1. In a digital communications system having a transmitter for transmitting information in the form of an analog phase shift keyed (PSK) signal and a receiver for receiving said PSK signal, said PSK signal having amplitude, frequency, and phase characteristics wherein at least some of said phase characteristics are related to the information so transmitted, a demodulator comprising;a phase detector receiving an input of digital data representative of said analog PSK signal so received and providing successive outputs representative of phase estimates of said PSK signal based on transitions in said digital data; and a data decoder having an input coupled to said phase detector to receive an input said phase estimates, said data decoder converting said phase estimates to phase data indicative of said transmitted information.', 'a phase detector receiving an input of digital data representative of said analog PSK signal so received and providing successive outputs representative of phase estimates of said PSK signal based on transitions in said digital data; and', 'a data decoder having an input coupled to said phase detector to receive an input said phase estimates, said data decoder converting said phase estimates to phase data indicative of said transmitted information.

2. The demodulator of claim 1, wherein said digital data comprises a plurality of samples grouped into overlapping windows, a time between consecutive samples defining a sampling period, the demodulator further comprising:a timing recovery controller coupled to said phase detector and having an input related to said phase estimates and operable to provide an output representative of an amount to adjust said windows by one of i) advancing said windows at least one sampling period and ii) delaying said windows by at least one sampling period.', 'a timing recovery controller coupled to said phase detector and having an input related to said phase estimates and operable to provide an output representative of an amount to adjust said windows by one of i) advancing said windows at least one sampling period and ii) delaying said windows by at least one sampling period.

3. The demodulator of claim 1, further comprising:a frequency controller having an input coupled to said phase detector for accepting said phase estimates and providing an output representative of a corrected phase corresponding to each phase estimate input thereto.', 'a frequency controller having an input coupled to said phase detector for accepting said phase estimates and providing an output representative of a corrected phase corresponding to each phase estimate input thereto.

4. The demodulator of claim 3, wherein said digital data comprises a plurality of samples which are grouped into overlapping windows, a time between consecutive samples defining a sampling period, the demodulator further comprising:a timing recovery controller coupled to said frequency controller and having an input of said corrected phase estimates received during each window and providing an output representative of an amount to adjust said windows by one of i) advancing said windows at least one sampling period and ii) delaying said windows by at least one sampling period.', 'a timing recovery controller coupled to said frequency controller and having an input of said corrected phase estimates received during each window and providing an output representative of an amount to adjust said windows by one of i) advancing said windows at least one sampling period and ii) delaying said windows by at least one sampling period.

5. The demodulator of claim 4, wherein, said PSK signal comprises a known sequence of data defining a unique word, said demodulator further comprising:a unique word detector having an input for receiving said phase data, said unique word detector making a determination that said unique word has been detected based on said phase data and identifying a set of said windows in which said unique word is so detected and defining said set of windows as synchronizing windows and further providing an output identifying said synchronizing windows; and said data decoder being further coupled to the unique word detector to receive said output identifying said synchronizing windows, said data decoder providing an output of said phase data associated with said synchronizing windows.', 'a unique word detector having an input for receiving said phase data, said unique word detector making a determination that said unique word has been detected based on said phase data and identifying a set of said windows in which said unique word is so detected and defining said set of windows as synchronizing windows and further providing an output identifying said synchronizing windows; and', 'said data decoder being further coupled to the unique word detector to receive said output identifying said synchronizing windows, said data decoder providing an output of said phase data associated with said synchronizing windows.

6. The demodulator of claim 1, wherein said PSK signal comprises a known sequence of data forming a unique word, the demodulator further comprising:a unique word detector coupled to said data decoder and having an input for receiving said phase data, said unique word detector making a determination that said unique word has been detected based on said phase data and providing an output representing the same.', 'a unique word detector coupled to said data decoder and having an input for receiving said phase data, said unique word detector making a determination that said unique word has been detected based on said phase data and providing an output representing the same.

