Racelogic’s Julian Thomas describes and demos the company’s VBOX indoor positioning system at ION GNSS+ 2018, which took place Sept. 24-28 in Miami. According to the company, the solution is designed to provide accurate position and velocity in the absence of GNSS signals.
Read more on Racelogic’s demo here.
(Background image: iStock.com/imaginima)
Racelogic demonstrated a new VBOX solution for accurate position and velocity in the absence of any GNSS signals, such as indoors, at the ION GNSS+ exhibition.
VBOX data acquisition systems are used for measuring the speed and position of a moving vehicle. Based on a range of high-performance GPS receivers, VBOX dataloggers can record high-accuracy GPS speed measurements, distance, acceleration, braking distance, heading, slip angle, lap times, position, cornering forces and more.
The new VBOX Indoor Positioning System consists of a network of fixed beacons communicating with a small receiver mounted on the roof of the vehicle, which is connected to an existing VBOX. The receiver computes its position 100 times a second to around 5 centimeters real-mean-squared (RMS) accuracy. The system can be used on its own or with an internal inertial measurement unit (IMU) to improve the velocity accuracy.
Racelogic engineers worked closely with its VBOX customers to develop a solution that allows the same test equipment and software that has traditionally been limited to outdoor use to be used anywhere that satellites coverage is limited or completely unavailable, such as in a parking garage.
The VBOX seamlessly switches between outdoors and indoors, allowing testing to continue whatever the environment and VBOX users to make use of their original hardware and software applications.
Racelogic will demonstrate the system at the ION GNSS+ exhibition at the Hyatt Regency in Miami, Sept. 26-27. Racelogic will also be showcasing its new, upgraded version of SatGen simulation software for the Labsat 3 Wideband simulator.
Racelogic has announced a major update to its SatGen simulation software for use with the LabSat 3 Wideband simulator.
The software now includes simulation of the L2C and L5 GPS signals, meaning that SatGen V3 can be used to create one scenario containing all 13 signals from GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou constellations, the company said.
The simulation accuracy has also been improved — for example, most of the GPS pseudorange residuals are now sub-meter.
Signals that can be simulated simultaneously with SatGen V3 Wideband include:
SatGen software allows users to create a GNSS RF I&Q or IF data file that can be replayed on a LabSat, which is based on a user-generated trajectory file. This allows simulators of almost any kind of test, at a set time and date, anywhere in the world.
SatGen complements the LabSat range of GNSS simulators, and is available in single, dual, triple and multi-frequency/multi-constellation versions.
LabSat showcased the upgrade at the ION GNSS+ conference, which took place Sept. 24-28 in Miami.
“Prepare for Tomorrow: Find Vulnerabilities Today” was the title of our wide-ranging webinar in July that focused on GNSS signal simulation for jamming and spoofing scenarios. We did not have time to address all the questions posed by the audience, so we return to them here.
Q: While testing receivers, realistic scenarios for jamming and spoofing are very important. What is the typical approach to set the number of interference sources, their type and main signal parameters?
A: From Spirent Federal Systems:
Two different approaches are common, those involving the use of an anechoic chamber and those which are lab-based. Each approach has its limitations and merits. Each approach must address the number of significant interferers, their signal powers and the waveforms of the interference signals. Each must also consider the geometric arrangement of these interferers relative to the antenna under test and relative to the simulated constellations under test.
Changes in signal phase, signal Doppler and signal power are as important for the interference signals as they for the wanted GNSS signals. These changes are caused by the simulated motion of the vehicle and potentially the motion of the interferers. These changes should also include the impact of terrain surrounding the vehicle and the interferers, and also the gain and phase patterns of the receive antenna on the vehicle and the transmit antennas on the interferers. Some interferers might be discounted from the significant set due to their signals being masked from the vehicle by the terrain or antenna patterns or by them being too far from the vehicle to have an impact. These interference signals may become significant as the scenario progresses due to vehicle or interferer motion.
Q: In GNSS navigation systems for commercial applications, what emphasis of design effort should be on anti-jamming/anti-spoofing over improving the navigation accuracy?
A: From Spectracom, an Orolia brand:
Commercial applications is a broad area, so it will depend on the particular application as to whether it needs more accuracy or more resiliency against AJ/AS, but in general, the accuracy of GNSS is fairly mature. Standard GNSS offers accuracies on the order of ~1 meter. Centimeter accuracy can be achieved with differential or real-time kinematic (RTK). Multi-constellation use can increase availability in areas with limited sky view such as urban canyons. Multi-frequency can aid in the reduction of multipath and improve accuracy. If the application needs accuracy, these features are readily available.
