Key Factors of Multi-station TDOA Passive Location Study

A type of multi-station TDOA passive location method and its Geometric Dilution of Precision (GDOP) has been studied. The key factors, formation of the aircrafts, the leader aircraft chosen, and the length and direction of the baseline which affect the position accuracy have been compared by computer simulation analysis. The results demonstrate that: to use T or the rhombus formation is optimum for improving the TDOA part of location accuracy when having a location task in a specified area, to use Y formation is preferred for ensuring location accuracy in all directions when surveying and searching throughout large airspace. In order to improve location accuracy it´s essential to maintain the baseline direction and change the length of the baseline according to the real-time measured target angle.