Multipath Simulator Taking into Account Reflection and Diffraction (MUSTARD) is a computer program that simulates effects of multipath propagation on received Global Positioning System (GPS) signals. MUSTARD is a very efficient means of estimating multipath-induced position and phase errors as functions of time, given the positions and orientations of GPS satellites, the GPS receiver, and any structures near the receiver as functions of time. MUSTARD traces each signal from a GPS satellite to the receiver, accounting for all possible paths the signal can take, including all paths that include reflection and/or diffraction from surfaces of structures near the receiver and on the satellite. Reflection and diffraction are modeled by use of the geometrical theory of diffraction. The multipath signals are added to the direct signal after accounting for the gain of the receiving antenna. Then, in a simulation of a delay-lock tracking loop in the receiver, the multipath-induced range and phase errors as measured by the receiver are estimated. All of these computations are performed for both right circular polarization and left circular polarization of both the L1 (1.57542-GHz) and L2 (1.2276-GHz) GPS signals.

This program was written by Sung Byun, George Hajj, and Lawrence Young of Caltech for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

For further information, access the Technical Support Package (TSP) free online at www.techbriefs.com/tsp under the Software category. This software is available for commercial licensing. Please contact Don Hart of the California Institute of Technology at (818) 393-3425. Refer to NPO-40463.



This Brief includes a Technical Support Package (TSP).
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Estimating Effects of Multipath Propagation on GPS Signals

(reference NPO-40463) is currently available for download from the TSP library.

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