A Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver and associated method
capable of tracking weak GNSS signals from a plurality of GNSS
satellites. In a preferred embodiment, code and carrier tracking loops
are initially closed around the code phase, carrier frequency, and data
bit edge estimates handed over from an acquisition mode. In subsequent
tracking, early, prompt, and late copies of the code replica are
correlated with the incoming signal. The prompt correlations are
coherently integrated over an extended updating interval for data bit
edge and sign estimation as well as for carrier phase and frequency error
discrimination whereas the early and late correlations are used for code
error discrimination. Code delay and carrier phase and frequency errors
are used to update the code and carrier tracking loop filters. Together
with data bits, they form observables of a GNSS signal's time and
frequency parameters for timing and position fixing.