Large-Scale GNSS Spreading Code Optimization

TL;DR

This paper introduces a bit-flip descent algorithm for optimizing large binary spreading codes in GNSS, improving correlation properties efficiently for large code families in satellite navigation.

Contribution

It presents a novel iterative bit-flip method that efficiently optimizes large-scale binary spreading codes for GNSS applications, enabling rapid convergence to low-correlation codes.

Findings

Demonstrated rapid convergence to low-correlation codes

Applied method to GPS L1 C/A and Galileo E1 codes

Improved auto- and cross-correlation properties of codes

Abstract

We propose a bit-flip descent method for optimizing binary spreading codes with large family sizes and long lengths, addressing the challenges of large-scale code design in GNSS and emerging PNT applications. The method iteratively flips code bits to improve the codes' auto- and cross-correlation properties. In our proposed method, bits are selected by sampling a small set of candidate bits and choosing the one that offers the best improvement in performance. The method leverages the fact that incremental impact of a bit flip on the auto- and cross-correlation may be efficiently computed without recalculating the entire function. We apply this method to two code design problems modeled after the GPS L1 C/A and Galileo E1 codes, demonstrating rapid convergence to low-correlation codes. The proposed approach offers a powerful tool for developing spreading codes that meet the demanding requirements of modern and future satellite navigation systems.