Channel estimation and detection for multibeam satellite communications

In this paper, a channel estimation method and a detection technique for multibeam communications systems are developed. The channel estimation uses the output of a beam former to determinate the channels parameters for each active user in the system. The detection technique assures the determination of QPSK symbols after compensation of channel effects. An antenna array is considered at the receiver with a null steering beam former. Mathematical presentations of the transmission model and channel estimation and detection algorithms detail the developed techniques. In order to evaluate the performance of channel estimation and detection methods, we have simulated an FDMA multibeam system under an AWGN environment. Simulation results show the good performance and the robustness of these techniques with equal power signals.