However, integrity and resiliency are growing needs in commercial applications, especially ones that are in critical operations. Much more can be done to detect jamming and spoofing than what is in standards GNSS receivers today. In our systems, we include an additional software layer called BroadShield, which monitors internal state variables of the receiver, and will alarm on detection. Additional sensors combined with the GNSS receiver such as an inertial measurement unit (IMU), magnetometer, odometer, or even the much stronger Satellite Time and Location (STL) signal offer augmentation during periods of GNSS denial, or in the case of spoofing, authentication of the navigation solution.
A: From Syntony:
While both jamming and spoofing are intentional attacks, they are highly different in their set-up and serve very different purposes. Due to their simplicity, most jamming attacks can be mitigated thanks to adaptive filtering or pulse blanking. On the other hand, spoofing is a malicious attack, highly complicated, and requires knowledge of the GNSS signal structure as well as precise timing and positioning.
The question is thus whether one should emphasize navigation accuracy over the ability to output a position (jamming case) or the possibility to output a completely erroneous position (spoofing case). The answer lies, obviously, in the end application and the coupling of GNSS receivers with other systems. High-precision non-life-critical applications should emphasize navigation accuracy while implementing simple jammer filtering strategies. Life-critical applications, being often coupled with other systems, should ensure the reliability of the solution even if that means being unable to compute a position due potential threats.
Q: Do you have GPS/inertial navigation system (INS) test capabilities?
A: From CAST Navigation:
The CAST-3000 EGI integration system produces GPS RF signals commensurate with simulated IMU sensor data to provide repeatable testing in the integration laboratory for a wide range of military and government applications.
CAST GNSS/INS simulators generate high-fidelity signals required for emulating the legacy GPS signals as well as those used by next-generation navigation technologies. This is because our sole business focus is supplying GNSS simulators, GNSS/INS test equipment, and GNSS/INS support services to government and military avionics laboratories, prime contractors, and GNSS receiver manufacturers. For 35 years we have provided off-the-shelf products to both the government and U.S. major defense contractors.
CAST EGI integration tools are used by Northrop Grumman and Honeywell and are now also being used in integration laboratories worldwide. Our equipment supports system integration in major weapons platform labs and development at major military contractor labs. CAST simulators produce high-quality, accurate signals that are used in government, military and commercial labs around the globe.
A: From IFEN:
Our NCS TITAN GNSS simulator is able to emulate the presence of IMUs and micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) sensors with the optional available real-time IMU/Sensor Emulation Package (SEP). The SEP upgrades the TITAN to support the simulation of inertial sensors, which nowadays are implemented as MEMS, among others, and of other common aiding sensors. To obtain more accurate positioning for location-based services and navigation, GNSS chipset and receiver manufacturers as well as system integrators combine more and more GNSS navigation with such sensor fusion or signals of opportunity.
The optional SEP enables controlled and progressive testing of sensor-fusion algorithms when used with NCS Control Center operating software. This software supplies the SEP with an internally- or externally-generated center-of-gravity (CoG) trajectory for the device under test.
The various sensor models to be emulated by the SEP run within the Control Center software. The device under test (vehicle) input trajectory at the CoG passes through the sensor model, which in turn generates the appropriate sensor output, by taking into account the corresponding error model for each sensor defined.
A: From Syntony:
We have added the capability to emulate INS/IMU data in addition to GNSS signals to our Constellator simulator, to offer to the customers a complete testing platform. Constellator can simulate up to six gyrometers and six accelerometers. The attitude of each sensor is defined with respect to the vehicle axes. Deterministic errors can be configured to simulate the axis misalignment and scale factors, and biases can be defined in order to simulate realistic sensors. Stochastic error models are also available such as random walk or Gauss-Markov models for each sensor (gyrometer or accelerometer) to improve the sensor emulation fidelity.
Q: Do you have detailed scenarios for jamming and spoofing in timing use of GNSS receivers, that is, involving time synchronization for telecommunications companies?
A: From Skydel:
The simulated jammer’s signal specification must be very flexible in order to faithfully simulate real-world jamming events. For example, the jammer’s spectral shape should be flexible enough to simulate a Blue Force electronic attack (BFEA) on a GNSS receiver.
Also, the simulator should be able to simulate dynamic scenarios by varying the power of the jammers as a function of their trajectories and as a function of different antenna patterns.
Sometimes when testing receivers, the simulated jammers should replicate pre-recorded waveforms from real world. The ability to play back the pre-recorded IQ-baseband signal in conjunction with GNSS signals is another powerful feature of a simulator. Simulation of spoofing attacks on a GNSS timing receiver is only possible when the GNSS simulator provides fine-grained control of transmitted signal. This includes controlling the offsets on the pseudoranges with additive ramps, as well as individual signal power levels at very precise points in time.
