-domain equalizer (TEQ) coefficients by Adjacent Lag Auto-correlation Minimization (ALAM) is proposed to shorten the channel for multicarrier modulation (MCM) systems. ALAM is an addition to the family of several existing correlation based algorithms that can achieve similar or better performance to existing algorithms with lower complexity. This is achieved by designing a cost function without the sum-square and utilizing symmetrical-TEQ property to reduce the complexity of adaptation of TEQ to half of the existing one. Furthermore, to avoid the limitations of lower unstable bit rate and high complexity, an adaptive TEQ using equal-taps constraints (ETC) is introduced to maximize the bit rate with the lowest complexity. An IP core is developed for the low-complexity ALAM (LALAM) algorithm to be implemented on an FPGA. This implementation is extended to include the implementation of the moving average (MA) estimate for the ALAM algorithm referred as ALAM-MA. Unit-tap constraint (UTC) is used instead of unit-norm constraint (UNC) while updating the adaptive algorithm to avoid all zero solution for the TEQ taps. The IP core is implemented on Xilinx Vertix II Pro XC2VP7-FF672-5 for ADSL receivers and the gate level simulation guaranteed successful operation at a maximum frequency of 27 MHz and 38 MHz for ALAM-MA and LALAM algorithm, respectively. FEQ equalizer is used, after channel shortening using TEQ, to recover distorted QAM signals due to channel effects. A new analytical learning based framework is proposed to jointly solve equalization and symbol detection problems in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems with QAM signals. The framework utilizes extreme learning machine (ELM) to achieve fast training, high performance, and low error rates. The proposed framework performs in real-domain by transforming a complex signal into a single 2–tuple real-valued vector. Such transformation offers equalization in real domain with minimum computational load and high accuracy. Simulation results show that the proposed framework outperforms other learning based equalizers in terms of symbol error rates and training speeds

Artificial neural networks for location estimation and co-cannel interference suppression in cellular networks

This thesis reports on the application of artificial neural networks to two important problems encountered in cellular communications, namely, location estimation and co-channel interference suppression. The prediction of a mobile location using propagation path loss (signal strength) is a very difficult and complex task. Several techniques have been proposed recently mostly based on linearized, geometrical and maximum likelihood methods. An alternative approach based on artificial neural networks is proposed in this thesis which offers the advantages of increased flexibility to adapt to different environments and high speed parallel processing. Location estimation provides users of cellular telephones with information about their location. Some of the existing location estimation techniques such as those used in GPS satellite navigation systems require non-standard features, either from the cellular phone or the cellular network. However, it is possible to use the existing GSM technology for location estimation by taking advantage of the signals transmitted between the phone and the network. This thesis proposes the application of neural networks to predict the location coordinates from signal strength data. New multi-layered perceptron and radial basis function based neural networks are employed for the prediction of mobile locations using signal strength measurements in a simulated COST-231 metropolitan environment. In addition, initial preliminary results using limited available real signal-strength measurements in a metropolitan environment are also reported comparing the performance of the neural predictors with a conventional linear technique. The results indicate that the neural predictors can be trained to provide a near perfect mapping using signal strength measurements from two or more base stations. The second application of neural networks addressed in this thesis, is concerned with adaptive equalization, which is known to be an important technique for combating distortion and Inter-Symbol Interference (ISI) in digital communication channels. However, many communication systems are also impaired by what is known as co-channel interference (CCI). Many digital communications systems such as digital cellular radio (DCR) and dual polarized micro-wave radio, for example, employ frequency re-usage and often exhibit performance limitation due to co-channel interference. The degradation in performance due to CCI is more severe than due to ISI. Therefore, simple and effective interference suppression techniques are required to mitigate the interference for a high-quality signal reception. The current work briefly reviews the application of neural network based non-linear adaptive equalizers to the problem of combating co-channel interference, without a priori knowledge of the channel or co-channel orders. A realistic co-channel system is used as a case study to demonstrate the superior equalization capability of the functional-link neural network based Decision Feedback Equalizer (DFE) compared to other conventional linear and neural network based non-linear adaptive equalizers.This project was funded by Solectron (Scotland) Ltd