Ground-based GNSS-R solutions by means of software defined radio

Paper in proceeding, 2016

Usually ground-based GNSS-R installations are either existing geodetic GNSS stations or they are built with dedicated components that enable the deduction and monitoring of physical and geometrical properties of the reflecting area around that particular site. In both cases, hardware components usually enable real-time operation of such instruments. However, as software-defined radio (SDR) technology has advanced in the recent years it is now possible to carry out signal processing in real-time, which makes it an ideal candidate for the realization of a flexible GNSS-R system. It is shown how SDR can help to realize GNSS-R solutions for sea-level monitoring at the Onsala Space Observatory, Sweden. Moreover, such SDR solutions can be mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in order to collect data from higher altitudes and even provide Delay-Doppler information for extended GNSS-R studies.