Also, the GNSS simulator must be able to synchronize itself with the live sky’s GNSS signal. Another way to achieve realistic spoofing is to use two simulators controlled independently (that is, full control on constellation, navigation message, propagation time offset, power and so on).
Q: Please discuss how to simulate a smart spoofer that would generate a replica of a constellation (or all constellations) and then produces two full RF transissions: one that is the true signal, and a strong spoofed signal that pulls the receiver to a false location. Can you simulate the two full multi-band RF ensemble?
A: From Racelogic:
Two artificial synchronized scenarios could be created using SatGen signal generator software that can reproduce the GNSS signals from a number of constellations. The user could create two separate signal streams, both starting at exactly the same position and time and using the same constellations, chosen by the user.
The second scenario could then be set to diverge away in position from the first scenario, while staying perfectly synchronized in time. The signal-to-noise ratio of each scenario could be adjusted independently of each other to simulate a spoofing situation where the spoofing signal is much stronger than the real signal. A file containing this twin scenario can be replayed using a LabSat Wideband with two separate RF outputs, each synchronously replaying the two different scenarios. This would closely simulate the actions of a smart spoofer, but in a completely repeatable, and controllable manner.
A: From Jackson Labs:
This could be accomplished by either combining the output of two of our CLAW GPS simulators, or by combining the output of a single CLAW simulator with live-sky signals using passive industry-standard splitters/combiners. The CLAW is able to receive a custom ephemeris download in RINEX format to match either the spoofed live-sky constellation, or to generate a synthesized constellation in the case where two CLAW simulators are being used.
The simulator has a wide RF power adjustment range of over 45-dB, allowing the spoofing signal to be gradually introduced to the primary GPS constellation RF signal. This spoofing simulation could be accomplished with better than 0.5 meter peak-to-peak positioning accuracy and better than 5-ns real-mean-squared (rms) typical UTC (GPS) offset unit-to-unit, allowing the victim receiver to be pulled off of its true (live-sky) position with very high accuracy. Typically, GPS receivers are spoofed easily as long as the UTC timing synchronization is 500-ns or better between the live-sky and spoofed signals.
Timing synchronization to the spoofed victim GPS signal to within nanoseconds is achievable through the external 1PPS reference input, the simulator accepting a position, navigation and timing (PNT) fix in real time via its NMEA serial and 1PPS inputs. This allows capturing a moving victim receiver by estimating its momentary position, then ramping up the spoofer power, and then presenting the victim receiver with alternate position information as required (see Figures 2 and 3).
High position and timing accuracy between the spoofed and live-sky signal is important to prevent and mitigate spoofing detection via UTC phase or position jumps that could happen when the receiver gradually or quickly switches over to the spoofed satellite signals.
Q: We want to correctly model and simulate effectiveness of various anti-jamming (AJ) and anti-spoofing (AS) solutions to make informed decisions about which AJ/AS solution is most effective for a specific mission and interference scenario. How can you help?
A: From Spirent Federal Systems:
Live-sky testing on a jamming/spoofing range provides a wealth of data, and reassurance that the system under test does work as intended. Record and playback systems (RPS) under live-sky conditions can allow further evaluation back in the lab, after the live-sky tests are complete. Performance parameters of the RPS may degrade the validity of the signal when played back; signal bandwidth and bit-depth are absolutely key, for example. Recordings that use too few bits will degrade the dynamic range of the recorded signals, so significant care should be taken when selecting an RPS.
Either way, under live-sky or with recorded live-sky, you get what you get. It is extremely difficult to predict what the test parameters actually are. It is perilous to attempt to alter the test parameters after the event. Lab-based or anechoic chamber-based systems have their limitations, but they are repeatable, predictable and tweakable. Again, performance parameters of the simulation system play a key role in the validity of the testing. The ability to calibrate the simulation system to give a repeatable, predictable performance is as important as the realism of the simulation. Carrier-phase accuracy/repeatability among antenna elements and signal timing accuracy are important parameters when evaluating AJ and AS systems.
Q: We had a receiver where the time stamp for any location report would drift off progressively, up to an hour off of the known true location. What might contribute to this? We do not believe this was an intentional threat, but an artifact of nearby electronics or other system conditions. It actually occurred on a pivot irrigation arm in motion, with substantial vibration. The receiver was electrically isolated. The results were repeatable on the pivot arm, but not on our vibration table.
