The Analysis and Simulation of Multipath Error Fading Characterization in Different Satellite Orbits

Abstract

The “Standing multipath” was discovered when ranging to the GEO satellite in WAAS, the fading characterization of the range multipath error of the GEO satellites is quite different from that of the MEO satellite in GPS, which causes problems for the use of WAAS. This phenomenon shows that the orbit type affects the multipath fading. In this paper, the influences of the satellite orbit on the multipath fading will be focused: by using mathematical models, the fading frequency in different models will be unified into a general form, base on which, environment factor, the signal factor and the satellite moving factor on the fading frequency will be shown clearly. The fading frequency and fading characteristic in different orbits will be discussed qualitatively. Then simulations will be made to show the fading characteristic intuitively. Special fading characteristic in GEO orbit will be discovered and explained. Further more, the “standing multipath” in WAAS will be recovered in computer simulation. The research in this article gives an analysis about multipath error fading characteristic in different orbits, shows the typical fading characteristic.