Multicarrier Spread Spectrum Communications with Noncontiguous Subcarrier Bands for HF Skywave Links

Abstract

Growing traffic over the high-frequency (HF) band poses significant challenges to establishing robust communication links. While existing spread-spectrum HF transceivers are, to some degree, robust against harsh HF channel conditions, their performance significantly degrades in the presence of strong co-channel interference. To improve performance in congested channel conditions, we propose a filter-bank based multicarrier spread-spectrum waveform with noncontiguous subcarrier bands. The use of noncontiguous subcarriers allows the system to at once leverage the robustness of a wideband system while retaining the frequency agility of a narrowband system. In this study, we explore differences between contiguous and noncontiguous systems by considering their respective peak-to-average power ratios (PAPRs) and matched-filter responses. Additionally, we develop a modified filter-bank receiver structure to facilitate both efficient signal processing and noncontiguous channel estimation. We conclude by presenting simulated and over-the-air results of the noncontiguous waveform, demonstrating both its robustness in harsh HF channels and its enhanced performance in congested spectral conditions.