Modeling and analysis for the GPS pseudo-range observable

In this paper, a digital system for the Global Positioning System (GPS) pseudo-range observable is modeled and analyzed theoretically. The observable is measured in a GPS receiver by accurately tracking the pseudorandom noise (PRN) code phase of the input GPS signal using a digital energy detector and a digital delay lock loop (DDLL). The following issues are presented: (1) mathematical modeling of the digital PRN code acquisition and tracking system, (2) the closed-form expression derivation for the detection and false-alarm probabilities of the acquisition process and for the variance of code phase tracking error, and (3) the linear and nonlinear performance analysis of the DDLL for optimizing the receiver structures and parameters with tradeoff between the tracking errors due to receiver dynamics and due to input noise     

基于提前停止判决的编码软信息辅助载波同步

 针对目前编码辅助载波同步算法中复杂度较高、延时大的问题,提出了引入辅助停止判决机制的编码辅助载波同步算法。在现有的编码辅助载波同步结构基础上,该算法能对环路信噪比(SNR)进行实时判定,在环路SNR满足限定条件后提前停止编码辅助载波同步迭代,而不影响译码性能。采用新的相位估计方式估计含相位噪声的载波相位,提升了该条件下的环路信噪比。仿真采用码率为1/2的低密度奇偶校验(LDPC)码作为编码方式,结果表明:在误码率为10^-5时,该算法减少了约50%的编码辅助载波同步迭代次数;在含相位噪声的信号条件下,与理想解调译码相比,性能损失不超过0.15 dB。     

极弱信号环境下GPS位同步和载波跟踪技术

为解决环路未锁定、无法找出正确的导航数据位跳变点时极弱全球定位系统(GPS)信号跟踪问题,通过分析信号跟踪模型和相关器1 ms采样数据特性,将最优路径动态规划算法应用于GPS位同步,并提出基于平方根无迹卡尔曼滤波(SRUKF)和位同步结合的载波联合跟踪算法。建立了适合位同步的SRUKF载波环参数估计模型,针对位同步的实现条件和无相位频率先验信息的情况,将位同步模块提前,研究设计了环路未锁定时串行和并行两种弱信号跟踪方案。位同步跟踪完成后环路采用单独的SRUKF工作方式。实验结果证实该文提出的算法具有较高的数据位边缘检测概率(EDR)和参数估计性能,而无须关心环路是否处于锁定状态,能够对载噪比低至22 dB/Hz的弱信号实现跟踪。     

GPS接收机数字码跟踪环性能研究

建立了伪码捕获和跟踪过程的数学模型;推导出了伪码捕获的检测概率和虚警概率,提出了改进的双Dwell搜索方法;对一阶、二阶、三阶DDLL的动态跟踪性能及输入随机噪声影响进行了定量分析。研究结果表明,双Dwell搜索方法能显著缩短平均捕获时间,应根据不同的系统动态特点,选择不同的环路参数,以优化码跟踪环的特性。     

载波相位平滑伪距在GPS/SINS紧组合导航系统中的应用

针对GPS/SINS紧组合导航系统中伪距噪声大从而引起组合导航系统精度低的问题,提出了将载波相位平滑伪距方法引入到组合导航系统中,利用具有较高精度的载波相位对低精度伪距进行平滑滤波,在建立观测方程的同时,为了减小Kalman滤波器计算量,选用最佳4颗卫星的伪距与伪距率作为观测值,并提出了一种四面体选星法,该方法不需要进行矩阵求逆运算,减小了运算量。利用光纤陀螺捷联惯导系统与GPS接收机搭建了实验验证系统,通过车载实验对所提出的方法进行了验证,实验结果表明,经过载波相位平滑后的伪距噪声得到了降低,从而能够进一步提高GPS/SINS组合导航系统的定位精度,其位置误差均方根值相比无载波相位平滑减小近40%。     

Noise analysis of a digital tanlock loop

The noise performance analysis of a nonuniform digital phase-locked loop (DPLL), called the digital tanlock loop (DTL), is investigated by both analytic and computer-simulation methods. The results are presented in terms of phase error probability mass function and mean time to skip cycle versus input signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). These results are compared to the ones obtained with the conventional sinusoidal DPLL loop (DPLL). It is found that, for low-to-moderate input SNR, the DTL has only a slight improvement over the DPLL. The DTL, however, has larger linear characteristics than the conventional DPLL, which makes it attractive for applications that require an increased tracking range or as a first stage in carrier tracking systems based on optimum estimation procedures such as a Kalman smoother     

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.     

