Acquisition apparatus for DSSS communications

Apparatus for indicating the end of an acquisition procedure between a transmitter and receiver in a direct sequence spread spectrum communications system. A transmitter generates a first acquisition code having a first acquisition code period and comprised of digital bits at a first bit rate. A circuit modulates the first digital acquisition code by a pseudo-noise code repeating at a pseudo-noise code period and consisting of a sequence of chips at a chip rate greater than the first bit rate. The first acquisition code period is an integer multiple of the pseudo-noise code period. A circuit modulates a carrier by the first digital acquisition code modulated by the pseudo-noise code. The carrier modulated by said first digital acquisition code modulated by said pseudo-noise code is transmitted for a first period of time. A circuit synchronizes a receiver to the chip rate and carrier frequency. A circuit synchronizes the receiver to the pseudo-noise code period. A circuit synchronizes the receiver to the period of the data bit rate. A circuit synchronizes the receiver to the first acquisition code period. The transmitter generates a second acquisition code having a second acquisition code period and comprised of digital bits at a second bit rate, the second bit rate equal to the bit rate of the first acquisition code period. A circuit modulates the second digital acquisition code by the pseudo-noise code. A circuit modulates the carrier by the second digital acquisition code modulated by the pseudo-noise code. A circuit transmits for a second period of time equal to the second acquisition code period the carrier modulated by the second acquisition code modulated by the pseudo-noise code. A circuit synchronizes the receiver to the second acquisition code, the end of the second acquisition code indicates the end of the acquisition procedure.