Hop Timing Estimation Algorithm for Frequency Hopping Signals based on Multi-Channel Data Fusion

A new hop timing estimation algorithm for frequency hopping signals based on non-blind zone channelization preprocessing and data fusion is proposed to solve the parameters estimation problem for wide-band high speed frequency hopping signals in low signal-noise-ratio (SNR) circumstances. This algorithm can blindly receive wide-band frequency hopping signals with full probability using non-blind zone channelization preprocessing method, and multi-channel transition signals are obtained, data fusion method is used to generate the reference signal which has the same transition information as the original multi-channel transition signals, then maximum likelihood estimation method is used to estimate hop timing. Theoretic Cramer-Rao lower bound of proposed algorithm is also analyzed. The analysis and simulation results show that the hop timing estimation variance performance depends on signal-noise-ratio condition, channel numbers and hop numbers used. The estimation variance is less than 10-3 with channel number equals to 16 in 0dB SNR circumstances.