Structure of a station for Ionospheric Scintillation Monitoring and Intermediate-Frequency recording of GNSS signals

Intermediate Frequency (IF) data is a promising source for analyzing Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) ionospheric scintillation, as it has a high sampling rate and fidelity to analog signals. IF data is also very valuable for developing new receivers that can cope with ionospheric scintillation. However, due to the large size of IF data, continuous collection seems not feasible. In this paper, we present a GNSS ionospheric scintillation intermediate frequency data acquisition device, called the Ionospheric Scintillation Intermediate Frequency Monitor (ISIFM). We describe the hardware architecture design, implementation and installation of the ISIFM in detail. We also explain the software process, the data processing methods and a storage-analysis-restorage strategy that we use to select and store the relevant IF data. Finally, we discuss the potential for further improvement and modification of the ISIFM.