Implementation of Pseudolite Monitoring Station for Distributed Array Pseudolite System and Signal Quality Assessment Method
Pseudolite (PL) positioning technology is one of the effective methods to achieve high-precision indoor positioning. The Distributed Array Pseudolite System (DAPLS) is a ground-based augmentation architecture designed to provide high-precision positioning in GNSS-denied or indoor environments. However, maintaining the stability and integrity of pseudolite signals in distributed deployments remains a significant challenge. To address this, a Pseudolite Monitoring Station (PMS) was developed for real-time signal observation, performance evaluation, and anomaly detection. The proposed PMS integrates a multi-channel front-end, signal-processing engine, and monitoring algorithms capable of continuous assessment across three hierarchical levels: Signal Quality Monitoring (SQM), Receiver Processing Monitoring (RPM), and Measurement Quality Monitoring (MQM). To integrate multi-domain monitoring results, a Composite Quality Index (CQI) model is introduced, combining normalized sub-scores through weighted fusion to reflect overall system integrity. A comprehensive Signal Quality Assessment (SQA) framework is further introduced, including four dimensions of evaluation: constellation status, time reference, spatial coordinate reference, and signal anomaly detection. An indoor DAPLS experiment was conducted within a laboratory-level test field. The system comprised three pseudolite transmitter arrays (six transmitters each) and a central monitoring station. Experimental results showed stable synchronization within ±5 ns, coordinate accuracy within 0.2 m, and consistently high signal quality. The monitoring station effectively detected minor signal distortions and synchronization deviations, confirming its diagnostic precision and robustness. This study demonstrates a complete monitoring and evaluation framework for DAPLS, enabling both system-level quality assurance and signal integrity monitoring. The proposed PMS and SQA methods provide essential tools for future deployment of pseudolite-based indoor positioning and timing systems.
Authors
- Yu Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1303-7745)
- Yn Yang
- Q. H. Wang
- Jiujing Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8991-0865)
- Jianping Xing
- Bo Zhang
Institutions
- Shandong University (CN)
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- Southeast University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Applied Sciences
- Published
- 2026-01-28
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/app16031343
- Primary Topic
- GNSS positioning and interference
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00