轨道预测辅助GPS载波跟踪技术用于低轨道卫星定位研究

针对低轨道卫星及其特定的运动环境,研究了星载GPS接收机载波跟踪问题。基于卫星轨道可模化、可预测的特性,提出了利用预测卫星轨道计算多普勒频移,并用于辅助载波环路跟踪的新方法。该方法有效地降低了低轨道卫星GPS信号跟踪中的动态,从而在跟踪过程中可以采取降低环路阶数、减小环路带宽、增加预检测积分时间这几种措施来提高环路跟踪弱信号的能力,有助于提高低轨道卫星的定位性能。     

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     

Next generation digital GPS receiver

The architecture and technology features of the next-generation (NGR) digital GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver manufactured by Collin are described. The project's objective was to develop an advanced GPS receiver chipset with high antijam capabilities. The program, initiated in 1985, has provided the technology for miniature receiver products for both unmanned and manned vehicle applications. A two-channel version of the receiver is in full-scale development for tactical missile applications. A five-channel version is being tested and evaluated as a drop-in replacement for RCVR-3A, the US Department of Defense standard high dynamic receiver. The NGR design started with the digital signal processing architecture developed for the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) hand-held GPS receiver. Enhancements were made to improve the antijam and signal acquisition performance. Producible, qualifiable and cost-effective silicon monolithic microwave integrated circuits and semicustom digital technologies were used to develop the core GPS chipset. A system design approach was established to permit reuse of mature and validated GPS software     

On the Acquisition Time for an Apollo Ranging Code

An Apollo ranging system is considered whose phase reference is obtained by a phase-locked loop for bit synchronization. The bit phase reference is noisy, and the error probability for the ranging code is shown to depend on the input signal energy per bit to noise density ratio. The procedure of computing the acquisition time for the ranging code is then presented and the acquisition time for a lunar ranging code is plotted versus the input signal-to-noise density ratio.     

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     

Phase Residual Estimations for PCVs of Spaceborne GPS Receiver Antenna and Their Impacts on Precise Orbit Determination of GRACE Satellites

In-flight phase center systematic errors of global positioning system(GPS) receiver antenna are the main restriction for improving the precision of precise orbit determination using dual-frequency GPS.Residual approach is one of the valid methods for in-flight calibration of GPS receiver antenna phase center variations(PCVs) from ground calibration.In this paper,followed by the correction model of spaceborne GPS receiver antenna phase center,ionosphere-free PCVs can be directly estimated by ionosphere-free carrier phase post-fit residuals of reduced dynamic orbit determination.By the data processing of gravity recovery and climate experiment(GRACE) satellites,the following conclusions are drawn.Firstly,the distributions of ionosphere-free carrier phase post-fit residuals from different periods have the similar systematic characteristics.Secondly,simulations show that the influence of phase residual estimations for ionosphere-free PCVs on orbit determination can reach the centimeter level.Finally,it is shown by in-flight data processing that phase residual estimations of current period could not only be used for the calibration for GPS receiver antenna phase center of foretime and current period,but also be used for the forecast of ionosphere-free PCVs in future period,and the accuracy of orbit determination can be well improved.     

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.     

GPS/SINS超紧组合导航的性能分析

GPS接收机在高动态环境下很容易失锁,特别是载体的高动态造成的应力对接收机载波跟踪环影响很大。为了解决高动态环境下的组合导航,分析了GPS接收机载波跟踪环的测量误差和跟踪门限,采用惯导速度辅助GPS接收机跟踪环路的超紧组合结构。超紧组合需要涉及到GPS接收机跟踪环内部编排及高动态环境下的实验数据,难度较大。针对超紧组合仿真专门开发了GPS实时软件接收机、高动态GPS中频信号仿真器和惯导模拟器并构建了一个完整的GPS/SINS超紧组合仿真系统。仿真结果表明,该超紧组合导航系统可以跟踪50g的加速度和10倍音速。     

