A Two-Stage Kalman Filter-Based Carrier Tracking Loop for Weak GNSS Signals

For global navigation satellite system receivers, Kalman filter (KF)-based tracking loops show remarkable advantages in terms of tracking sensitivity and robustness compared with conventional tracking loops. However, to improve the tracking sensitivity further, increasing the coherent integration ti...

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Main Authors: Yan Cheng, Qing Chang, Hao Wang, Xianxu Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2019-03-01
Series:Sensors
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/19/6/1369
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author Yan Cheng
Qing Chang
Hao Wang
Xianxu Li
author_facet Yan Cheng
Qing Chang
Hao Wang
Xianxu Li
author_sort Yan Cheng
collection DOAJ
description For global navigation satellite system receivers, Kalman filter (KF)-based tracking loops show remarkable advantages in terms of tracking sensitivity and robustness compared with conventional tracking loops. However, to improve the tracking sensitivity further, increasing the coherent integration time is necessary, but it is typically limited by the navigation data bit sign transition. Moreover, for standard KF-based tracking receivers, the KF parameters are initialized by the acquired results. However, especially under weak signal conditions, the acquired results have frequency errors that are too large for KF-based tracking to converge rapidly to a steady state. To solve these problems, a two-stage KF-based tracking architecture is proposed to track weaker signals and achieve faster convergence. In the first stage, coarse tracking refines the acquired results and achieves bit synchronization. Then, in the second stage, fine tracking initializes the KF-based tracking by using the coarse tracking results and extends the coherent integration time without the bit sign transition limitation. This architecture not only utilizes the self-tuning technique of the KF to improve the tracking sensitivity, but also adopts the two-stage to reduce the convergence time of the KF-based tracking. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms conventional tracking techniques in terms of tracking sensitivity. Furthermore, the proposed method is compared with the standard KF-based tracking approach, proving that the proposed method converges more rapidly.
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spelling doaj.art-31dbad46355140e1a3f920f08752bef62022-12-22T04:28:29ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202019-03-01196136910.3390/s19061369s19061369A Two-Stage Kalman Filter-Based Carrier Tracking Loop for Weak GNSS SignalsYan Cheng0Qing Chang1Hao Wang2Xianxu Li3School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, ChinaSchool of Electronic and Information Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, ChinaSchool of Electronic and Information Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, ChinaState Grid Information and Telecommunication Branch, Beijing 100761, ChinaFor global navigation satellite system receivers, Kalman filter (KF)-based tracking loops show remarkable advantages in terms of tracking sensitivity and robustness compared with conventional tracking loops. However, to improve the tracking sensitivity further, increasing the coherent integration time is necessary, but it is typically limited by the navigation data bit sign transition. Moreover, for standard KF-based tracking receivers, the KF parameters are initialized by the acquired results. However, especially under weak signal conditions, the acquired results have frequency errors that are too large for KF-based tracking to converge rapidly to a steady state. To solve these problems, a two-stage KF-based tracking architecture is proposed to track weaker signals and achieve faster convergence. In the first stage, coarse tracking refines the acquired results and achieves bit synchronization. Then, in the second stage, fine tracking initializes the KF-based tracking by using the coarse tracking results and extends the coherent integration time without the bit sign transition limitation. This architecture not only utilizes the self-tuning technique of the KF to improve the tracking sensitivity, but also adopts the two-stage to reduce the convergence time of the KF-based tracking. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms conventional tracking techniques in terms of tracking sensitivity. Furthermore, the proposed method is compared with the standard KF-based tracking approach, proving that the proposed method converges more rapidly.http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/19/6/1369GNSS carrier trackinghigh sensitivityKalman filterreduce convergence time
spellingShingle Yan Cheng
Qing Chang
Hao Wang
Xianxu Li
A Two-Stage Kalman Filter-Based Carrier Tracking Loop for Weak GNSS Signals
Sensors
GNSS carrier tracking
high sensitivity
Kalman filter
reduce convergence time
title A Two-Stage Kalman Filter-Based Carrier Tracking Loop for Weak GNSS Signals
title_full A Two-Stage Kalman Filter-Based Carrier Tracking Loop for Weak GNSS Signals
title_fullStr A Two-Stage Kalman Filter-Based Carrier Tracking Loop for Weak GNSS Signals
title_full_unstemmed A Two-Stage Kalman Filter-Based Carrier Tracking Loop for Weak GNSS Signals
title_short A Two-Stage Kalman Filter-Based Carrier Tracking Loop for Weak GNSS Signals
title_sort two stage kalman filter based carrier tracking loop for weak gnss signals
topic GNSS carrier tracking
high sensitivity
Kalman filter
reduce convergence time
url http://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/19/6/1369
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