Performance of TDOA Localization Versus Relay Assisted Communication System

This paper examines how adding a relay to a communication link affects a hostile receiver’s ability to locate the original transmitter. The intention is that the relay shortens the distance the transmitter must communicate over and thus lowers the required transmit power to a covert level. This reduction in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), in addition to the presence of an extra emitter, limits geolocation performance. The paper focuses on time difference of arrival (TDOA) paired with a spherical interpolation method for localization. A framework is developed to run various Monte Carlo simulations over different configurations of radio positions and parameters. Scatter plots and heat maps are used to visualize the mean square error (MSE) between the position estimate and the ground truth to quantify performance. The results show that using a relay as a geolocation countermeasure is feasible given the right operating conditions, such as a shorter distance between transmitter and relay than between transmitter and hostile receivers.