Data-Aided SNR Estimation for Bandlimited Optical Intensity Channels

Not only for radio frequency but also for optical communication systems, knowledge of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is essential, e.g., for an adaptive network, where modulation schemes and/or error correction methods should be selected according to the varying channel states. In the current paper, this topic is discussed for a bandlimited optical intensity link under the assumption that the data symbols are known to the receiver unit in form of pilot sequences. This requires a unipolar signal design regarding the symbol constellation, but also a non-negative pulse shape satisfying the Nyquist criterion is necessary. Focusing on this kind of scenario, the modified Cramer–Rao lower bound is derived, representing the theoretical limit of the error performance of the data-aided SNR estimator developed in this context. Furthermore, we derive and analyze a maximum likelihood algorithm for SNR estimation, which turns out to be particularly simple for specific values of the excess bandwidth, among them the most attractive case of minimum bandwidth occupation. Numerical results confirming the analytical work conclude the paper.