Synchronization Detector for Wireless Signal Timing Acquisition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional techniques for initial timing acquisition in wireless communication systems require full preamble detection, which is vulnerable to noise and increases hardware complexity, and often implement separate mechanisms for preamble and start frame delimiter detection.
Innovation Solution
A receiver system using a synchronization detector that performs cross-correlation of a differential signal with a reference signal to detect the end of the synchronization header, allowing for subset peak detection and shared hardware for both preamble and start frame delimiter detection, thereby reducing hardware complexity and improving robustness to noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If full preamble detection is performed using conventional correlation-based methods, then timing acquisition accuracy is improved, but the system becomes vulnerable to noise and requires high signal quality throughout the entire preamble duration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by detecting only a subset of preamble peaks rather than requiring all peaks to be detected. The synchronization detector identifies timing information from a portion of the preamble repetitions, which is sufficient for accurate timing acquisition while reducing vulnerability to noise and signal quality variations during the full preamble duration.
2Measurement precision
If separate hardware mechanisms are used for preamble detection and SFD detection, then detection accuracy is improved, but hardware complexity and the amount of receiver hardware significantly increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges preamble detection and SFD detection into a single synchronization detector hardware mechanism. This unified detector performs both functions by processing the signal through a single correlation-based detection path, significantly reducing hardware complexity while maintaining detection accuracy for both the preamble and the start frame delimiter.
Solution Approach 2:
The synchronization detector is designed as a universal hardware mechanism that performs multiple functions: it detects both the preamble sequence and the SFD sequence using the same correlation processing architecture. This multi-functional detector eliminates the need for separate dedicated hardware for each detection task.
Data Source
AI summary
A receiver of a modulated signal is presented. The receiver includes a synchronization detector configured to receive a signal indicative of the modulated signal that includes a synchronization header and a data payload, and to detect an end of the synchronization header. The synchronization detector is configured to generate a differential signal based on the signal, perform cross-correlation of the differential signal with a reference differential signal to generate a cross-correlation output, compare a first sample of the cross-correlation output at a sample index associated with a hypothesized start frame delimiter (SFD) peak index with a second sample of the cross-correlation output at a sample index associated with a hypothesized preamble peak index, and detect an end of the synchronization header in response to a comparison result in which a magnitude of the first sample is greater than a magnitude of the second sample of the cross-correlation output.