Preliminary results of scintillation monitoring at KLEF-Guntur low latitude station using GNSS software defined radio

Abstract

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) have become an integral part of modern life, supporting various applications, from precise positioning and navigation to timing and synchronization. However, GNSS signals are vulnerable to natural interferences including various atmospheric disturbances, with ionospheric scintillations being a significant challenge. Ionospheric scintillations, caused by irregularities in the Earth’s ionosphere, introduce rapid fluctuations in the amplitude and phase of GNSS signals. These fluctuations can severely degrade the accuracy and reliability of GNSS receivers, leading to positioning errors and navigation failures. Hence, it is crucial to develop effective mitigation strategies. One of the promising approaches to mitigate ionospheric scintillations is the utilization of Software Defined Radio (SDR) technology in GNSS receivers. SDR allows for real-time adaptation to changing signal conditions, enabling the receiver to detect scintillations and adjust its signal processing accordingly. This adaptability enhances the receiver’s stability against ionospheric disturbances, ensuring more robust and accurate positioning and navigation. In this paper, preliminary results of GNSS SDR (Make: iP-Solutions, Japan) installed at Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation (KLEF), Vaddeswaram (Guntur) (16.44° N, 80.62° E) are presented. Amplitude scintillation index (S4) variations for different PRNs and subsequent positioning results are interpreted from April to September 2023. The results are compared and validated with those of the co-located Novatel GNSS receiver and NAVIC receiver. Most of the S4 variations correlate well with the S4 values from the Novatel and NAVIC receivers. S4 observations from the Septentrio receiver at Daytona Beach (Florida) are also presented. The results of SDR will be extended further for the development of scintillation mitigation algorithms. We plan to install an SDR and employ similar mitigation strategy at this location in the near future.