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Software Simulators and Multi-Frequency Test Scenarios for GALILEO

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GALILEO Positioning Technology

Part of the book series: Signals and Communication Technology ((SCT,volume 182))

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Abstract

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal simulators are essential in supporting education, research, and also development and testing of advanced positioning receivers. This chapter provides useful insights into the essential components of software simulators of GNSS signals, a brief background study of state-of-the-art in such simulators and finally, some test scenarios for testing performance parameters of multi-frequency GNSS receivers. Section “Introduction” is a brief introduction to the following sections of the chapter. Section “State-of-the-Art Software-Based GNSS Signal Simulators” is dedicated to literature review of state-of-the-art in GNSS software simulators. Thirty-eight example simulators available in the academic and commercial domain were selected and their characteristics compared based on the following parameters: the number of GNSS satellite constellations and signals modeled, the strategy of error modeling, the programming language used, the input and output data formats, and the modeling of the radio frequency front-end (RF FE) effects. Section “Important Components of GNSS Signal Simulators” is dedicated to describing the essential components of a typical GNSS software simulator. Usually, such simulators are modular in design, where each module is responsible for a specific functionality. The different modules are the signal generation module, error sources module, transmission channel module, receiver RF FE module, and finally, the space (satellite constellation) module. Lastly, sect. “Multi-Frequency, Multi-System Receiver Performance Test Scenarios” describes some important receiver parameters and their example test-cases in order to compare the performance of a multi-frequency multi-system receiver over its single-frequency single-system counterpart. It has been observed that in spite of the proliferation of numerous simulators of GNSS signals, there is no single comprehensive reference textbook that explains their baseline theory. This chapter intends to fill this gap.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Navigation and Positioning, Finnish Geodetic Institute, Geodeetinrinne 2, 02430, Masala, Kirkkonummi, Finland

    Sarang Thombre

  2. Tampere University of Technology, Tampere, Finland

    Jari Nurmi

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  1. Sarang Thombre
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  2. Jari Nurmi
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Correspondence to Sarang Thombre .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electronics and Communications Engineering, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere, Finland

    Jari Nurmi

  2. Department of Electronics and Communications Engineering, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere, Finland

    Elena Simona Lohan

  3. German Aerospace Center DLR, Koeln, Germany

    Stephan Sand

  4. Department of Electronics and Communications Engineering, Tampere University of technology, Tampere, Finland

    Heikki Hurskainen

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Thombre, S., Nurmi, J. (2015). Software Simulators and Multi-Frequency Test Scenarios for GALILEO. In: Nurmi, J., Lohan, E., Sand, S., Hurskainen, H. (eds) GALILEO Positioning Technology. Signals and Communication Technology, vol 182. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1830-2_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1830-2_13

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