Design and Implementation of Vector Tracking Loop for High-Dynamic GNSS Receiver

• Published in: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 21; no. 16; p. 5629
• Main Author: Mu, Rongjun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 20.08.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Digital signal processors; Field programmable gate arrays; Global positioning systems; GPS; Noise; Real time; Recovery time; Signal processing; Software; Synchronism; Time synchronization
• DOI: 10.3390/s21165629

For the tracking of high-dynamic satellite navigation signals, the conventional scalar tracking loop (STL) is vulnerable. Frequent signal-tracking interruption affects the continuity of navigation. The vector tracking loop (VTL) can overcome this disadvantage. However, there are some difficulties in implementing existing vector tracking methods on a real-time hardware receiver, such as the synchronization problem and computation load. This paper proposes an implementation framework of VTL based on a partial open-loop numerically controlled oscillator (NCO) control mode that can be implemented with minor modifications on an existing receiver platform. The structure of VTL, the design of the navigation filter, and the key points of hardware implementation are introduced in detail. Lastly, the VTL performance was verified by a GPS simulator test. The results show that the proposed VTL can run in real-time and be significantly improved in the tracking continuity of high-dynamic signals, tracking sensitivity, positioning accuracy, and recovery time for interrupted signals compared with those of STL.