Abstract: A direct sequence spread spectrum receiver for use in a communication system that utilizes code shift keying (CSK) modulation. Code shift keying modulation transmits data in the form of circularly rotated spreading waveforms such as PN sequences. The data is conveyed in the amount of rotation applied to the spreading waveform before it is transmitted. While tracking, the receiver decodes the received symbols yielding the original transmitted data. The input frequency range of the receiver is divided into one or more frequency bands. For each frequency band, the received signal is filtered, digitized and split into I and Q data streams wherein the Q data stream is delayed by ¼ƒc. Both I and Q data streams are sampled and correlated with an adaptive template. The received data is clocked into a shift register and circularly rotated and a correlation sum is generated. The correlation output of both I and Q channels are summed over all the frequency bands and a maximum correlations is determined.

Abstract: A transmitter apparatus and method for use in a spread spectrum data communications system that utilizes the Differential Code Shift Keying (DCSK) or non-differential Code Shift Keying (CSK) modulation technique. The transmitter transmits data in the form of packets to the receiver. Each packet is consists of a header, one or more data symbols followed by a CRC checksum. The preamble comprises a sequence of one or more zero rotated symbols and one or more predetermined non-zero rotated symbols. In one embodiment, a shift index is calculated based on the input data. The shift index is used to form the address in a PN sample ROM. The PN sequence is read out using a counter of length modulo the PN sequence length. Samples of the PN sequence are read out and input to a Manchester encoder whose output is amplified and filtered to obtain a particular spectrum shape. In a second embodiment, the shift index is loaded into a counter and used as a starting address to address the PN sample ROM.

Abstract: An apparatus for and method for acquiring synchronization for use in communications systems, i.e., acquiring the presence of a packet of data and associated timing information. A sequence of symbols having known rotation and phase is transmitted to the receiver. The receiver attempts to match the received vectors in a predefined manner in order to determine whether a signal or noise is being received. CSK modulation is used for the synchronization acquisition stage and, any desired data carrying modulation may be switched to once synchronization is obtained, which may or may not be CSK. The transmitter transmits data in the form of packets to the receiver, wherein each packet is preceded by a preamble comprising a number of symbols. The length of the preamble can be any suitable number of symbols such that the receiver is able to synchronize with the transmitter. The preamble comprises a sequence of rotated or non-rotated symbols, inverted or non-inverted (or generally phase-rotated by some amount).

Abstract: In an ion mobility spectrometer comprising a spectrometer tube with an ion hutter, an ionization source within a reaction chamber, and a drift chamber, the improvement comprises providing in or around the said drift tube a plurality of conducting segments, across which an electric field is applied, the said conducting segments being separated from one another by insulating spacers, wherein the ratio between the width of the insulating spacers to the width of the conducting segments is between 2:1 and 1:1, preferably about 1.5:1.