A Chaotic-Based Pseudo-Random Bit Generator for

Navigation Applications
1a
Yi-Te Chiang , He-Sheng Wang2b, and Yung-Nien Wang2c
1

Department of Electrical Engineering, Lee-Ming Institute of Technology, New Taipei City, Taiwan
2

Department of Communications, Navigation, and Control Engineering, National Taiwan Ocean

University, Keelung, Taiwan
a

allhad@mail.lit.edu.tw, hswang@mail.ntou.edu.tw, cchris780316@gmail.com

Keywords: Pseudo-Random Bit Generator; Logistic Map; Global Positioning Systems.

Abstract: In this paper, we propose a novel method to generate pseudo-random-noise (PRN) bits
for navigation applications. In the present method, the code sequence generator is constructed based
on two chaotic logistic maps running parallel and starting from independent initial conditions. The
logistic map is a simple mathematical model that shows bewildering complex behavior. By appropriately setting the initial conditions, the PRN sequence is then generated by comparing the outputs
of both logistic maps. Several simulations are set up to verify the correlation properties of the
pseudo-random bit generator (PRBG). The result shows that the code sequences generated by the
proposed PRBG have great auto- and cross-correlation properties, which are very similar to the
PRN sequences used by GPS navigation system. The RPBG sequences are therefore suitable for
signal ranging that is used comprehensively in the navigation system. On the other hand, the chaotic
nature of the proposed PRBG codes can provide more secure communication than the traditional
PRN sequences. The proposed PRN sequences are well suitable to be incorporated with the
so-called chaotic shift keying (CSK) modulation.
Introduction
Recent advances in nonlinear dynamics have provided many results that may be applied to the
fields of communication, control, cryptography, and elsewhere [1][5][6][8][9]; among which we
mentioned that the chaotic system has some interesting properties, such as ergodicity, sensitivity to
system parameters, and structural complexity [7], that may be used to generate analog or digital
pseudo-random signals. Chaotic-based pseudo-random signal finds many applications in the synchronization of communication systems and cryptosystems [2][3][4][5]. These chaos-based communication systems can be broadly classified into two, analog and digital, categories. Analog chaotic communication systems are based on the techniques of control and synchronization of chaos,
while in digital chaotic systems chaotic discrete dynamical systems are implemented in finite computing precision. This paper focuses on the discrete chaotic dynamical systems. There are a number
of ways through which digital chaos-based communication and cryptosystems can be realized, such
as block ciphers based on forward/reverse iterations of chaotic maps, block codes based on chaotic
round functions, and chaos-based pseudo-random bit generators (PRBG), to name only a few [5][6].
The objective of the present paper is to investigate the generation of cryptographically secure pseudo-random bit sequences, which can be served as spreading codes for using in the applications of
code-division multiple accesses (CDMA) and satellite ranging systems such as Global Navigation
Satellite System (GNSS). All the above-mentioned literature didnt consider the application of the
chaotic code in the field of navigation. Here we propose a novel method to generate pseudo-random-noise (PRN) bits for navigation applications. In the present method, the code sequence
generator is constructed based on two chaotic logistic maps running parallel and starting from independent initial conditions. The logistic map is a simple mathematical model that shows bewildering complex behavior. By appropriately setting the initial conditions, the PRN sequence is then
generated by comparing the outputs of both logistic maps. Several simulations are set up to verify
the correlation properties of the pseudo-random bit generator (PRBG). The result shows that the
code sequences generated by the proposed PRBG have great auto- and cross-correlation properties,
which are very similar to the PRN sequences used by GNSS navigation system. The RPBG se-

