Master Thesis - Hardware-Efficient Detection of Zadoff-Chu Sequences in Communication Systems

Category

• Electrical Engineering / Signal Processing
• Embedded Systems / Hardware Design
• Wireless Communications

Scope

Two students, Master Thesis (30 hp)

Background

In modern communication systems, many manufacturers rely on proprietary synchronization methods in their communication links. Among these, Zadoff-Chu (ZC) sequences are widely adopted due to their ideal correlation properties, allowing precise timing acquisition even in dynamic conditions [1]. However, unlike standardized wireless systems (e.g., LTE), vendors often implement non-standard protocols tailored to their hardware.

For a detection system (which may not know the specifics of the communication protocol), timing detection and root value identification must be performed directly on these customized waveforms, introducing significant computational challenges—particularly for low-power embedded systems.

To address this, hardware-accelerated algorithms are needed to maintain synchronization performance while operating under strict compute and power constraints.

Problem Description

This thesis focuses on developing efficient algorithms for detecting ZC sequences in communication systems, with a focus on low-power and low-compute environments. The student(s) will explore methods such as:

• Simplified correlation techniques [2]
• Optimized search strategies
• Fixed-point processing (for hardware efficiency)

All this while balancing detection accuracy, signal quality, and computational efficiency.

Goal

The main objective is to achieve reliable detection with minimal computational effort, ensuring good performance on embedded hardware. As part of this work, the student(s) will have the opportunity to design and test a prototype using an FPGA development board, allowing real-world validation of the proposed algorithms.

References

[1] Andrews, Jeffrey G. "A primer on zadoff chu sequences." arXiv preprint arXiv:2211.05702 (2022). 

[2] Lyon, Douglas. "The Discrete Fourier Transform, part 6: Cross-correlation." J. Object Technol. 9.2 (2010): 17-22. 

OK, I am interested! What do I do now?
You are valuable to us – how nice that you are interested in one of our proposals! There are a few things for you to keep in mind when applying.

• Applications are accepted in both Swedish and English, and you apply via the proposal advert.
• The announced thesis is open only to students affiliated with a Swedish University/College either directly or via an exchange program.
• When the thesis proposal states that it includes two students working together, we would like you to apply in pairs. In these cases, send one application each but make sure to clearly state in your application who your co-applicant is. If you have any questions regarding this, please do not hesitate to contact us.
• Please attach your CV and University/College grade summary.

Who to contact for any questions regarding the position!

Patrik Lislén at phone +46 46 272 1800.

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