Abstract: A low-cost GPS/GNSS receiver receives a satellite signal at an RF frequency (fRF). The GPS/GNSS receiver includes a front end section for receiving the satellite signal and generating a digital complex signal having a first bandwidth, the received satellite signal being converted into a complex signal before digitizing, a signal capturing section for searching for and acquiring the satellite signal, the signal capturing section including a capture memory, a baseband processor for tracking the acquired satellite signal, and a signal splitter coupled to the front end section. The signal splitter splits the digital complex signal into two bandwidths, by generating a narrowband digital complex signal having a second bandwidth substantially smaller than the first bandwidth. The signal splitter provides the narrowband digital signal to the capture memory and the wider first bandwidth digital complex signal to the baseband processor.

Abstract: Common components are used to detect messages from a variety of transmitters, and the characteristics of each detected message are used to dynamically configure the demodulation process for each message. Channelization is selectively performed before, after, or before-and-after de-spreading, depending upon the particular environment and/or the particular characteristics of the received messages. Frequency synchronization to each transmitter is achieved by initializing a tracking loop within the demodulator associated with the transmitter, and code-phase synchronization to each transmitter is achieved by selectively inserting or deleting bits, based on the frequency and code-phase characteristics of the detected message.