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A high-sensitivity and interference-resilient acquisition method for eloran signals based on band-summed STFT

Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: In enhanced Loran (eLoran) receiving systems, reliable signal acquisition is a prerequisite for subsequent tracking, timing, and positioning, and significantly affects receiver sensitivity and the effective acquisition range for weak and distant transmitter signals. This paper proposes a high-sensitivity, interference-resilient acquisition method based on band-summed short-time Fourier transform (BS-STFT). The method combines the time-domain pulse structure and frequency-domain energy concentration of eLoran signals to perform time—frequency energy accumulation within selected bands, thereby significantly enhancing the prominence and stability of acquisition peaks in weak signal and interference dominated environments. Simulations show that BS-STFT maintains over 80% acquisition probability at an SNR of − 24 dB and achieves a mean probability of 43% in the SNR range from − 30 dB to − 25 dB. It also shows robustness to in-band continuous wave interference with an SIR as low as − 15 dB at an SNR of − 20 dB, and maintains stable acquisition performance under sky-ground wave coexistence. Field experiments using real eLoran signals from inland and offshore test sites validate the proposed method. BS-STFT successfully acquired all eLoran transmitters deployed in China at both test sites, where the minimum SNR and electric field strength were − 22.46 dB and 26.38 dB μ V m − 1 , respectively, and the signal dynamic range between the two sites reached 65.93 dB. These results indicate that the BS-STFT significantly improves acquisition sensitivity and interference resistance, providing strong support for eLoran systems operating in complex environments.
DOI: 10.1088/1402-4896/aea039
Language: English
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7204533491
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Cites: 25
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Related to: 10