Triple Frequency RF Front-End for GNSS Instrumentation Receiver Applications

Sanjeev Gunawardena, Zhen Zhu, Frank van Graas

Abstract:	The motivation and applications of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) instrumentation receiver are significantly different from those of high-end commercially available receivers. In particular, one application of an instrumentation receiver is to sample and store received in-band signals with as little front-end distortion and processing as possible, so as to maximize options for later processing using software radio concepts. For example, take interference research and characterization applications. The desire is to capture the GNSS-plus-interference signal with the highest possible fidelity, without automatic gain control (AGC) processing, while also avoiding front-end saturation within practical limits. Consequently, a high dynamic range, multi-bit-sampling radio frequency (RF) front-end is required for an instrumentation receiver. Previously, we developed a dual frequency wideband RF front-end giving utmost priority to signal fidelity, and lower priority to size, weight, power, and cost constraints [1]. This paper reports on a 4-channel GNSS instrumentation RF front-end that attempts to preserve signal fidelity while also taking those other constraints into account. This front-end was specifically designed to cover all GPS frequency bands: L1 (1575.42 MHz), L2 (1227.6 MHz), and L5 (1176.45 MHz). The performance of the front-end is exemplified through acquisition and tracking of the test L5 broadcasts from the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) geosynchronous orbit (GEO) satellites: SV135 and SV138.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 21st International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2008) September 16 - 19, 2008 Savannah International Convention Center Savannah, GA
Pages:	2984 - 2999
Cite this article:	Gunawardena, Sanjeev, Zhu, Zhen, van Graas, Frank, "Triple Frequency RF Front-End for GNSS Instrumentation Receiver Applications," Proceedings of the 21st International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2008), Savannah, GA, September 2008, pp. 2984-2999.
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