Low-Frequency Correlation Phase Detectors Using Hard Limiting

Low-frequency radio navigation receivers reduce dynamic range by hard limiting and phase is estimated from the outputs of correlation detectors. The detector outputs are averages of a detector characteristic function determined by convolution of the hardlimited signal and reference waveform. The expected value and variance of the output are determined by expanding both the characteristic function and the phase probability density function (pdf) into Fourier series. Results are given for four detectors.