A Fast C/N0 Estimation Method Based on the Ratio of Acquisition Correlation Value

The carrier-to-noise ratio ( $$C/{N}_{0}$$ ) is widely recognized as a vital measurement in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) as it serves as a common indicator of signal power. Its significance is apparent in numerous scenarios such as receiver tracking loop operation, spoofing detection, satellite signal quality monitoring, positioning and system state evaluation. Thus, research on estimating $$C/{N}_{0}$$ has gained importance in practical applications. Most existing $$C/{N}_{0}$$ estimation methods rely on the tracking process as a premise, leading to poor accuracy in specific scenarios where the signal is sporadic, intermittent or data is relatively short. Moreover, the signal tracking process limits the response speed and accuracy of existing methods, making them impractical for emergency scenarios requiring rapid estimation. To address these limitations and expand the applicability of $$C/{N}_{0}$$ estimation, this paper proposes a fast $$C/{N}_{0}$$ estimation method based on the acquisition correlation ratio (ACR). This approach estimates $$C/{N}_{0}$$ in the acquisition stage using only millisecond observation information. Simulation and experimental results indicate that the proposed method can significantly enhance the estimation accuracy of $$C/{N}_{0}$$ in short data scenarios compared to existing methods, achieving an estimation error of 0.52 dBHz with 50ms data.