A method executed in a receiver that combines a decoder with an equalizer in a single module, comprising receiving at time k a signal r(k) in the receiver. Selecting as a signal transmitted by a transmitter a signal that minimizes the following equation metric

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where {tilde over (h)}_j(l) is related to both the transmission channel and to the encoding structure in the transmitter, {tilde over (s)}(k) is a trial symbol specified by a selected trellis transition and (k) is a symbol that was previously decided. Applying the selected signal to the decoder to decode received symbols.