HF band filter bank multi-carrier spread spectrum

A recent study has introduced a new spread spectrum waveform based on filter bank multicarrier techniques. The proposed waveform that is called FB-MC-SS offers the advantages of simple implementation and robust performance when it is subject to narrow/partial band interference. This paper describes modifications to the FB-MC-SS system to enable its successful application to the HF skywave channels. We find FB-MC-SS well suited for the HF communications as it shows excellent performance in channels with frequency selective fading and interference. This paper describes new algorithms for packet detection, timing recovery and equalization that are suitable for the HF channel. Also, an algorithm for optimizing the peak to average power ratio (PAPR) of the FB-MC-SS waveform is presented. Application of this algorithm results in a waveform with a very low PAPR of about 4 dB. Simulation results using a wide band HF channel model demonstrate the robustness of this system over a wide range of delay and Doppler spreads.