A reference signal transmission method performed by a terminal, the method comprising: • receiving reference signal sending configuration information from a base station (step 301), wherein the reference signal sending configuration information: ∘ instructs the terminal to transmit a reference signal on those frequency domain units supported by the terminal, and the frequency domain units and another frequency domain unit form a part of a transmission bandwidth supported by the base station, and ∘ contains a reference signal transmission period, the reference signal transmission period is a time period for completing the reference signal transmission on all frequency domain units supported by the terminal; • determining, for each frequency domain unit supported by the terminal, a total time period for transmitting the reference signal on all hops in the frequency domain unit based on: ∘ a bandwidth of the frequency domain unit, ∘ a frequency hopping bandwidth indicating a bandwidth used for sending the reference signal on each hop within the frequency domain unit, ∘ the reference signal transmission period, and ∘ a number of frequency domain units supported by the terminal, wherein each hop among all hops has the same frequency domain bandwidth within a same frequency domain unit and spans a different frequency domain interval within the same frequenc domain unit, and, in the frequency domain, all hops together span a frequency range of the frequency domain unit; • sending, the reference signal on the frequency domain units supported by the terminal to the base station on all hops of the frequency domain units supported by the terminal based on the determined total time periods (step 302). • receiving reference signal sending configuration information from a base station (step 301), wherein the reference signal sending configuration information: ∘ instructs the terminal to transmit a reference signal on those frequency domain units supported by the terminal, and the frequency domain units and another frequency domain unit form a part of a transmission bandwidth supported by the base station, and ∘ contains a reference signal transmission period, the reference signal transmission period is a time period for completing the reference signal transmission on all frequency domain units supported by the terminal; ∘ instructs the terminal to transmit a reference signal on those frequency domain units supported by the terminal, and the frequency domain units and another frequency domain unit form a part of a transmission bandwidth supported by the base station, and ∘ contains a reference signal transmission period, the reference signal transmission period is a time period for completing the reference signal transmission on all frequency domain units supported by the terminal; • determining, for each frequency domain unit supported by the terminal, a total time period for transmitting the reference signal on all hops in the frequency domain unit based on: ∘ a bandwidth of the frequency domain unit, ∘ a frequency hopping bandwidth indicating a bandwidth used for sending the reference signal on each hop within the frequency domain unit, ∘ the reference signal transmission period, and ∘ a number of frequency domain units supported by the terminal, wherein each hop among all hops has the same frequency domain bandwidth within a same frequency domain unit and spans a different frequency domain interval within the same frequenc domain unit, and, in the frequency domain, all hops together span a frequency range of the frequency domain unit; ∘ a bandwidth of the frequency domain unit, ∘ a frequency hopping bandwidth indicating a bandwidth used for sending the reference signal on each hop within the frequency domain unit, ∘ the reference signal transmission period, and ∘ a number of frequency domain units supported by the terminal, wherein each hop among all hops has the same frequency domain bandwidth within a same frequency domain unit and spans a different frequency domain interval within the same frequenc domain unit, and, in the frequency domain, all hops together span a frequency range of the frequency domain unit; • sending, the reference signal on the frequency domain units supported by the terminal to the base station on all hops of the frequency domain units supported by the terminal based on the determined total time periods (step 302).