New Spectral Measurements of GNSS Signals

T. Grelier, R. Ries, J-L. Issler, and F. Counturier

Abstract:	In the frame of GNSS projects, there is a need to observe spectra of navigation signals transmitted by different types of global or regional Navigation Satellite Systems, in order to take technical and coordination decisions to ensure the radio-frequency compatibility of GNSS frequencies and signals. It is thus very important to survey NSS spectra in frequency bands such as 1215-1300 MHz, 1525 – 1626.5 MHz and 2483.5 – 2500 MHz. This article presents the results of a measurement campaign of NSS satellite signals which took place at the monitoring earth station of Leeheim (Germany) during the second half of 2005. This station, operated by the Bundesnetzagentur, provides two steerable parabolic antennas with diameters of 6 and 12 meters. These ones are very useful to observe NSS spread spectrum signals whose power is well under the noise floor. The measurement campaign was performed on the regional NSS Beidou and on both GNSS Glonass and GPS. Beidou is a Chinese regional positioning system composed of three geostationary satellites mainly covering the country and its neighbouring areas. The only Beidou satellite (named Beidou 1B) visible from Leeheim station was pointed and measurements were performed at the signal center frequency of 2491.5 MHz. Then the spectra of the two modernized Glonass satellites, numbered 701 and 712 and launched at the end of 2003 and 2004, were measured in the 1585 – 1625 MHz and 1235 – 1265 MHz frequency bands. Comparison with old generation of Glonass satellites showed significant reduction of emissions in the radioastronomy band (1610.3-1613.8 MHz) as it had been requested by IUCAF in 1993. Finally the new GPS satellite, named GPS IIR-M (for Modernized GPS II Replacement), launched at the end of September 2005 was tracked. Spectrum measurements at L1 (1575.42 MHz) and L2 (1227.60 MHz) frequencies were made. New L2 civil signal (L2C) was observed.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 2006 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation January 18 - 20, 2006 Hyatt Regency Hotel Monterey, CA
Pages:	82 - 91
Cite this article:	Grelier, T., Ries, R., Issler, J-L., Counturier, F., "New Spectral Measurements of GNSS Signals," Proceedings of the 2006 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, Monterey, CA, January 2006, pp. 82-91.
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