A comprehensive analysis on Doppler frequency and Doppler frequency rate characterization for GNSS receivers

Understanding the characteristics of Doppler frequency and Doppler frequency rate is a first knowledge in designing a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver, which is important in choosing GNSS signal acquisition and tracking strategies. However, there lacks a work that comprehensively derives and summarizes receiver Doppler frequency and Doppler frequency rate characteristics under different scenarios in literal, especially for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) receivers. In this paper, the analytical expression of Doppler frequency and Doppler frequency rate characteristics are derived for ground stationary receivers, and moving receivers, in the Earth Center Earth Fixed (ECEF) coordinate frame. Simulation are conducted for ground stationary receivers, ground low-velocity receivers, airborne receivers, LEO space-borne receivers and MEO space-borne receivers. The results show that:(1) The Doppler rate is no more than 1 Hz/s for ground stationary receivers, that Doppler rate of space borne may be more 1800 Hz/s. (2)When receiver's orbit height is small than a critical height, the maximum Doppler rate decrease as orbit height.