Architecture for multi-channel digital signal processing

A method for processing multiple channels in a signal processing system, the method comprising:

• providing a first channel time domain sample and a second channel time domain sample;
• performing an FFT of a complex signal using the first channel time domain sample as an in-phase component of the complex signal and using the second channel time domain sample as a quadrature component of the complex signal, the FFT yielding a complex signal spectrum;
• deriving at least one channel sample spectrum as a function of the complex signal spectrum;
• extracting at least one baseband channel sample spectrum from the at least one channel sample spectrum;
• and
• multiplying the at least one baseband channel sample spectrum by a channel reference spectrum to obtain a correlated and equalized at least one channel sample spectrum, the correlated and equalized at least one channel sample spectrum being correlated and equalized by the step of multiplying.

A system comprising:

• a first receiver system configured to provide a first channel time domain sample, the first channel time domain sample corresponding to a first signal propagating in an environment;
• a second receiver system configured to provide a second channel time domain sample, the second channel time domain sample corresponding to a second signal propagating in an environment;
• and
• a digital signal processor (DSP) coupled to the first receiver system and the second receiver system, the DSP being programmed to,
• perform an FFT of a complex signal using the first channel time domain sample as an in-phase component of the complex signal and using the second channel time domain sample as a quadrature component of the complex signal, the FFT yielding a complex signal spectrum,
• deriving a first channel sample spectrum and a second channel sample spectrum as a function of the complex signal spectrum,
• extract a first baseband channel sample spectrum from the first channel sample spectrum and a second baseband channel sample spectrum from the second channel sample spectrum,
• multiply the first baseband channel sample spectrum by a first channel reference spectrum to obtain a correlated and equalized first channel sample spectrum, and multiply the second baseband channel sample spectrum by a second channel reference spectrum to obtain a correlated and equalized second channel sample spectrum, and
• perform an IFFT on the correlated and equalized first channel sample spectrum and the correlated and equalized second channel sample spectrum to obtain first channel time domain output sample and a second channel time domain output sample.