Performance Analysis of a Particularly Simple Kalman Filter
P.S. Maybeck · Journal of Guidance and Control · 1978
Because of stringent storage restrictions, a very simple Kalman filter has been proposed for optimally aiding a strapdown inertial navigation system (INS) with data from a radiometric area correlator (RAC) onboard a weapon system currently under development. However, the adequacy of two decoupled three-state filters to meet performance specifications was subject to serious question. A set of covariance analyses has been conducted to determine estimation capabilities in a realistic environment generated by accurate *'truth of the error characteristics of two competing inertial systems (one using laser gyros and the other, conventional dry gyros) and the RAC system. Despite the simple form, the filters performed well enough to meet system specifications on navigation errors. Because of its extreme precision at low altitudes, the RAC was the dominant factor in attaining this accuracy, with the laser gyro INS providing somewhat better performance than the dry gyro system. Sensitivity analyses revealed that better RAC hardware or RAC error models in the filters would provide the most effective performance enhancement.