A new method for frame synchronization in acoustic communication

This work considers the problem of false frame synchronization for underwater acoustic communication (UWAC), and a new frame synchronization approach based on Linear Frequency Modulation (LFM) signal parameters estimation is proposed. Two parameters estimation techniques including Fractional Fourier Transform (FRFT) estimation and Maximum Likelihood (ML) estimation have been presented in this paper. Traditional frame synchronization methods are based on a correlator, the reference signal used in the correlator has the same parameters as the transmitted signal; while in the signal propagating process, the received signal suffers severe distortion, so it is obvious not the optimal way for frame synchronization. By avoiding a complex design of synchronization signal waveform and prolonging the synchronization signal time, this method we proposed can locate the frames of the received signal effectively; therefore, communication rate will not be reduced. And a simplification of the algorithm has been derived to save computational cost. Simulation and experimental results to show the performance of this method are also addressed in this paper.