quences are therefore suitable for signal ranging that is used comprehensively in the navigation
system. On the other hand, the chaotic nature of the proposed PRBG codes can provide more secure
communication than the traditional PRN sequences. The proposed PRN sequences are well suitable
to be incorporated with the so-called chaotic shift keying (CSK) modulation. In one simulation, we
will show that such scheme may be applied to provide a ranging signal that has the need of intensive security.
The Logistic Map
Chaotic behavior can arise from very simple non-linear dynamical equations. A well-known
simple model that exhibits very complex chaotic phenomena is the logistic map. The logistic map is
a polynomial mapping of degree 2, often used to describe the growth of biological populations. It
was popularized in 1976 by the biologist Robert May [6][7]. The equation for logistic map can be
written as follows:
Xn+1 = f ( Xn ) = rXn (1 - X n )
(1)
where X is the state variable, which may range from 0 to 1; r is the control parameter, which could
be any value between 1 and 4. Equation (1) can be viewed as an iterative map for integer n. It shows
a strange complex behavior for r > 3.5699, where the mapping function never repeats its history.
This is one of the famous discrete chaotic phenomena. Figure 1(a) shows the effect for the different
value of control parameter (r). In Figure 1(b), we have depicted different initial state variables for
the same control parameter (r = 4), which show sensitivity on initial condition. For any logistic
maps, even if the initial conditions have a little difference, their orbits will become entirely different
after a few iterations. Figure 1(c) is the bifurcation diagram, which shows the possible long-term
values of a logistic map. Lyapunov exponent is a quantitative measure in chaotic systems, where a
positive value indicates the system does possess chaotic feature. The Lyapunov exponent is defined
as:
N

L = lim ln f ( Xi )
N

(2)

i =1

Figure 1(d) displays the Lyapunov exponent as a function of the parameter r. Next in Figure 1(e), it
shows the probability distributions of logistic maps orbit which has 1,000,000 points.
Pseudo-Random Bit Generator
In this Section, we discuss the arrangement of chaotic systems for implementing a pseudo-random bit generator (PRBG). In the proposed PRBG algorithm, we set two logistic maps which
are running parallel and starting from independent initial conditions, as shown in the Figure 2. The
bit sequence is generated by comparing the outputs of both the logistic maps, as written below:
1, if Xn+1 > Yn+1
(3)
g( Xn+1 , Yn+1 ) =
0, if X n+1 Yn+1

It is a simple model that we only have to choose two initial conditions and control parameters, the
bit sequences will compute consecutively by iterating. The control parameter for the both logistic
maps is kept same and must approach 4 closely.
Pseudo-random bit is largely incorporated with CDMA technology. For the rest of this sectin,
we investigate some of the properties of the chaotic PRN code related to the CDMA system. Consider a CDMA system with n users. Let Su(t) be the Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM) information signal of u-th user

S u (t ) = V u
u
s

S (t - sT )

s=-

u
s

where S are the information symbols, gT is a rectangular pulse with a peak amplitude Vu. Let us
indicate with


T
) gT /N t - s

N
s=-
the spreading complex signal formed by rectangular pulses gT/N which are 1 in [0, T/N] for a certain
integer spreading factor N, modulated by the spreading code symbols xsu of the alphabet X which
are mapped into the L complex symbols of Z = { z1 , , zL }
by means of a function
Q : X Z . Each users adopts a different spreading code, assigned at the connection start-up, and
the channel introduce a randomly variable delay tu due to electro-magnetic propagation. Assume
that the signal of interesting is the v-th one (for GNSS, this refers to v-th satellite) and define the
relative delays Dt uv = t u - t v and the relative phases Dq uv = q u - q v at the receiver. Define the
partial cross-correlation function between two spreading sequences x u = { x uk } and x v = { xkv } as
N -t -1

Q(x ku )Q* ( xkv+t ) for t = 0, 1, , N - 1

k=0

u
v

for t = -1, -2, , -N + 1

GN ,t ( x , x ) = G*N ,-t ( x v , x u )

if t N
0

Define a general merit factor averaging on all the possible useful users as follows:

v 2
v
v 2
V
x
x

(
)
G
(
,
)
1
N
,
0
v

Perr = Ex v [ Perr
] = E x v erfc
v
2
2

2
8 N (s )

