Robust serial acquisition of DS packet transmissions

We examine the acquisition of a DS packet transmission in a distributed packet-radio network. The transmission is subjected to multiple-access interference, and the desired signal and each interfering signal may be subjected to a distinct Doppler shift at the receiver. New analytical results are obtained for a serial acquisition algorithm that uses matched-filter detection together with a windowing technique to limit the degradation caused by the Doppler shift, in the desired signal. An accurate model of the receiver is incorporated into the analysis, accounting for the behavior of the automatic-gain-control amplifier in particular, and the performance of the acquisition algorithm is characterized for the full range of possible operating conditions