7. The demodulator of claim 1, wherein said digital data comprises a sequence of successive digital samples, each sample having a value associated with one of a high level and a low level, the phase detector comprising:an instantaneous phase decoder having an input of said digital data, said instantaneous phase decoder determining if a transition between consecutive digital samples has occurred such that one of 1) one sample has a value associated with said high level and a subsequent digital sample has a value associated with said low level and 2) one sample has a value associated with said low level and a subsequent digital sample has a value associated with said high level, and providing a decoded output representative of at least said transitions so determined; and an instantaneous phase estimator having an input coupled to said instantaneous phase decoder to receive said decoded output, said instantaneous phase estimator providing an output representative of an average phase estimate based on said transitions.', 'an instantaneous phase decoder having an input of said digital data, said instantaneous phase decoder determining if a transition between consecutive digital samples has occurred such that one of 1) one sample has a value associated with said high level and a subsequent digital sample has a value associated with said low level and 2) one sample has a value associated with said low level and a subsequent digital sample has a value associated with said high level, and providing a decoded output representative of at least said transitions so determined; and', 'an instantaneous phase estimator having an input coupled to said instantaneous phase decoder to receive said decoded output, said instantaneous phase estimator providing an output representative of an average phase estimate based on said transitions.

8. The demodulator of claim 7, wherein said PSK signal represents a sequence of known data symbols, each symbol being associated with a phase characteristic of said PSK signal, said instantaneous phase estimator comprising:a counter for incrementing a counter value related to an instantaneous phase of said PSK signal; and an accumulator having a first input coupled to an output of said counter and a second input coupled to said instantaneous phase decoder, said accumulator accumulating said counter values of said counter upon each determination that a transition has occurred.', 'a counter for incrementing a counter value related to an instantaneous phase of said PSK signal; and', 'an accumulator having a first input coupled to an output of said counter and a second input coupled to said instantaneous phase decoder, said accumulator accumulating said counter values of said counter upon each determination that a transition has occurred.', '9. The demodulator of claim 7, wherein said PSK signal represents a sequence of known data symbols, each symbol being associated with a phase of said PSK signal, the phase detector further comprising:a differential phase detector having an input coupled to said instantaneous phase estimator, said differential phase detector generating an output representative of a difference between each average phase estimate and a previous average phase estimate.', 'a differential phase detector having an input coupled to said instantaneous phase estimator, said differential phase detector generating an output representative of a difference between each average phase estimate and a previous average phase estimate.', '10. The system of claim 1, wherein substantially all amplitude characteristics are removed from said digital data before said digital data is received by said phase detector.', '11. A method for demodulating a phase shift keyed (PSK) signal having a sequence of symbols, each symbol being based upon one of a known set of possible transmitted phases, said symbols being received in succession by a receiver, comprising the steps of:generating an analog signal indicative of the symbols received by the receiver and defining the analog signal as said PSK signal; digitizing said PSK signal to provide a sequence of digital data samples representative of said PSK signal received, each digital data sample having a value associated with one of a high level and a low level; identifying transitions from said high level to said low level and from said low level to said high level between successive digital data samples; generating a phase estimate based on said transitions so identified; and decoding each phase estimate to provide binary data representative of said symbols received and defining said data as decoded data.', 'generating an analog signal indicative of the symbols received by the receiver and defining the analog signal as said PSK signal;', 'digitizing said PSK signal to provide a sequence of digital data samples representative of said PSK signal received, each digital data sample having a value associated with one of a high level and a low level;', 'identifying transitions from said high level to said low level and from said low level to said high level between successive digital data samples;', 'generating a phase estimate based on said transitions so identified; and', 'decoding each phase estimate to provide binary data representative of said symbols received and defining said data as decoded data.', '12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:accumulating a sequence of the binary data; 1correlating said sequence of binary data to a unique sequence of binary data; providing a measure of said correlation; and generating a detection signal if said measure exceeds a predetermined threshold.', 'accumulating a sequence of the binary data;', '1correlating said sequence of binary data to a unique sequence of binary data;', 'providing a measure of said correlation; and', 'generating a detection signal if said measure exceeds a predetermined threshold.', '13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:accumulating subsequent sequences of binary data; correlating each subsequent sequence of binary data to said unique sequence of binary data; providing a measure of said correlation for each subsequent correlation; selecting one sequence of binary data having a highest measure of correlation; and providing an output identifying said selected sequence.', 'accumulating subsequent sequences of binary data;', 'correlating each subsequent sequence of binary data to said unique sequence of binary data;', 'providing a measure of said correlation for each subsequent correlation;', 'selecting one sequence of binary data having a highest measure of correlation; and', 'providing an output identifying said selected sequence.', '14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of selecting said sequence of binary data having the highest measure of correlation comprises the steps of:adding a number of consecutive measures of correlation