Open Source Software Defined Radio Platform for GNSS Recording, Simulation

A. Brown, J. Redd, M. Dix

Abstract:	The Software Defined Radio (SDR) platform continues to shape the GNSS testing and development environment. Open source SDR platforms are now being developed and offer GNSS development capability to a variety of users that have not previously had sufficient resources to be engaged. An open source platform also offers many advantages in terms of customization and system development. In this paper we show how an open source SDR platform, the bladeRF, which was developed under an entrepreneurial project funded by the Kickstarter community can be used for GNSS SDR development and testing. NAVSYS has previously integrated GNSS waveforms into other SDRs such as the Ettus Research USRP N210 and the Racelogic LabSat devices. The bladeRF platform has the advantage of a full open architecture design for full duplex 28MHz channels which capture the GNSS frequencies in its 300MHz – 3.8GHz range. It contains a modular expansion board design for adding GPIO, Ethernet, and 1PPS synchronization. In this paper we show how the bladeRF can be programmed for use as a full GNSS receiver and also for recording and replaying GNSS signals. We will demonstrate the quality of the signals, susceptibility to noise interference, hardware customization, and ability to manipulate firmware settings for using this open architecture SDR as a GNSS development, test and simulation tool.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 26th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS+ 2013) September 16 - 20, 2013 Nashville Convention Center, Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, TN
Pages:	1508 - 1516
Cite this article:	Brown, A., Redd, J., Dix, M., "Open Source Software Defined Radio Platform for GNSS Recording, Simulation," Proceedings of the 26th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS+ 2013), Nashville, TN, September 2013, pp. 1508-1516.
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