Do chaos-based communication systems really transmit chaotic signals?

Many communication systems based on the synchronism of chaotic systems have been proposed as an alternative spread spectrum modulation that improves the level of privacy in data transmission. However, depending on the map and on the encoding function, the transmitted signal may cease to be chaotic. Therefore, the sensitive dependence on initial conditions, which is one of the most interesting properties for employing chaos in telecommunications, may disappear. In this paper, we numerically analyze the chaotic nature of signals modulated using a system that employs the Ikeda map. Additionally, we propose changes in the communication system in order to guarantee that the modulated signals are in fact chaotic. & 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.