Characterization of Illegally Marketed GNSS Jammers

This paper studies the evolution and impact of low-cost Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) jammers, which pose a significant threat to devices that use geolocation. Three illegally marketed jammers with distinct morphologies have been characterized in power and frequency occupancy, using time and frequency domain measurements. Also, the jammers potential effective range is approximated. The study compares both methodologies with the aim of advocating for the use of time domain measurements to provide more detailed insights into jamming influence and behavior using spectrograms and probability distribution analysis. The results show that these devices employ chirp signals or modulated wideband noise to disrupt the pseudo range acquisition by corrupting the data transmitted by satellites, masking the signals, or blocking and saturating receivers of GNSS systems utilizing signals in the L1, L2, L3, and G1 frequency bands. The study further highlights the accessibility and effectiveness of such illegal devices, underscoring the need for jamming detection techniques.