Automatic decision threshold level control in direct-sequence spread-spectrum systems

An algorithm for automatic decision threshold-level control in direct-sequence spread-spectrum systems is presented and analyzed. Using this algorithm, instantaneous setting of the threshold is possible. An additional loop called a threshold loop is used to improve the system performance. This loop is based on a constant false alarm rate (CFAR) criterion. The purpose of the algorithm is to set a decision threshold in the system which will provide a small probability of false alarm (P/sub 3/ to 0) and a large probability of signal detection (P/sub d/ to 1) at the same time. The analysis has shown that the threshold probability distribution function (PDF) is narrower (equaling better performance) in the case of the CFAR algorithm, but this comes at the cost of a considerably larger integration time for the system (the system time response is slower). As a compromise, the instantaneous algorithm is modified so that k successive samples of the signal are used to determine the value of the threshold. This permits better control of the shape and position of the threshold PDF with respect to the P/sub 3/ and P/sub d/ curves. At the same time, the time response of the system is good and can be easily controlled.