An improved hypothesis-feedback equalization algorithm for multicode direct-sequence spread-spectrum underwater communications

In underwater acoustic communication, because the available bandwidth of the channel is severely limited, the direct-sequence spread-spectrum scheme can only be realized at low bit rates. To improve the transmission speed, a multicode spread-spectrum scheme is considered. However, in this case, due to the rapid time-variability of the underwater channel, and the influence of inter-symbol interference (ISI) and inter-channel interference (ICI), the conventional rake receiver may fail to function. The hypothesis-feedback equalization algorithm has been proposed for the direct-sequence spread-spectrum system [1]. By updating coefficients at chip rate and feeding back hypothesized chips, it can track time-variability and combat ISI effectively. However, for a multicode system, its performance will be degraded by ICI. An improved algorithm is proposed in this paper, which combines parallel interference cancellation (PIC) with hypothesis-feedback equalization (HFE), with the capabilities of tracking the time-varying channel and suppressing the ISI and ICI at the same time. Simulation results prove that the proposed algorithm can significantly improve the performance of a multicode system.