Demonstration of the Analog Transmission of GPS Spread Spectrum Signals Over Fiber Optic Links

Abstract

The measurement of the open ocean sea level will require the utilization of space geodetic techniques, especially the Global Positioning System, GPS. In order to meet the challenge of the sea level measurement, the orbits of the GPS satellites must be known to an on-orbit accuracy of less than 50 cm, about a factor of 20 to 50 times better than routinely available from U. S. Air Force sources. This need for highly accurate, reliable, and routinely available orbits motivated the development of a Fiber Optics GPS Orbit Network (FOGON). The main idea of this system is to remote the GPS antennas at accurately known geodetic locations and transmit the GPS analog satellite signals along a phase stable fiber optic link to the GPS receiver which synchronizes the data acquisition of the network. This paper presents the results of a hardware demonstration carried out by members of the Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research (CCAR) and the Optoelectronic Computing Systems Center (OCSC) at the University of Colorado (CU) which demonstrates that the analog transmission of GPS spread spectrum signals over a 4 km fiber optic link is possible with minimal degradation to GPS receiver operation.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1991
Accession Number
ADA238734

Entities

People

  • Peter F. Macdoran
  • Robert Feuerstein
  • William Schreiner

Organizations

  • University of Colorado Boulder

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Amplifiers
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Coaxial Cables
  • Data Acquisition
  • Detectors
  • Earth Orbits
  • Fiber Optics
  • Frequency
  • Generators
  • Global Positioning Systems
  • Jet Propulsion
  • Orbits
  • Power Levels
  • Radio Frequency Power
  • Spectra
  • Spread Spectrum

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Optical Fiber Sensing and Electromagnetic Propagation.
  • Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Technology.
  • Radio communications and signal processing.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Microelectronics - Microelectromechanical Systems
  • Space
  • Space - Orbital Debris