Mean acquisition time of DS code synchronization in fixed multipath channel

Abstract

This paper introduces analytical results of a DS spread spectrum system in which code acquisition is performed using a code matched filter in a multipath channel. The performance measure is the mean acquisition time, T/sub MA/. Equations for the mean acquisition times as a function of the number of the propagation paths and the number of uncertainty cells as parameters are derived. Constant false alarm rate criteria (CFAR) is used as threshold setting rule for a comparator. The results indicate that when the false alarm probability is high the mean acquisition time is lower when a large number of paths exists in the channel. The equations can also be used to demonstrate the performance improvement in acquisition time in a case when a number of short codes are sent within a very long code.