Experimental results on synchronization with chirp signals using a vector sensor receiver

Chirp signals, also known as linear frequency modulated signals, are widely used for synchronization, signal acquisition, and frame detection in underwater communication systems. This is due to the peak at the output of the chirp matched filter at the receive side. In low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) scenarios, however, this peak can be buried in noise, which results in major synchronization errors and system performance loss. While a scalar array of spatially separated hydrophones can increase SNR to improve synchronization, the size of the array may not be suitable for small platforms. Acoustic vector sensors, on the other hand, are small-size devices that can serve as multichannel communication receivers. In this paper, performance of a vector sensor receiver for synchronization using a chirp signal is studied. Our experimental results indicate that a compact vector sensor receiver can significantly enhance the output of the filter matched to the chirp signal. This is because the proposed vector matched...