Ranging precision analysis of LTE signals

The ranging precision of the secondary synchronization signal in cellular long-term evolution (LTE) systems is evaluated. First, the pseudorange error for a delay-locked loop with a coherent baseband discriminator is analyzed, and a closed-form expression for the standard deviation of the pseudorange error is derived. Second, the effect of multipath on the ranging error is evaluated analytically. Experimental results closely matching the analytical expression of the pseudorange error standard deviation are presented. Key remarks to take into consideration when designing a receiver for positioning using LTE signals are provided throughout the paper.