A set of novel stress tests for high dynamic NavIC/GPS receiver software with RF signal input, observations and mitigation strategies

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers are used in launch vehicles for aiding inertial navigation systems for improving the navigation accuracy. A GNSS receiver capable of decoding signals from both Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) and Global Positioning System (GPS) constellations is a suitable candidate for launch vehicles. In addition to the RF subsystems and other hardware components, a GNSS receiver houses an intricate software catering to various functional requirements. In this paper, we are presenting a set of novel stress tests for the GNSS receiver software which will be carried out on the target hardware with actual RF signal input. The tests are designed to excite hidden problems if any in the critical areas of the software which may not be excited during conventional software testing. Four different stress tests are presented in this paper. The test results are analyzed and some peculiar observations which are not seen during normal testing are detected. The problems are critically analyzed and the root cause are found out. The test cases are repeated after updating the software and the performance is evaluated.