direct sequence (DS) spread spectrum systems, the chip rate is equivalent to the code
generator clock rate. Simplistically, a chip can be considered an element of RF energy
with a certain recognizable binary phase characteristic. A chip (or chips) is (are) a result
of direct sequence spreading by biphase modulating an RF carrier. Being that each chip
has a biphase modulated characteristic, we can identify each one with a binary 1 or
binary 0.
These chips derive from biphase (PSK) modulating a carrier where the modulation is
controlled by a pseudorandom (PN) sequence. If the sequence is long enough, without
repeats, it is considered pseudorandom. The sequence is controlled by a key which is
unique to our transmitter and its companion far-end receiver. Of course the receiver must
be time-aligned and synchronized with its companion transmitter. A block diagram of
this operation is shown in Figure 16.11. It is an in-line correlator.
Let us look at an information bit divided into seven chips and coded by a PN sequence
+ + + – + – – and shown in Figure 16.12a. Now replace the in-line correlator with a
matched filter. In this case the matched filter is an electrical delay line tapped at delay
intervals, which correspond to the chip time duration. Each tap in the delay line feeds
into an arithmetic operator matched in sign to each chip in the coded sequence. If each