2026-01-25
Methods for Evaluating PN Sequences in Spread Spectrum TDR
By
Progress In Electromagnetics Research Letters, Vol. 129, 15-20, 2026
Abstract
This paper describes a Pseudo-Noise (PN) sequence evaluation tool that analyzes potentially corrupted PN sequences and assigns a metric score indicating the quality of the received sequence. The PN tester is designed to support Spread Spectrum Time Domain Reflectometry (SSTDR) by evaluating reflected PN sequences and determining whether the received signal is valid or too corrupted for use. Signal degradation is influenced by noise levels and channel filters encountered by the sequence. To simulate real-world conditions, various types of noise and filtering effects - representing capacitive or inductive coupling - were applied to a maximum-length PN sequence. The evaluation model demonstrated a consistent decline in correlation as signal distortion increased, confirming its effectiveness in assessing signal quality.
Citation
Phat Nguyen, Mouad Addad, Samuel Makin, Joel B. Harley, Cynthia Furse, and Paul K. Kuhn, "Methods for Evaluating PN Sequences in Spread Spectrum TDR," Progress In Electromagnetics Research Letters, Vol. 129, 15-20, 2026.
doi:10.2528/PIERL25102405
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