A: From Spectracom, an Orolia brand:
Interesting problem with no obvious answer. Even the worst oscillator will take many months to drift off by up to an hour with no GNSS, even under horrible vibration conditions, so this is an unlikely cause. Is it drift or a jump in error? Nearby electrical noise could cause GNSS denial (jamming), but not erroneous data. That requires spoofing. If you have no reason to believe that it is intentional, that makes spoofing unlikely, but still possible. Is a GNSS repeater or a record/playback GNSS tester operating in the area? These are spoofers, even if they are unintentional.
If this is a precision agriculture application, then an RTK reference station transmitting erroneous data could be the cause. What time-stamping format is used: local time or UTC? An unlikely but possible scenario is the unit is changing time zones so local time jumps an hour. Is there a processor/software app between your output and the actual GNSS receiver? This could introduce errors. What is the position output indicated when the time drift occurs? The best way to diagnose this is to record the time and position output as log files using a laptop PC connected to the serial data.
Q: Do your simulators work as well for testing handheld, consumer-grade GPS? Please discuss the differences in testing techniques or approaches for high-precision vs. mass-market receivers?
A: From Racelogic:
We have a range of simulators suitable for all levels of GNSS testing. If you don’t need the high fidelity and wide bandwidth of the LabSat Wideband, then the entry level LabSat 3 will also work with any GNSS device including handheld consumer-grade products.
To fully explore the performance of high-precision receivers, including multipath effects and P-code reception, a wider bandwidth and a greater number of bits would be required to capture and replay all of the available signals. For these applications, we recommend a bandwidth of 56 MHz and at least 4 bits of resolution.
For testing of consumer-grade, handheld devices with simpler RF front ends, we recommend a much reduced bandwidth of around 9 MHz and only 2 bits of resolution. This smaller bandwidth and fidelity will easily reproduce the majority of real-world conditions, and the resulting data files will be much easier to handle.
Q: How many GNSS signals can a software-defined radio produce?
A: From Skydel:
The theoretical limits of a software-defined radio (SDR) are based on four distinct characteristics of the SDR: the digital-to-analog converter’s (DAC’s) bit resolution, the maximum sampling rate, the bandwidth and the number of RF outputs. With most SDRs, available bandwidth is defined by the sampling rate.
With a 16-bit DAC, there is enough dynamic range to generate up to 50 GNSS signals and hundreds of multipath echos (with more than 60 dB of range to accommodate different signal power levels) per RF output.
For example, with a sampling rate of 50 MSps, a 40-MHz wide signal — combining GNSS constellation signals such as GPS L1 C/A, Galileo E1, GLONASS G1 — can be generated. Nowadays, SDRs can have two or more RF outputs and are able to operate with sample rates of 100 MSps or higher. By distributing the GNSS signals across different RF outputs, the entire GNSS spectrum can be covered at a relatively low cost in terms of hardware.
A handful of SDRs can easily be synchronized to form multiple RF output systems. In such cases, the complete range of GNSS signals for all visible satellites can be generated at the same time.
Q: In a dual-frequency receiver would it be possible to still use L1 spoofed/jammed with L2 clean to get an accurate position? Is it possible to do a combination between the two signals in order to save the spoofed/jammed L1?
A: From IFEN:
In principal, it is still possible to use L1 spoofed/jammed with L2 clean in a dual-frequency receiver to get an accurate position. Such receivers are available as off-the-shelf products. These receivers use a special algorithm to detect if a GNSS frequency band is spoofed/jammed and automatically switch over to the clean frequency band. However, this principle can only be applied if the entire GNSS spectrum is not completely jammed. Whether a dual-frequency receiver can still use L1 spoofed/jammed with L2 clean to get an accurate position is therefore finally basically dependent on the overall bandwidth of the interferer/jammer.
With IFEN’s TITAN simulator, it is possible to easily create the corresponding simulation scenarios for the real-time simulation of realistic test scenarios to test the robustness of GNSS receivers against interference/jamming and also spoofing. In doing so, various static and dynamic interference/jamming sources are supported by the simulator’s software.
A: From Jackson Labs:
It is possible to achieve a PNT solution using L2 signals only. This requires reception and decoding of either the military L2 P(Y) signal, or reception of the new but still pre-operational L2C commercial signal. Codeless or semi-codeless commercial L1/L2 receivers rely on tracking the carrier phase on L2 to be able to mitigate effects such as solar flares and ionospheric errors; however, they are not capable of generating a PNT solution with L2-only reception as would be the case under this spoofing/jamming scenario.
