Simple and Effective GNSS Spatial Processing Using a Low-Cost Compact Antenna Array

• Published in: IEEE transactions on aerospace and electronic systems Vol. 57; no. 5; pp. 3479 - 3491
• Main Authors: Marranghelli, Ezequiel A., La Valle, Ramon Lopez, Roncagliolo, Pedro A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01-10-2021; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: <named-content xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:ali="http://www.niso.org/schemas/ali/1.0/" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" content-type="math" xlink:type="simple"> <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX"> in situ</tex-math> </inline-formula> </named-content> radiation patterns (RPs); Algorithms; Antenna arrays; Antenna radiation patterns; Antennas; Array signal processing; Compact antenna array; Correlation; Decoupling; Digital signal processing; Direction of arrival; Global navigation satellite system; global navigation satellite system (GNSS); Low cost; Microstrip antenna arrays; Microstrip antennas; Navigation systems; orthonormal transformation; Phased arrays; Robustness (mathematics); spatial processing; Transmission line matrix methods
• ISSN: 0018-9251; 1557-9603
• DOI: 10.1109/TAES.2021.3082669

A compact planar four-element antenna array that can be used to improve the robustness and accuracy in applications of satellite-based navigation systems that require simple, low-cost, lightweight, and efficient antenna solutions is proposed in this article.By introducing an orthonormal transformation in the digital signal processing stage, it is possible to simplify the effect of the distorted in situ antenna radiation patterns obtaining an equivalent almost ideal phased array response. The actual prototype designed under this concept is a <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">14\,</tex-math></inline-formula>cm <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">\,\times 14\,</tex-math></inline-formula> cm single-layer microstrip antenna array for the GNSS L1/E1-bands that achieves a good total antenna efficiency without employing any additional matching/decoupling stage. Promising results obtained through numerical simulations and on-field experiments showing effective direction of arrival estimations and mitigation of radio frequency interferences with simple spatial processing algorithms applied after the proposed signal transformation are presented.