DIGITAL ADAPTIVE RECEIVER EMPLOYING MAXIMUM-LIKELIHOOD SEQUENCE ESTIMATION WITH NEURAL NETWORKS

A maximum-likelihood sequence estimator receiver includes a matched filter connected to a digital transmission channel and a sampler for providing sampled signals output by the matched filter. The sampled signals are input to an analog neural network to provide high-speed outputs representative of the transmission channel signals. The neural network outputs are also provided as inputs to a coefficient estimator which produces coefficients for feedback to the matched filter. For time-varying transmission channel characteristics, the coefficient estimator provides a second coefficient output which is utilized for changing the interconnection strengths of the neural network connection matrix to offset the varying transmission channel characteristics.