P(Y) signal reception on L2 typically requires reception of the coarse acquisition (C/A) signal on L1 prior to tracking P(Y) unless the receiver has its own internal (atomic) time-base synchronized to UTC to the sub-microsecond level.
Simulation against Jamming and Spoofing: With cyber attacks on the rise, it is more critical now than ever to thoroughly test GPS and GNSS systems against jamming and spoofing.
Integrated Tech for Industrial Positioning: Speakers discuss applications in the electric utility/telecom sector, such as site inspections, UAVs and mapping.
| Cast Navigation | iP-Solutions | Racelogic | Skydel | Spectracom |
|---|
| Spirent Federal Systems | Syntony-GNSS | Talen-x |
|---|
CRPA and Attitude Determination Receiver Testing
The CAST-5000 produces a single coherent wavefront of GPS RF signals to provide repeatable testing in the laboratory environment or anechoic chamber. The basic system generates four independent, coherent simulations that reference a single point and is upgradeable to support seven elements for CRPA testing. With an intercard carrier- phase error of less than 1 centimeter, the CAST-5000 is extremely accurate.
The system generates a wavefront of GPS when its GPS RF generator cards are operated in a ganged configuration. Each generator card provides a set of GPS satellites coherent with the overall configuration. Several RF generator cards may be utilized together, ensuring phase coherence among the bank of signal generator cards.
The CAST-5000 Controlled Reception Pattern Antenna (CRPA) tester allows a full end-to-end test of the antenna system. The CRPA antenna, antenna electronics and the GPS receiver can be tested as a unit with or without radiating signals.
Features
www.castnav.com
phone: 978 858-0130
email: [email protected]
Simceiver, Replicator, ReGen
iP-Solutions brings its 10-year development for designated users — including the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) COSMODE ionospheric scintillation monitor — to general users worldwide.
iP-Solutions users have a complete GNSS lab at their disposal. They can simulate, record and process signals in real-time with the company’s receiver, and playback almost any GNSS signal.
Moreover, users have complete control over the simulated signals in real-time and with high fidelity.
iP-Solutions provides mid-level and high-end simulation solutions with the same level of accuracy and fidelity.
Mid-Level Solution
iP-Solutions’ mid-level Simceiver simulator allows multi-frequency simulation of various GNSS signals with all essential models. The additional ANSI C API allows users to modify existing models or introduce their own.
iP-Solutions’ mid-level solution range even includes a comprehensive interference and spoofing laboratory.
The Simceiver is controlled usign the comprehensive ReGen software, providing the user with great freedom to create any desired signal.
High-End Solution
iP-Solutions’ high-end Ninja simulator allows for multi-antenna controlled radiation pattern antenna (CRPA) and local-area augmentation system (LAAS) simulation.
Academia
iP-Solutions’ educational packages for academia combine hardware at a special academic price with academic versions of all the software and two textbooks authored by iP-Solutions’ lead engineer Ivan Petrovski and JAXA lead scientist Toshiaki Tsujii (published by Cambridge University Press).
www.ip-solutions.jp
phone: +81-3-3560-7747
e-mail: [email protected] (Japan)
[email protected] (Nth. America)
[email protected] (International)
LabSat 3 Wideband
LabSat is a cost-effective and intuitive GNSS simulator.
New to the LabSat range of GNSS record and replay devices is LabSat 3 Wideband, which continues with the established reliability, cost-effectiveness, and simplicity of operation that are the benchmarks of the LabSat system.
A recording bandwidth of 56 MHz allows for the capture of a very wide range of live-sky satellite signals:
Depending on the desired bandwidth, recording resolution can be set to 2, 4, or 6 bit. Check out the GNSS frequency guide on the LabSat website — labsat.co.uk — to see exactly which signals can be recorded and at which resolution.
Even with this greatly increased capacity over the original LabSat 3, the new simulator remains extremely easy to use: one-touch recording, no connection to PC required, battery powered for up to two hours, and with a removable 1-TB solid-state hard drive that can be replaced in no time, the LabSat 3 Wideband is convenient to use. It measures a compact 167 x 128 x 46 millimeters and weighs 1.2 kilograms.
SatGen Wideband
For product future-proofing, the soon-to-be-launched SatGen Wideband will allow for testing with signals not yet fully available, such as GPS L2C and L5 — further increasing the power and versatility of the new LabSat 3 Wideband.
www.labsat.co.uk
phone: +44 (0)1280 823803
SDX: Software-Defined GNSS Simulator
SDX uses GPU-accelerated computing and software-defined radios (SDR) to create an advanced and fully-featured GNSS simulator. SDX is available as complete turnkey systems or software only.
