A GPS Simulator for the Design and Development of a Future Low-Cost GNSS

The need for GPS simulators has become important due to the tremendous growth in the design of versatile GPS receivers. When actual satellite signals are used for testing systems, developing and evaluating them may be challenging. Such signals have non-stationary parameters because they vary with time, weather, satellite health, and many other factors. As a result, great research is being done to create affordable, compact, and effective GPS simulators. Unfortunately, commercial hardware and software-based GPS simulators are expensive and time-consuming. This research presents the results of a GPS simulator. The GPS simulator transmits simulated GPS signals in a lab environment. The simulator will enable researchers to design, develop, and test GNSS payloads within a lab environment. It will also help assess some of the most critical errors that GNSS systems experience in space and on the ground, such as satellite clock error, receiver noise, and multipath, which pose different challenges. A simulated signal is generated using a signal simulator and transmitted using a low-cost software-defined radio. Given the tremendously rising availability of GPS-enabled receivers, it is necessary to develop suitable testing tools to validate the performance of these receivers.