together resulting in a cumulative correlation value for each sequence of binary data; comparing each cumulative correlation value to a most previous cumulative correlation value until a current cumulative correlation value is less than a most previous correlation value and defining that most previous cumulative correlation value as the highest cumulative correlation; and defining one sequence of binary data corresponding to the last of the number of measures of correlation added together to form the highest cumulative correlation as the selected sequence of binary data.', 'adding a number of consecutive measures of correlation together resulting in a cumulative correlation value for each sequence of binary data;', 'comparing each cumulative correlation value to a most previous cumulative correlation value until a current cumulative correlation value is less than a most previous correlation value and defining that most previous cumulative correlation value as the highest cumulative correlation; and', 'defining one sequence of binary data corresponding to the last of the number of measures of correlation added together to form the highest cumulative correlation as the selected sequence of binary data.', '15. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of digitizing said PSK signal comprises the steps of:limiting the analog signal representative of said PSK signal to provide a discrete signal so that where said analog signal has an amplitude greater than zero said discrete signal has an amplitude corresponding to a first predetermined level and where said analog signal has an amplitude less than zero said discrete signal has an amplitude corresponding to a second predetermined level; and sampling said discrete signal thereby forming said digital data samples.', 'limiting the analog signal representative of said PSK signal to provide a discrete signal so that where said analog signal has an amplitude greater than zero said discrete signal has an amplitude corresponding to a first predetermined level and where said analog signal has an amplitude less than zero said discrete signal has an amplitude corresponding to a second predetermined level; and', 'sampling said discrete signal thereby forming said digital data samples.', '16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:comparing each phase estimate with a previous phase estimate to determine a difference between each two consecutive transmitted phases.', 'comparing each phase estimate with a previous phase estimate to determine a difference between each two consecutive transmitted phases.', '17. The method of claim 11, wherein each symbol is transmitted for a period of time defining a symbol interval, the method further comprising;generating a number of phase estimates during each symbol interval; and averaging said number of phase estimates over a period of time defining a window to provide an averaged phase estimate.', 'generating a number of phase estimates during each symbol interval; and', 'averaging said number of phase estimates over a period of time defining a window to provide an averaged phase estimate.', '18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:defining a number of overlapping windows.', 'defining a number of overlapping windows.', '19. The method of claim 17, wherein a length of said window is less than the symbol interval.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein each symbol is transmitted for a period of time defining a symbol interval, the method further comprising;generating a number of said phase estimates during each symbol interval; defining a number of windows, each window having a length less than said symbol interval; generating an average phase estimate corresponding to each window; generating a frequency offset representative of a difference between average phase estimates; and correcting said average phase estimates by adjusting said average phase estimates by said frequency offset.', 'generating a number of said phase estimates during each symbol interval;', 'defining a number of windows, each window having a length less than said symbol interval;', 'generating an average phase estimate corresponding to each window;', 'generating a frequency offset representative of a difference between average phase estimates; and', 'correcting said average phase estimates by adjusting said average phase estimates by said frequency offset.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising;grouping said windows into sets based on a relative reference in time of each said window to said symbol interval; accumulating sets of decoded data so that each said set of decoded data corresponds to those windows in said set of windows; comparing each set of decoded data to a known sequence of data; generating a detect signal when said decoded data is substantially the same as said known sequence of data; and defining a set of synchronizing windows as said set of windows corresponding to said set of decoded data when said set of decoded data is substantially the same as said known sequence of data.', 'grouping said windows into sets based on a relative reference in time of each said window to said symbol interval;', 'accumulating sets of decoded data so that each said set of decoded data corresponds to those windows in said set of windows;', 'comparing each set of decoded data to a known sequence of data;', 'generating a detect signal when said decoded data is substantially the same as said known sequence of data; and', 'defining a set of synchronizing windows as said set of windows corresponding to said set of decoded data when said set of decoded data is substantially the same as said known sequence of data.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:defining a window before each of said synchronizing windows as an early window; defining a window after each of said synchronizing windows as a late window; determining a phase offset for each of said early and late windows; comparing said phase offset corresponding to said early window and said phase offset corresponding to said late window, said comparison resulting in a difference between said two phase offsets representative of a timing offset; adjusting a timing of said synchronizing windows relative to said symbol interval, based on said timing offset.', 'defining a window before each of said synchronizing windows as an early window;', 'defining a window after each of said synchronizing windows as a late window;', 'determining a phase offset for each of said early and late windows;', 'comparing said phase offset corresponding to said early window and said phase offset corresponding to said late window, said comparison resulting in a difference between said two phase offsets representative of a timing offset;', 'adjusting a timing of said synchronizing windows relative to said symbol interval, based on said timing offset.']