High-precision Carrier Tracking Algorithm for extremely Weak and
High-Dynamic Signal
Abstract
Obtaining high-precision Doppler frequency for very weak signals in deep
space exploration is challenging. A phase-locked loop (PLL) is a widely
used high-precision Doppler frequency measurement method, and the
arctangent phase detector is the most widely used phase detector.
However, the arctangent phase detector cannot correctly identify the
signal phase for signals with very low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and
very high dynamic. Therefore, the arctangent phase detector is the key
module limiting the weak-signal and high-dynamic tracking abilities of a
PLL. This study proposes a new phase discrimination method in which the
phase difference between the real and the reconstructed signals is
obtained by using the coefficients of signal transformation. By
replacing arctangent phase detector with novel phase detector, the
high-dynamic and weak-signal tracking abilities of PLL are greatly
improved. This method is expected to provide a good reference for radar,
navigation, and other fields involving carrier tracking, and it provides
feasible technical solutions for high-precision carrier tracking of
high-dynamic and low-SNR signals on some occasions.