LEO-Augmented GNSS Based on Communication Navigation Integrated Signal

• Published in: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 19; no. 21; p. 4700
• Main Authors: Wang, Lei, Lü, Zhicheng, Tang, Xiaomei, Zhang, Ke, Wang, Feixue
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 29.10.2019; MDPI
• Subjects: Accuracy; Bandwidths; burst signal; communication and navigation integration; Communications systems; gnss; iridium; leo; Low earth orbit satellites; Satellite communications; Spread spectrum; IRIDIUM; communication and navigation integration; GNSS; burst signal; LEO
• ISSN: 1424-8220; 1424-8220
• DOI: 10.3390/s19214700

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) is of great benefit for the positioning performance of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). To realize the system of LEO-augmented GNSS, three methods to integrate communication and navigation signal for LEO communication system with the least influence on the communication performance are analyzed. The analysis adopts the parameters of IRIDIUM signal as restrictions. This paper gives quantitative comparison of these methods considering CN0(carrier noise power spectral density rate) margin, pseudorange accuracy, Doppler accuracy, and communication loss. For method 1, a low-power navigation signal is added to the communication signal. For method 2, the navigation signal is launched in one or more frames. For method 3, the navigation signal is launched in the frequency band separated to the communication signal. The result shows that the pseudorange accuracy of method 2 is far below method 1 and method 3. However, the difference of Doppler accuracy among the three methods can be emitted. Detailed analysis shows that method 1 is practicable when the communication and navigation signal power rate is 15 dB. It achieves the balance of pseudorange accuracy and bit error rate (BER) performance under this condition. Comprehensive comparison of these methods is given in the last. The result shows that the CN0 margin of the navigation signal for method 3 can be 13.04 dB higher than method 1, based on the accuracy threshold considered in this paper. Methods 1 and 3 have the advantage of high accuracy and high CN0 margin respectively. However, method 3 causes high communication capacity loss. Considering that the main disadvantage of GNSS signals is low CN0, method 3 is a good choice for the LEO-augmented GNSS system. Methods 1 and 3 can be combined to realize both high accuracy and high CN0 margin if possible.