An Array Antenna-Based Attitude Determination Method for GNSS Spoofing Mitigation in Power System Timing Applications

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Authors: Wenxin Jin, Shuai Wu, Guangyao Zhang, Ruochen Si, Li Teng, Wenxing Chen, Huixia Ding, Chaoyang Zhu
Cited by: 1
References: 31

Abstract

Accurate GNSS timing is fundamental to Power Time Synchronization Systems (PTSS). However, conventional substation infrastructures remain vulnerable to sophisticated spoofing attacks. In this research, a sensing-assisted array antenna-based spoofing mitigation method is proposed. The proposed architecture operates at the signal front-end and incorporates a dedicated spoofing sensing path to estimate the Direction-of-Arrival (DoA) of malicious signals, enabling adaptive null steering while preserving authentic satellite reception. To provide reliable spatial reference for DoA estimation, a unified high-precision attitude determination method is developed for compact 10 cm-scale array antennas under single-frequency and environmental error conditions. The method integrates the Constrained Least-squares AMBiguity Decorrelation Adjustment (C-LAMBDA)-based constrained ambiguity resolution, redundant antenna element-based vertical accuracy enhancement, and iterative refinement to mitigate centimeter-level environmental biases. Semi-simulated experiments demonstrate that the proposed method achieves baseline vector Root Mean Square Errors (RMSE) below 5 mm in horizontal components and approximately 10 mm in vertical components. The resulting attitude accuracies reach 2° in heading, 6° in pitch, and 4° in roll, while eliminating over 80% of systematic environmental phase errors with an average convergence within 6 iterations. These results satisfy the spatial accuracy requirements for effective spoofing suppression and front-end signal purification. Consequently, a robust technical approach is established for enhancing the anti-spoofing capabilities of PTSS without modifying existing infrastructure.

Fields of Study & Subjects

GNSS positioning and interference Indoor and Outdoor Localization Technologies Network Time Synchronization Technologies

Publication details

Journal / source
Applied Sciences
Publisher
MDPI AG
Volume
16
Issue
7
Pages
3289–3289
Publication date
28 March 2026
Language
EN