The software-defined approach offers many benefits:
SDX Key Features
SDX is ideal for design and validation of GNSS receivers, complex integration, academic research, NAVWAR and test engineering.
Skydel engineering and research teams offer direct support to clients to ensure prompt deployment and integration, or review advanced customization requirements.
www.skydelsolutions.com
[email protected]
For mission-critical PNT applications
The Spectracom GSG series of GPS/GNSS simulators are an essential tool to evaluate risk to jamming, spoofing or any other threat. Spectracom GSG-5/6 series simulators are easy-to-use, feature-rich and affordable, offering high value for hardening GPS-based systems compared to the limitations of testing from live-sky signals. The Spectracom platform approach allows users to buy what they need today and upgrade later. The adaptability of the GNSS RF generation platform can extend to applications for intelligent repeating and meaconing.
Test Solutions
GSG-6 Series 64-channel, multi-frequency, advanced GNSS simulator is powerful enough for any cutting-edge test program. GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, QZSS and IRNSS signals are available across multiple frequencies. The GSG-6 is designed for military, research and professional applications.
GSG-5 Series 16-channel multi-constellation L1-band GNSS Simulator is designed for commercial development/integration programs. If the user is developing commercial products with GNSS capability, the GSG-5 will shorten test programs with confidence.
GSG-51 single channel signal generator is designed for one purpose — fast, simple Go/No-Go manufacturing test and validation, ensuring the manufacturing line is operating at full capacity with confidence in quality.
spectracom.com
email: [email protected]
phone: +1-585-321-5800
GSS9000, CRPA Test System, GSS6450 RPS, GSS200D
Spirent Federal provides simulators that cover all applications, including research and development, integration/verification and production testing.
GSS9000. The Spirent GSS9000 Multi-Frequency, Multi-GNSS RF Constellation Simulator can simulate signals from all GNSS and regional navigation. The GSS9000 offers a four-fold increase in RF signal iteration rate (SIR) over Spirent’s GSS8000 simulator. The GSS9000 SIR is 1000 Hz (1ms), enabling higher dynamic simulations with more accuracy and fidelity. It includes support for restricted and classified signals from the GPS and Galileo systems as well as advanced capabilities for ultra-high dynamics. It can evaluate resilience of navigation systems to interference and spoofing attacks, and has the flexibility to reconfigure constellations, channels and frequencies between test runs or test cases.
CRPA Test System. Spirent’s Controlled Reception Pattern Antenna (CRPA) Test System generates both GNSS and interference signals. Users can control multiple antenna elements. Null-steering and space/time adaptive CRPA testing are both supported by this comprehensive approach.
GSS6450. The GSS6450 RF Record Playback System (RPS) takes RF recording and playback systems to a whole new level of performance and flexibility, while being housed in a small (8.5 x 7.8 x 3 inch) portable case. The GSS6450 can record any GNSS signals currently available with bit depths up to 16 bits (I&Q) and bandwidths of up to 50 MHz. The flexible product structure allows the system complexity to grow with the user’s testing needs.
GSS200D. A truly end-to-end solution that builds up a complete picture of interference activity at site of interest. It continuously monitors the GNSS frequency bands for interference, then captures and analyzes them. The GSS200D is a detection system that operates simultaneously on multi-frequency.
Spirent Federal Systems
1402 W. State Rd.
Pleasant Grove, UT 84062
www.spirentfederal.com
[email protected]
phone: 801-785-1448
fax: 801-785-1294
Key contacts: Jeff Martin, VP of Business Development and Sales
Kalani Needham, Sales West
Tyson Gurney, Sales East
Constellator is Syntony’s cost-effective full soft multi-constellation GNSS simulator. Designed to test receivers against current and future signals, Constellator matches top-end processing performance and RF quality and offers utmost flexibility in simulation control.
Constellator
Main Features
Receiver trajectories: Includes four spatial reference frames and trajectory editors for ground, marine, aerial and spatial motion and import facility.
Hardware-in-the-loop: Receives receiver’s position updates from test-rig in real time and generates corresponding GNSS signals and messages.
Atmospheric errors: Propagation issues can be simulated at individual signal level with different models provided for ionosphere and troposphere.
Satellite error modeling options include orbital errors, onboard clock errors, satellite electronics (front-end) defects, satellite dysfunctions and signal fade, disappearance and “evil waveform” incidents.
www.syntony-gnss.com
[email protected]
phone :+33(0) 581 319 919
BroadSim: The NAVWAR Simulator
BroadSim was developed to simplify advanced jamming and spoofing scenarios with Navigation Warfare (NAVWAR) testing in mind. Powered by Skydel SDX, a 1000-Hz GNSS simulator engine, BroadSim is able to simulate multiple vehicles, constellations, and code types (military and civil). BroadSim is ideal for supporting real-world field tests, NAVWAR testing and jamming.
