Supplements to Active Filters in the VOR

This paper covers some important advances in understanding the problems associated with the VOR system, especially in connection with area navigation. Anomalies arising from airborne equipment, operating in the airborne environment, are described and analyzed. Factors contributing to overall system accuracy are treated with respect to VOR receiver response and to rate-limiting, filter means, with special attention to appropriate noise reduction systems providing zero or minimal time delay characteristics. The use of active filters in the VOR receiver is shown to be of major importance with regard to signal improvement and overall system accuracy. Active filters of the constant slew rate type have proved of significant value, both within the VOR receiver as well as in signal processing.     

Multipath-adaptive GPS/INS receiver

Multipath interference is one of the contributing sources of errors in precise global positioning system (GPS) position determination. This paper identifies key parameters of a multipath signal, focusing on estimating them accurately in order to mitigate multipath effects. Multiple model adaptive estimation (MMAE) techniques are applied to an inertial navigation system (INS)-coupled GPS receiver, based on a federated (distributed) Kalman filter design, to estimate the desired multipath parameters. The system configuration is one in which a GPS receiver and an INS are integrated together at the level of the in-phase and quadrature phase (I and Q) signals, rather than at the level of pseudo-range signals or navigation solutions. The system model of the MMAE is presented and the elemental Kalman filter design is examined. Different parameter search spaces are examined for accurate multipath parameter identification. The resulting GPS/INS receiver designs are validated through computer simulation of a user receiving signals from GPS satellites with multipath signal interference present The designed adaptive receiver provides pseudo-range estimates that are corrected for the effects of multipath interference, resulting in an integrated system that performs well with or without multipath interference present.     

Effects of Finite Wire Scatterers in the Field of VOR

A computer-oriented general formula is developed to estimate the dynamic bearing errors of an airborne VOR receiver due to arbitrary bent finite wire scatterers located in the vicinity of a VOR. The current in those wires caused by the incident fields from the VOR is computed by a piecewise-sinusoidal reaction technique. The variations in the incident fields over the wire and the mutual coupling effects between close wires are taken into account.     

Receiver-channel based adaptive blind equalization approach for GPS dynamic multipath mitigation

Aiming at mitigating multipath effect in dynamic global positioning system (GPS) satellite navigation applications, an approach based on channel blind equalization and real-time recursive least square (RLS) algorithm is proposed, which is an application of the wireless communication channel equalization theory to GPS receiver tracking loops. The blind equalization mechanism builds upon the detection of the correlation distortion due to multipath channels; therefore an increase in the number of correlator channels is required compared with conventional GPS receivers. An adaptive estimator based on the real-time RLS algorithm is designed for dynamic estimation of multipath channel response. Then, the code and carrier phase receiver tracking errors are compensated by removing the estimated multipath components from the correlators’ outputs. To demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed approach, this technique is integrated into a GPS software receiver connected to a navigation satellite signal simulator, thus simulations under controlled dynamic multipath scenarios can be carried out. Simulation results show that in a dynamic and fairly severe multipath environment, the proposed approach achieves simultaneously instantaneous accurate multipath channel estimation and significant multipath tracking errors reduction in both code delay and carrier phase.     

Preliminary Evaluation of GPS Performance for Low-Cost General Aviation

Preliminary results of a simulation effort to evaluate the requirements and feasibility of the global positioning system (GPS) as a civil air navigation system are presented. Evaluation is made of GPS requirements, from operational considerations, such as application to nonprecision approaches. The conceptual low-cost GPS receiver simulated here does not correct for the ionospheric or trophospheric delay, is sequential in nature, tracks only four satellites, and is not mechanized to make independent range rate measurements based on the Doppler shift of the GPS carrier frequency. The proposed GPS system has significantly different performance characteristics from the presently used VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) solidus distance-measuring equipment (DME) system. The GPS is a low signal level system and many have a relatively slow data rate due to the low-cost sequential receiver design. The results indicate that although the conceptual low-cost GPS receiver/ navigator is potentially more accurate than a VOR, the accuracy may degrade during aircraft turns and satellite shielding periods.     

