A Rapid Acquisition Technique for Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum Systems by a PN Phase Multiplexed Correlator

With the proliferation of direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) systems in the communications arena, synchronization techniques that offer improved performance and higher speed are of great value to the spread spectrum designer and user. Matched filter approaches have gained momentum in recent years due to SAW filter technology, while sliding correlators have experienced slower development. This paper introduces a unique multi-phase correlator intended to decrease the mean time to acquire synchronization by exploiting properties of Gold codes and other pseudo-noise (PN) sequences. These properties are used to create a novel signal structure for the local correlator. A brief explanation of the signal structure is followed by a detailed design method based on PN code properties. Synchronization is accomplished by using a modified sequential detection algorithm. Bounds on the signal structure and implementation are derived and a comprehensive design example is presented with a discussion of system requirements