A Novel Signal Design and Performance Analysis in NavCom Based on LEO Constellation

Abstract

The mega-launch of low Earth orbit satellites (LEOs) represents a critical opportunity to integrate navigation and communication (NavCom), but first, challenges related to signal design must be overcome. This article proposes a novel signal scheme named CE-OFDM-PM. Via research on the in-band or adjacent band, it was found that the proposed signal scheme was suitable for S-band and had a wide normalized power spectrum density (PSD), high peak-to-side lobe ratio (PSR), and multiple peaks in autocorrelation. In an analysis of the simulation performance evaluation in navigation and communication, it is found that the proposed signal scheme has the potential for high accuracy, a code tracking accuracy of up to 0.85 m, a small mutual influence between the proposed signal scheme and other schemes, excellent anti-interference properties, and a better performance at both short and long distances in terms of its anti-multipath capability. Furthermore, the proposed signal scheme shows the ability to communicate between satellites and the ground and is outstanding in terms of its bit error rate (BER), CNR, and energy per bit to noise power spectral density ratio (Eb/N0). From the technical, theoretical, and application perspectives, our proposed signal scheme has potential as an alternative scheme in future BDS, PNTs, and even 5G/B5G.