多径效应对GPS载波相位观测量的影响

推导了ＧＰＳ接收机中多径效应引入的最大载波相位跟踪误差的闭合形式。得到以下结论：当直达信号跟踪误差不超过１码片时,最大载波测相多径误差为１／４周,该值出现在测码伪距多径误差最小的情况下;当直达信号跟踪误差超过或等于１码片时,接收机跟踪多径信号,信号误检发生。     

基于阵列天线的一种GPS多径抑制方法

为了抑制多径效应对GPS的严重影响，在分析了多径效应对伪码跟踪环路影响的基础上，提出了一种基于空间平滑的改进稳健波束形成算法来抑制GPS多径效应。以直线阵为基础，采用前后向空间平滑算法对阵列接收信号进行预处理，针对各种失配，采用改进的稳健波束形成算法进行处理。该方法既可以有效地抑制GPS多径效应，又可以有效地改善伪码跟踪环路的跟踪精度。仿真实验结果验证了所提方法的正确性和有效性，具有较高的工程实践价值。     

GPS code and carrier multipath mitigation using a multiantennasystem

Multipath is a major source of error in high precision Global Positioning System (GPS) static and kinematic differential positioning. Multipath accounts for most of the total error budget in carrier phase measurements in a spacecraft attitude determination system. It is a major concern in reference stations, such as in Local Area Augmentation Systems (LAAS), whereby corrections generated by a reference station, which are based on multipath corrupted measurements, can significantly influence the position accuracy of differential users. Code range, carrier phase, and signal-to-noise (SNR) measurements are all affected by multipath, and the effect is spatially correlated within a small area. In order to estimate and remove code and carrier phase multipath, a system comprising a cluster of five GPS receivers and antennas is used at a reference station location. The spatial correlation of the receiver data, and the known geometry among the antennas, are exploited to estimate multipath for each satellite in each antenna in the system. Generic receiver code and carrier tracking loop discriminator functions are analyzed, and relationships between receiver data, such as code range, carrier phase, and SNR measurements, are formulated and related to various multipath parameters. A Kalman filter is described which uses a combination of the available information from the antennas (receivers) in the multiantenna cluster to estimate various multipath parameters. From the multipath parameters, the code range and carrier phase multipath is estimated and compensated. The technique is first tested on simulated data in a controlled multipath environment. Results are then presented using field data and show a significant reduction in multipath error     

Wide-Aperture Digital VOR

The very high frequency (VHF) omnirange has undergone a number of evolutionary changes in the past 30 years. Early measurements of large errors led to the development of the Doppler VHF omnidirectional irectioal range (VOR) and its use. Further developments have been the precision multilobe VOR and the precision Doppler VOR. Interest in area navigation has led to the desire for a VOR greatly superior to any so far developed. Specifically, the objectives of the improved VOR would be a system that would significantly reduce magnitude of siting errors, provide greater accuracy and use digital techniques to simplify processing. ssing. The wide-aperture digital VOR described herein has been developed to meet these objectives. Its design is based on the crossed-pair interferometer principle where eight such pairs are energized successively by a set of pulses and phase shifts. The time multiplexed signal, detected by the aircraft receiver, is processed and simple digital computations are performedto determine the angular coordinates. The performance improvements have been achieved by the combination of using a 275-ft antenna aperture, and the use of digital techniques to generate the ground-radiated navigational signals and to process them in the airborne processor. Field tests of the feasibility model indicate it is a high performance ance system, capable of achieving an order of magnitude improvement in both site error reduction and in accuracy compared to present VOR systems. The measured accuracies were 0.11-degree standard deviation.     

