De Bruijn sequences as spreading codes in extreme Doppler conditions: Analysis and results

Spread spectrum techniques, originally conceived to counteract the effects of noise and interference, have enabled the development of advanced mobile, multiple user, and satellite-based solutions, that are nowadays among the most prevalent and widespread communication technologies. Such techniques may find adoption even in the aeronautical scenario, for achieving higher efficiency, and safer air transport systems, capable of meeting increasing demands. This paper provides a preliminary performance analysis of Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum signals, obtained through the use of innovative binary spreading sequences, the De Bruijn ones, in a scenario of large Doppler shift, and relative changing rate, as a result of the possibly high varying velocity of an aircraft, and worst-case condition of missing frequency offset estimation capability onboard. The results show that the use of binary De Bruijn sequences may improve signal recovery at the receiver, even in the presence of large distortions due to uncompensated Doppler effects.