R-Mode Receiver Assembly

Abstract

The invention relates to an R-mode receiver arrangement (1) comprising a low-noise amplifier (2), a bandpass filter (3), and an RTL software-defined radio receiver module (4), wherein an input of the low-noise amplifier (2) is configured to be connectable to a receiving antenna (10, 11), wherein an output of the low-noise amplifier (2) is connected to the RTL software-defined radio receiver module (4) via the bandpass filter (3).

Claims

1. An R-mode receiver arrangement comprising: a low-noise amplifier, a bandpass filter, and an RTL software-defined radio receiver module, wherein an input of the low-noise amplifier is configured to be connectable to a receiving antenna, wherein an output of the low-noise amplifier is connected to the RTL software-defined radio receiver module via the bandpass filter.

2. The R-mode receiver arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the RTL software-defined radio receiver module is configured to operate in a direct-sampling mode.

3. The R-mode receiver arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized by a computing device, wherein the computing device is configured to receive an output signal of the RTL software-defined radio receiver module and to perform a Fourier transform on the output signal, in order to estimate phases of both carrier signals of an R-mode signal and to provide and/or output the estimated phases.

4. The R-mode receiver arrangement as claimed in claim 3, wherein the computing device is further configured to estimate and provide and/or output a pseudorange based on the estimated phases.

5. The R-mode receiver arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bandpass filter has a passband from 250 kHz to 375 kHz.

6. The R-mode receiver arrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein the bandpass filter is a passive filter formed by discrete components.

7. The R-mode receiver arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to correct for phase drift.

8. The R-mode receiver arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein an E-field antenna which has a circular receiving pattern and which is connected to the input of the low-noise amplifier.

9. The R-mode receiver arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein an H-field antenna which has a directional characteristic and a reduced noise floor is connected to the input of the low-noise amplifier.

10. The R-mode receiver arrangement as claimed in claim 2, characterized by a computing device, wherein the computing device is configured to receive an output signal of the RTL software-defined radio receiver module and to perform a Fourier transform on the output signal, in order to estimate phases of both carrier signals of an R-mode signal and to provide and/or output the estimated phases.

11. The R-mode receiver arrangement as claimed in claim 10, wherein the computing device is further configured to estimate and provide and/or output a pseudorange based on the estimated phases.

12. The R-mode receiver arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the bandpass filter has a passband from 250 kHz to 375 kHz.

13. The R-mode receiver arrangement as claimed in claim 3, wherein the bandpass filter has a passband from 250 kHz to 375 kHz.

14. The R-mode receiver arrangement as claimed in claim 4, wherein the bandpass filter has a passband from 250 kHz to 375 kHz.

15. The R-mode receiver arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the computing device is further configured to correct for phase drift.

16. The R-mode receiver arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein an E-field antenna which has a circular receiving pattern is connected to the input of the low-noise amplifier.

17. The R-mode receiver arrangement as claimed in claim 3, wherein an E-field antenna which has a circular receiving pattern is connected to the input of the low-noise amplifier.

18. The R-mode receiver arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein an H-field antenna which has a directional characteristic and a reduced noise floor is connected to the input of the low-noise amplifier.

19. The R-mode receiver arrangement as claimed in claim 3, wherein an H-field antenna which has a directional characteristic and a reduced noise floor is connected to the input of the low-noise amplifier.

20. The R-mode receiver arrangement as claimed in claim 8, wherein an H-field antenna which has a directional characteristic and a reduced noise floor is connected to the input of the low-noise amplifier.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0026] The invention will be described in greater detail below with the aid of preferred exemplary embodiments, making reference to the figures. In the drawings:

[0027] FIG. 1 shows, schematically, a representation of an embodiment of the R-mode receiver arrangement;

[0028] FIG. 2 shows, schematically, a diagram of a bandpass filter having discrete components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the R-mode receiver arrangement 1. The R-mode receiver arrangement 1 comprises a low-noise amplifier 2, a bandpass filter 3, and an RTL software-defined radio receiver module 4.

[0030] An input of the low-noise amplifier 2 is configured to be connectable to a receiving antenna 10, 11, wherein an output of the low-noise amplifier 2 is connected to the RTL software-defined radio receiver module 4 via the bandpass filter 3.

[0031] In particular, it is provided that the RTL software-defined radio receiver module 4 is configured to operate in a direct-sampling mode. The RTL software-defined radio receiver module 4 provides an (SDR) data stream of the sampled values.

[0032] It may be provided that the R-mode receiver arrangement 1 comprises an E-field antenna 10 which has a circular receiving pattern and which is connected to the input of the low-noise amplifier 2.

[0033] It may be alternatively provided that the R-mode receiver arrangement 1 comprises an H-field antenna 11 which has a directional characteristic and a reduced noise floor and which is connected to the input of the low-noise amplifier 2.

[0034] It may be provided that the R-mode receiver arrangement 1 comprises a computing device 5. The computing device 5 can be configured as a personal computer or a miniature computer or an embedded computer. The computing device 5 is configured to receive an output signal of the RTL software-defined radio receiver module 4 and to perform a Fourier transform on the output signal, in order to estimate phases 6 of both carrier signals of an R-mode signal and to provide and/or output the estimated phases 6.

[0035] It may be further provided that the computing device 5 is further configured to estimate and provide and/or output a pseudorange 7 based on the estimated phases 6.

[0036] It may be provided that the bandpass filter 3 has a passband from 250 kHz to 375 kHz.

[0037] Furthermore, it may be provided that the bandpass filter 3 is a passive filter formed by discrete components. This is shown schematically in FIG. 2. In particular, the discrete components shown can have the following values in order to provide a passband from 250 kHz to 375 kHz:

TABLE-US-00001 Capacitor C.sub.0 C.sub.1 C.sub.2 C.sub.3 C.sub.4 C.sub.5 C.sub.6 C.sub.7 C.sub.8 Value 1.2 1.2 15 12 6.8 18 4.8 27 1.8 nF nF nF nF nF nF nF nF nF

TABLE-US-00002 Inductor L.sub.1 L.sub.2 L.sub.3 L.sub.4 L.sub.5 L.sub.6 L.sub.7 L.sub.8 Value 100 18 22 33 15 54 10 150 μH μH μH μH μH μH μH μH

[0038] It may be provided that the computing device 5 is further configured to correct for phase drift.

List of Reference Signs

[0039] 1 R-mode receiver arrangement [0040] 2 Low-noise amplifier [0041] 3 Bandpass filter [0042] 4 RTL software-defined radio receiver module [0043] 5 Computing device [0044] 6 Phase [0045] 7 Pseudorange [0046] 10 E-field antenna [0047] 11 H-field antenna [0048] C.sub.x Capacitance/capacitor [0049] L.sub.x Inductance/inductor [0050] V.sub.in Input voltage [0051] V.sub.out Output voltage