量化对GPS接收机捕获性能影响的研究

由于接收机输入端的信噪比对接收机的捕获性能具有很重要的意义,所以要尽量减少接收机输入端信噪比的损失。本文首先给出了含高斯白噪声的GPS信号经过不同量化位数和量化电平的量化器后的输出信噪比计算公式;然后,在此基础上分析其对接收机捕获性能的影响;最后,仿真实验表明,接收机可以在不影响捕获性能的情况下,尽量选择合适的量化位数和量化门限。实验结果也为量化器的设计提供了重要的技术参考。     

Carrier-Tracking Loop Performance for Quaternary and Binary PSK Signals

By expressing the open-loop response voltage as a Fourier series in terms of the phase-tracking error and then utilizing a very useful mean-value expression, we assess the performance of loops suited to recovering the carrier of four-phase (quaternary) and two-phase (binary) phase-shift-keyed (QPSK and BPSK) signals. At high signal to noise ratios (SNRs) they perform comparably, but at low SNRs the former's performance deteriorates much more rapidly. The loop's ability to maintain the carrier frequency despite the noise accompanying the PSK signal is measured by the mean and the variance of the oscillator's control voltage. In particular, Spilker's loop for QPSK and the Costas loop for BPSK signals are discussed.     

一种基于数据跳变检测的高动态环境GPS信号参数估计方法

鉴于高动态环境中 Ｇ Ｐ Ｓ信号参数估计和调制数据跳变检测所遇到的问题,采用扩展卡尔曼滤波方法（ Ｅ Ｋ Ｆ）对信号参数进行了估计,分析了通过载波辅助技术实现伪码延时估计的原理,重点研究了一种简单的数据跳变检测和估计参数修正方法。模拟结果表明这种方法在信号参数估计精度和动态跟踪性能等方面都能够满足高动态环境的要求。     

Carrier loop architectures for tracking weak GPS signals

The performance of various carrier recovery loop architectures (phase lock loop (PLL), Doppler-aided PLL, frequency lock loop (FLL), and Doppler-aided FLL) in tracking weak GPS signals are analyzed and experimentally validated. The effects of phase or frequency detector design, oscillator quality, coherent averaging time, and external Doppler aiding information on delaying loss of lock are quantified. It is shown that for PLLs the metric of total phase jitter is a reliable metric for assessing low C/N performance of the tracking loop provided the loop bandwidth is not too small (~> 5 Hz). For loop bandwidths that are not too small, total phase jitter accurately predicts carrier-to-noise ratio (C/N) at which loss of lock occurs. This predicted C/N is very close to the C/N predicted by bit error rate (BER). However, unlike BER, total phase jitter can be computed in real-time and an estimator for it is developed and experimentally validated. Total phase jitter is not a replacement for BER, since at low bandwidths it is less accurate than BER in that the receiver loses lock at a higher C/N than predicted by the estimator. Similarly, for FLLs operating at small loop bandwidths, it is found that normalized total frequency jitter is not a reliable metric for assessing loss of lock in weak signal or low C/N conditions. At small loop bandwidths, while total frequency jitter may indicate that a loop is still tracking, the Doppler estimates provided by the FLL will be biased.     

Phase-Shift-Keyed Signal Detection with Noisy Reference Signals

This paper derives and graphically illustrates the performance characteristics of Phase-Shift-Keyed communication systems where the receiver's phase reference is noisy and derived from the observed waveform by means of a narrow-band tracking filter (a phase-locked loop). In particular, two phase measurement methods are considered. One method requires the transmission of an auxiliary carrier (in practice, this signal is usually referred to as the sync subcarrier). This carrier is tracked at the receiver by means of a phase-locked loop, and the output of this loop is used as a reference signal for performing a coherent detection. The second method is self-synchronizing in that the reference signal is derived from the modulated data signal by means of a squaring-loop. The statistics (and their properties) of the differenced-correlator outputs are derived and graphically illustrated as a function of the signal-to-noise ratio existing in the tracking filter's loop bandwidth and the signal-to-noise ratio in the data channel. Conclusions of these results as well as design trends are presented.