A Random Sampling Approach to the Detection of On-Off Keying

A random sampling scheme is developed for the digital detection of on-off keying. The received (bandpass) signal is sampled randomly; the samples are fed to a coincidence detector, where the modulation is extracted. The random sampling approach, in conjunction with the simple coincidence detector, makes possible a bonafide digital receiver capable of operating at (carrier) frequencies as high as the state of the art in analog-to-digital conversion will allow, with bit rates of the order of 1 MHz. Performance characteristics are derived, and some preliminary conclusions are drawn relative to the practicability of the proposed receiver.