Revisiting the spread spectrum sliding correlator: why filtering matters

Abstract

A wireless channel sounder based upon the conventional spread spectrum sliding correlator implementation uses unfiltered pseudo-random noise (PN) at both the transmitter and receiver to generate a time-dilated copy of the channel's impulse response. However, in addition to this desired impulse response, the sliding correlator also produces a noise-like, wideband distortion signal that decreases the measurement system's dynamic range. Careful selection of the sliding correlator's low-pass filter can significantly reduce this distortion, but no amount of filtering will remove it completely. In contrast, using filtered PNs at both the transmitter and receiver enables one to remove this distortion in entirety and realize a measurement system whose dynamic range closely approximates the theoretical ideal for spread spectrum systems.