SNR-based multipath error correction for GPS differential phase

Carrier phase multipath is currently the limiting error source for high precision Global Positioning System (GPS) applications such as attitude determination and short baseline surveying. Multipath is the corruption of the direct GPS signal by one or more signals reflected from the local surroundings. Multipath reflections affect both the carrier phase measured by the receiver and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). A technique is described which uses the SNR information to correct multipath errors in differential phase observations. The potential of the technique to reduce multipath to almost the level of receiver noise was demonstrated in simulations. The effectiveness on real data was demonstrated with controlled static experiments. Small errors remained, predominantly from high frequency multipath. The low frequency multipath was virtually eliminated. The remaining high frequency receiver noise can be easily removed by smoothing or Kalman filtering     

Analysis of airborne GPS multipath effects using high-fidelity EM models

Airborne GPS systems are being upgraded to provide sufficient positioning accuracy to support automatic landing operations in low visibility conditions. This is made possible by differential GPS (DGPS), in which the errors common to the airborne receiver and ground station are removed by knowledge of the latter's precise location. However, errors specific to the airborne system remain, of which the dominant components are receiver noise and multipath. To support the assessment of the integrity of the signal in space, these residual errors are incorporated in a statistically based error model, designated as the "standard model." The standard model is defined as the standard deviation of a Gaussian distribution that overbounds the residual pseudo-range (PR) error. It relates the standard deviation of the overbounding distribution to the elevation angle of the satellite relative to the local level coordinate system. The international community is currently developing improved standards to enable DGPS systems to support landings in the worst visibility conditions (i.e., CAT III). As a part of this development, the standard model for multipath is being re-evaluated and an improved model is sought. In order to better characterize the residual multipath errors, tools for accurate calculation of the airframe scattering effects are needed. Development of such tools is the subject of this paper. A new method for accurately computing pseudo-range error, based on the use of high-fidelity EM models, is described. This approach provides new insight into the mechanisms causing multipath error.     

电分相电弧对全向信标电磁辐射特性的分析

为了分析电气化铁路高速列车电分相电弧对机场全向信标（VOR）的影响,研究其电磁发射特性。利用电磁干扰接收机与频谱仪,分别以点频和扫频方式,对电气化铁路电分相点和普通点进行了大量辐射测试。分析测试数据的异方差性,改进回归分析方法,拟合出电弧在全向信标频段的幅频特性曲线,分析弓网电弧电磁辐射对机场全向信标的影响。结果表明：电分相电磁辐射是随机的,在电分相处比普通点大;现代电气化铁路高速列车经过电分相的测试数据异方差性比较明显,普通的最小二乘估计方法不适用;当电气化铁路电分相点与飞机距离小于4.944 km时,可能会对VOR信号产生影响。     

Angular mean and variance for selected two-source radar-target combinations

Angle tracking of the desired target in the presence of interference is a common radar problem. It can occur when the desired target is competing with a jammer, clutter, or multipath. Angle statistics can vary significantly for a tracking radar depending upon the nature of this interference. The angular mean and variance are presented for three different statistical two-target types for single and multiple measurements. Previously derived values are presented for completeness in conjunction with derivations not found in the open literature. The signal-to-noise ratio is assumed to be large so that the effects of receiver noise may be neglected.     

On Optimizing Array Reception of Multipath

This paper reviews system configuration requirements and analyzes detectability performance characteristics for maximum likelihood array reception of multipath. Performance is analyzed to determine the effects of channel multipath structure (multipath delay and signal power division among the paths), space-time correlation properties of the incident processes, and the array spacing. It is shown by a series of case studies, that for single element coupling, as well as array coupling, an increased multipath delay factor results in decreased system detectability for fixed signal and noise intensity levels. The performance capacity is degraded as the available signal power tends to distribute more uniformly between the paths. These effects are attributed to the loss of effective signal energy concentration, resulting in a lower effective pre-detection signal-to-noise ratio. An investigation of the effects upon system performance, due to array element spacing, shows that performance is enhanced by increasing the spacing relative to the multipath delay factor and the reciprocal signal bandwidth. The former is the result of a more directive detectability (beam) pattern arising from the increased spacing. In effect, with increased spacing, the main lobe of the pattern is narrowed, while the side lobes are optimally suppressed by the required noise related array element link, frequency filters (weights).     