Field Testing. Field testing GPS receivers to determine their performance and vulnerabilities in degraded or competing environments is becoming standard practice. BroadSim has proven to excel in field testing events due to its integrated GPS receiver allowing for built-in live-sky synchronization, four independent RF outputs, and a wide dynamic range with up to 0 dBm transmit power. A typical configuration for a live-sky field test would have BroadSim time synchronized to live sky, transmitting C/A, P, Y and M on L1 while simultaneously transmitting P, Y and M on L2 all at 0 dBm.
NAVWAR. BroadSim is great for NAVWAR testing because of how easy it is to use and configure multiple vehicles. Talen-X has carefully designed the simulator such that users can easily create true signals using two RF outputs and spoofed signals using the other two RF outputs. BroadSim’s graphical user interface (GUI) is intuitive and designed to meet the demand of NAVWAR testing.
Advanced Jamming. An innovative feature that has been added to BroadSim is the ability to generate jamming signals without any additional hardware. Using a simple interface, users can specify the jammer location, power level, waveform type and antenna pattern. BroadSim uses its 1000-Hz engine to compute the I/Q data incident on the user antenna for both the GNSS and jammer signals. This new paradigm of jamming simulation makes it easy to simulate complex jamming environments.
www.talen-x.com
phone: +1-319-382-5369
email: [email protected]
LabSat has launched the LabSat 3 Wideband simulator, which can simultaneously record multiple signals from different constellations.
Small, battery powered and with a removable solid-state disk, LabSat 3 Wideband allows users to quickly gather detailed, real-world satellite data and replay those signals on the bench.
With three channels, a bandwidth of up to 56 MHz and 6-bit sampling, LabSat 3 Wideband can handle almost any combination of constellation and signal that exists today, with plenty of spare capacity for future planned signals.
For example, users can now record GPS L1, L2 and L5 at the same time as GLONASS G1 and G2 and BeiDou B1 and B2.
An interactive bandwidth calculator allows users to see which combinations of constellation and signal can be recorded. Users can also change the bandwidth and bit depth to see how it affects the selection available.
Despite the huge capability of the unit, the LabSat 3 Wideband remains easy to use, retaining the one-touch recording and playback feature.
A removable battery pack gives two hours of use, and the 1-TB solid-state disk drive can be swapped in seconds.
Recording bandwidth: 10MHz, 30MHz or 56MHz
Recording resolution: 2, 4 or 6 bits (depending on bandwidth)
Signals recorded:
LabSat 3 by Racelogic is a lightweight and portable system for GNSS testing, capable of recording and replaying the raw radio signals including GPS L1, GLONASS L1, Galileo E1, BeiDou B1, QZSS and SBAS. LabSat 3 records real-world data, reproducing all GNSS artefacts on the laboratory bench, including multipath, ionospheric effects and signal dropouts. There is no limit to the number of satellites that can be logged.
The ION GNSS+ 2016 Exhibition will include the launch of the new LabSat 3 Wideband system, which offers significantly higher bandwidth and enhanced frequency range. With three RF channels and up to 50 MHz bandwidth per channel, LabSat 3 Wideband will record and replay most current GNSS signals including GPS L1, L2 and L5, all in one file.
Features include RF data recording up to 3-bit quantization together with bandwidth up to 50 MHz. A removable battery pack offers more than two hours of record time. All of the fetures come in a compact, lightweight package weighing under 1.2 kilograms.
One-touch control, data capture to removable media, dual CAN, RS232 and Digital I/O record and replay capability ensures that the LabSat 3 range is a convenient system for any developer who requires realistic testing at a competitive price.
Also available is SatGen, the simulation software that allows for the creation of user-generated scenarios to be replayed through the LabSat. SatGen has recently been upgraded so that not only can it provide GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou signals, it now includes a real-time capability. This allows for GNSS RF signals to be created with a current time stamp. SatGen is a powerful tool for those wishing to test new GNSS devices with any dynamics, location or time.
