A theoretical comparison of pilot symbol assisted and multiple symbol differential PSK modulations

We present a theoretical comparison of two detection techniques for digital PSK modulations operating in the Rayleigh flat fading channel. These are pilot symbol assisted modulation/detection (PSAM) and multiple symbol differential detection (MSDD). By computing their respective cut-off rates, we conclude that MSDD can be more efficient than PSAM in terms of power and throughput, especially at high fade rate. The major disadvantage of MSDD is probably in its complexity.>