海陆交界非平稳场景星载ScanSAR扇贝效应抑制方法

扫描式合成孔径雷达(ScanSAR)因不受光线、天气影响,能够提供宽测绘带图像而被广泛应用在海洋监测领域。但ScanSAR图像的扇贝效应(Scalloping)和子带拼接效应(Inter-Scan Banding,ISB)严重地降低图像质量,尤其在海陆相接一类的非平稳场景下,干扰更为严重,影响图像的应用效能。针对上述问题,文章给出了一种基于图像分层和卡尔曼滤波的ScanSAR图像扇贝效应和子带拼接效应的抑制方法。针对非平稳场景,先进行图像分层处理使其满足线性卡尔曼滤波需求;然后,利用加性二维周期函数对子图层的扇贝效应和子带拼接效应进行建模;再将卡尔曼滤波器应用于条纹抑制;最后,对真实ScanSAR图像数据的有效处理结果验证了算法的有效性。     

Gating Functions for Multipath Mitigation in GNSS BOC Signals

A new multipath mitigation technique is proposed for binary offset carrier (BOC) signals in global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) using the concept of gating function originally conceived for the GPS coarse-acquisition (C/A) code. Specially-tailored pulses are utilized to diminish the number of false-lock points of the code discriminator response and to improve the multipath mitigation capability. The code loop includes only four real correlators (two extra correlators are required for the simplified bump-jumping algorithm with BOC(n,n) signals). Results obtained with BOC(n,n) and BOC(2n,n) signals show that this technique eliminates the multipath ranging errors for reflected rays with relative delays typically above twenty percent of the spreading code chip duration, thus comparing favorably with the conventional receiver correlation techniques.     

一种多径条件下的MLS接收机测角误差分析新方法

为了准确分析多径环境条件下微波着陆系统接收机测角误差,在深入分析微波着陆系统(MLS)测角原理的基础上,提出了一种基于扫描波束主瓣等效替代的误差分析方法。该方法通过把往返波束脉冲主瓣用高斯钟形替代,准确计算了接收的扫描脉冲-3dB门限前后沿误差,建立了多路径条件下统一实用的接收脉冲包络波峰位置偏移误差模型和锁住闸门测量误差模型。为验证模型准确性,以特定的多径环境条件为例,计算MLS接收机的测角误差,将计算结果与利用Mathias经典模型的计算结果进行对比,并通过计算机仿真进行验证。结果表明,采用主瓣替代方法能够较好地克服经典模型精确分析误差方面的使用不足和缺陷,且对多径条件下接收机测角精度的准确评定具有一定的实用价值。     

Graphical Derivations of Radar, Sonar, and Communication Signals

The designer of a communication system often has knowledge concerning the changes in distance between transmitter and receiver as a function of time. This information can be exploited to reduce multipath interference via proper signal design. A radar or sonar may also have good a priori information about possible target trajectories. Such knowledge can again be used to reduce the receiver's response to clutter (MTI), to enhance signal-to-noise ratio, or to simplify receiver design. There are also situations in which prior knowledge about trajectories is lacking. The system should then utilize a single-filter pair which is insensitive to the effects induced by relative motion between transmitter, receiver, and reflectors. For waveforms with large time-bandwidth products, such as long pulse trains, it is possible to graphically derive signal formats for both situations (trajectory known and unknown). Although the exact form of the signal is sometimes not specified by the graphical procedure, the problem in such cases is reduced to one which has already been solved, i. e., the generation of an impulse equivalent code.     

Another Source of VOR Omni Error

In the vicinity of reflecting objects, a VOR receiver picks up both the direct and reflected signals. This summation adds both amplitude and phase modulation to the signal that were not present at the transmitter. The error due to this phase modulation is fairly evident since the desired directional information is transmitted as a relative phase. What is not so evident is the fact that the amplitude modulation can also produce a phase error. This happens when asymmetrical filters are used to process the amplitude-modulated signal. The asymmetrical filter converts some of the amplitude-modulated sidebands into phase modulation which is recorded as a direct phase error.