Accelerated carrier acquisition method for a digital communication receiver

1. A method of accelerated carrier signal acquisition for a digital communication receiver, the method comprising:

receiving a carrier signal by a receiver comprising a carrier recovery loop (CRL);

setting the CRL to an open loop setting using a processor;

setting a numerically controlled oscillator (NCO) within the CRL at a center frequency of the NCO;

determining, by the processor, one or more initial parameters of the CRL;

calculating an estimate and polarity for a sign frequency detection frequency using a sign frequency detector while simultaneously estimating a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) frequency by running an FFT using the processor;

comparing polarities of the estimates of the sign frequency detection frequency and FFT frequency and determining a frequency offset using the processor; and

adjusting one or more parameters of the CRL based on the frequency offset using the processor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the estimates of the sign frequency detection frequency and the FFT frequency have the same polarity and the FFT frequency estimate is non-zero, the frequency offset is equal to the FFT frequency estimate.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the estimate of the sign frequency detection frequency has a positive polarity and the FFT frequency estimate has a negative polarity, the frequency offset is equal to a sum of a search bandwidth of the FFT and the FFT frequency estimate.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the estimate of the sign frequency detection frequency has a negative polarity and the FFT frequency estimate has a positive polarity, the frequency offset is equal to a difference between the FFT frequency estimate and a search bandwidth of the FFT.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the FFT frequency estimate is zero and the estimate of the sign frequency detection frequency is zero, the frequency offset is equal to zero.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the frequency offset is zero, the FFT frequency estimate is zero and the estimate of the sign frequency detection frequency is estimated by the processor using an implementation imperfection factor.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein when the FFT frequency estimate is zero and an absolute value of the sign frequency detection frequency estimate is less than a product of the implementation imperfection factor and a search bandwidth of the FFT, the frequency offset is determined by the processor to be zero.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein when the FFT frequency estimate is zero and an absolute value of the sign frequency detection frequency estimate is greater than a product of the implementation imperfection factor and a search bandwidth of the FFT, the frequency offset is equal to +/− the search bandwidth of the FFT.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising setting the CRL to a closed position using the processor such that the CRL achieves a lock on the received carrier signal.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sign frequency detector is configured to operate at four times a symbol rate of the received carrier signal.

11. A system for accelerated carrier signal acquisition for a digital communication receiver, the system comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a carrier signal, the receiver further comprising a carrier recovery loop (CRL) that comprises a numerically controlled oscillator (NCO); and

a processor coupled to the CRL and configured to:

set the CRL to an open loop setting;

set the NCO within the CRL at a center frequency of the NCO;

determine one or more initial parameters of the CRL;

calculate an estimate and polarity for a sign frequency detection frequency using a sign frequency detector while simultaneously estimating a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) frequency by running an FFT;

compare polarities of the estimates of the sign frequency detection frequency and FFT frequency and determine a frequency offset; and

adjust one or more parameters of the CRL based on the frequency offset.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein when the estimates of the sign frequency detection frequency and the FFT frequency have the same polarity and the FFT frequency estimate is non-zero, the frequency offset is equal to the FFT frequency estimate.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein when the estimate of the sign frequency detection frequency has a positive polarity and the FFT frequency estimate has a negative polarity, the frequency offset is equal to a sum of a search bandwidth of the FFT and the FFT frequency estimate.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein when the estimate of the sign frequency detection frequency has a negative polarity and the FFT frequency estimate has a positive polarity, the frequency offset is equal to a difference between the FFT frequency estimate and a search bandwidth of the FFT.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein when the FFT frequency estimate is zero and the estimate of the sign frequency detection frequency is zero, the frequency offset is equal to zero.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein when the frequency offset is zero, the FFT frequency estimate is zero and the estimate of the sign frequency detection frequency is estimated by the processor using an implementation imperfection factor.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein when the FFT frequency estimate is zero and an absolute value of the sign frequency detection frequency estimate is less than a product of the implementation imperfection factor and a search bandwidth of the FFT, the frequency offset is determined by the processor to be zero.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein when the FFT frequency estimate is zero and an absolute value of the sign frequency detection frequency estimate is greater than a product of the implementation imperfection factor and a search bandwidth of the FFT, the frequency offset is equal to +/− the search bandwidth of the FFT.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to set the CRL to a closed position such that the CRL achieves a lock on the received carrier signal.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the sign frequency detector is configured to operate at four times a symbol rate of the received carrier signal.