We shall use this express to evaluate the performance of the pseudo-random bit.
Q u (t ) =

Q( x

u
s

Experimental Results
In order to verify the theoretical results of PRBG on navigation applications, we setup some
experiments to implement the algorithm. The experimental parameter is described as followed:
length of PRBG sequences is 1023 chips, which is equal to the length of C/A code (PN code of
GPS). The programming software is MATLAB R2011a.
Auto-correlation
One of the most important properties of the C/A code is their correlation effects. High auto-correlation peak and low cross-correlation values can provide a great condition for signal processing. The parameters of auto-correlation are that both control parameters is 4, initial conditions
are 0.154 and 0.256 respectively.
Cross-correlation
All GPS satellites transmit at the same frequencies. GPS signals are encoded using code division
multiple access (CDMA), which allows receiver can distinguish the messages from individual satellites by the unique C/A code. Since GPS devices usually can receive over 4 GPS satellites at the
same time on the ground, there may be that the signals will interference with the other one. For
the purpose this simulation is to examine the PRBG sequences of cross-correlation feature. The parameters of cross-correlation are described as Table 1.
Table 1. Parameters of example
Example
PRBG No.1
PRBG No.2
PRBG No.3
PRBG No.4

Control Parameter
r1 = 4, r2 = 4
r1 = 3.95, r2 = 3.95
r1 = 3.9, r2 = 3.9
r1 = 3.9, r2 = 3.9

State Variable
X0 = 0.1, Y0 = 0.2
X0 = 0.6, Y0 = 0.7
X0 = 0.1, Y0 = 0.2
X0 = 0.6, Y0 = 0.7

We put all examples in one model to execute cross-correlation by each example, the
cross-correlation result as shown in Figure 3(c).

Acquisition
In order to decode the information for GPS signals, acquisition is an important method which can
be used to detect the presence of signal. On the other hand, it also used to measurement range. In
this simulation, acquisition is implemented with PRBG sequences. The received signal in this simulation is defines as,

r (t ) = s(t ) + n(t )
s(t ) = Ac(t )sin(2 p ft )

(4)
(5)

where c(t) is PRBG sequences, A is the amplitude, f is the carrier frequency, n(t) is Additive white
Gaussian noise (AWGN). It uses BPSK to modulate the carrier, the same with GPS. The acquisition
algorithm is similar to Auto-correlation, as follows:
N

R (t ) = s (t ) c(t - t )e j 2 p f (t-t )

(6)

t =0

where represents delay time. The function is computed over a range of lag values. We can observe
a sharp peak clearly around the small value after acquisition, as shown in Figure 3(d).
Conclusions
In this paper, we have investigated some properties of a chaos-based pseudo-random bit sequence.
The result shows that the code sequences generated by the proposed PRBG have great auto- and
cross-correlation properties, which are very similar to the PRN sequences used by GPS navigation
system. The RPBG sequences are therefore suitable for signal ranging that is used comprehensively
in the navigation system. The main advantage of the PRBG codes lies in that it is relatively easy to
generate very long code in compared with the binary shift register sequence that are utilized to generate traditional PRN codes. The correlation property can then be greatly improved by using longer
PRBG sequences. On the other hand, the chaotic nature of the proposed PRBG codes can provide
more secure communication than the traditional PRN sequences.
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(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)
(e)
Figure 1. (a) Function for different values of control parameter; (b) The sensitivity on initial condition; (c) Bifurcation diagram; (d) Lyapunov exponent; (e) Probability distributions for the logistic
map orbits

Figure 2. The block diagram of PRBG

(a)

(c)

(b)

(d)

Figure 3. (a) Auto-correlation of PRBG sequences; (b) Count of Cross-correlation; (c)

Cross-correlation of PRBG sequences; (d) Acquisition of PRBG sequences