Dual-Buffer Correlator for Wireless Preamble Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing receiver systems face challenges in efficiently detecting a synchronization preamble in asynchronous wireless systems, particularly due to long preamble lengths and intermittent signal reception, which leads to blackout periods and increased detection time.
Innovation Solution
A receiver apparatus and method that utilize a switching circuit to alternate between multiple antenna inputs, a correlator with dual buffers for processing and storing samples, and a reference sequence generator to correlate signals, allowing for power conservation by turning the receiver on and off, and employing algorithms to manage signal phase continuity and reduce detection time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the receiver continuously monitors the signal to detect preamble, then the detection reliability is improved, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The receiver operates in periodic cycles, alternating between active reception periods and sleep periods. During active periods, the receiver monitors the signal for preamble detection. During sleep periods, the receiver remains inactive to conserve power. This periodic operation enables the system to achieve reliable preamble detection while significantly reducing average power consumption compared to continuous monitoring.
2Speed
If the receiver processes signals in real-time without buffering, then the detection speed is improved, but the ability to handle intermittent reception deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-buffers incoming signals during active reception periods before actual preamble detection is attempted. This buffering action occurs in advance, allowing the receiver to accumulate sufficient signal data during intermittent reception windows. When detection is performed, the pre-buffered data is available immediately, enabling fast detection without requiring continuous real-time processing, thus handling intermittent reception effectively.
3Device complexity
If the receiver uses a single buffer for signal processing, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ability to alternate between multiple antenna inputs deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer memory is segmented into multiple independent buffer regions, each associated with a specific antenna input. The system can selectively activate and process signals from different antenna inputs by directing them to corresponding buffer segments. This segmentation enables efficient multi-antenna operation without requiring a completely separate buffer for each antenna, thus maintaining reasonable device complexity while providing full multi-antenna switching capability.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is receiver apparatus including a first input configured to receive a first signal, a second input configured to receive a second signal, a switching circuit configured to alternate between the first and second signal from the first and second inputs, a receiver configured to sample the input signal to produce a plurality of input samples, a reference sequence generator configured to generate a reference signal, and a correlator configured to correlate the first and second signals with the reference signal to detect a correlation event, the correlator including a first buffer configured to receive signals from the first input and a second buffer configured to receive signals from the second input, wherein the correlator is configured to process the first signal in the first buffer, while the second buffer receives the second signal.