GPS HIGH DYNAMIC RECEIVER TRACKING DEMONSTRATION RESULTS

Abstract

Demonstration results are presented for a high dynamic GPS receiver. The receiver tested is a breadboard unit capable of tracking one simulated satellite signal in pseudorange and range rate. The receiver makes approximate maximum likelihood estimates of pseudorange and range rate each 20 ms, and tracks these observables using a third order filter with a time constant of 0.14 s. Carrier phase is not tracked, which eliminates the typical failure mode of loss of carrier lock associated with PLLs at high dynamics. The receiver tracks with pseudorange lag errors of under 0.06 m when subjected to simulated 50 g turns with 40 g/s peak jerk. Pseudorange errors due to receiver noise alone are approximately 0.6 m rms at a carrier power to noise spectral density ratio of 34 dB-Hz. The tracking threshold SNR is approximately 28 dB-Hz, which provides 12 dB margin relative to the 40 dB-Hz that occurs with minimum specified satellite signal strength, 3.5 dB system noise figure, and 0 dBi antenna gain.