Mark Sampson of Racelogic demonstrates the company’s LabSat GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou simulator at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International‘s Xponential 2016 show, held May 2-5 in New Orleans. Watch as the simulator produces signals in real time.
| Cast Navigation | IFEN GmbH |
Racelogic | Skydel | Spectracom | Spirent Federal Systems |
|---|
CAST-3000: Complete GPS/INS Integration Testing
CAST GNSS/INS simulators generate high-fidelity GNSS RF signals along with the coherent digital inertial signals that allow for the precise stimulation of the next generation of GNSS/INS navigation equipment. CAST’s GNSS/INS systems provide the highly precise system performance that is required to aid in the integration and testing of the next-generation of GNSS navigation system technologies. The 35-year-old company’s business focus is supplying GNSS/INS simulators, GNSS/INS test equipment, and GPS/INS support services to government and military avionics laboratories, prime contractors, GNSS receiver manufacturers and system integrators.
The CAST-3000 fully supports integration testing of GPS/INS navigation systems where the inertial sensor and GPS receiver are either tightly or ultra-tightly coupled. The CAST-3000 produces GPS RF signals coincident with simulated IMU sensor data that provide dynamic testing in the laboratory environment for military and government applications. CAST has worked closely with both Honeywell and Northrop Grumman over the past two decades in the development of the CAST-3000, which
www.castnav.com
phone: 978 858-0130
email: [email protected]
NavX-NCS Professional GNSS Simulator
NavX-NCS Essential GNSS Simulator
The flexibility of the NavX-NCS Professional GNSS Simulator allows it to be configured with up to 108 channels and all of the following signals:
The user can assign signals freely to any of the RF modules fitted to the simulator. This allows the same hardware to be used in a range of different configurations.
Signals can be added by software license with no need to return the hardware for upgrade.
Up to four independent RF outputs can be fitted, enabling the user to simulate multiple antenna locations simultaneously (allowing simulation of multiple antennas on one vehicle, multiple vehicles simultaneously, a mixture of static locations and mobile vehicles, and multiple antenna elements for Controlled Reception Pattern Antenna [CRPA] testing).
The comprehensive and easy-to-use Control Center operating software allows the operator to quickly create realistic test scenarios for effective testing of user equipment.
IFEN also offers the NavX-NCS Essential GNSS Simulator, which is available with 21 or 42 channels and is capable of simulating GPS L1 (including SBAS L1), GLONASS G1, Galileo E1, BeiDou B1, QZSS L1 and IMES. The simulator is also supplied with Control Center operating software for comprehensive scenario generation.
www.ifen.com
For USA and Canada:
Mark Wilson
phone: 951-739-7331
email: [email protected]
For Rest of World:
Dr. Guenter Heinrichs
phone: +49-8121-2238-20
email: [email protected]
LabSat 3 and LabSat Real-Time
LabSat 3 from Racelogic is a low cost, stand-alone, battery-powered, multi-constellation, RF record and replay device, designed to assist GNSS engineers in the development and testing of their products. By capturing live-sky RF signals, it enables repeatable and realistic testing to be carried out under controlled conditions, and is available as a record and replay, or replay only version; either one, two or three constellation types generate a single, dual or triple constellation file.
With standalone operation, LabSat 3 can be used in any outdoor location to create real-world scenarios for eventual replay back in the lab. As well as being able to simultaneously record or replay GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, QZSS, Galileo and SBAS signals, it can log CAN bus, serial or digital data, embedded alongside the satellite information. This additional information can then be replayed alongside the GNSS output, with synchronization to within 60 nanoseconds. A 1 PPS signal can also be generated using the internal GPS receiver.
LabSat 3 can be used as a replay system out of the box with a set of 60 pre-recorded scenarios supplied as part of the package, recorded from various locations around the globe.
Additionally, SatGen software allows for scenario generation of user-defined trajectories, with precise control over velocity, heading, height and constellation profiles, giving the test engineer the ability to develop their product using simulations that would be difficult or impossible to record due to geographic location or safety constraints. NMEA and KML imports are supported.
New for 2016 is LabSat Real-Time, which allows for bench testing of GNSS devices where a current time stamp is required. SatGen V3 PC software generates a live signal stream to a LabSat RT unit which up converts the RF data from digital to analogue with less than one second latency. LabSat RT operates on any two of the three constellations of GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou.
www.labsat.co.uk
phone: +44 (0)1280 823803
SDX: Software-Defined GNSS Simulator
Software-Defined Innovation
Skydel brings a new generation of GNSS simulators to the market. With the SDX simulator, signals are modulated by the graphics processing unit (GPU) as opposed to dedicated FPGAs found in traditional simulators. This allows new possibilities, such as adding signals and constellations without resorting to additional hardware. This design offers many benefits:
Turnkey or Software-Only Solutions
SDX users can reuse their own SDR with the software-only solution, or choose a turnkey solution that comes with all the required hardware and a preconfigured laptop or desktop. Skydel can customize turnkey solutions to meet special requirements.
SDX Key Features
SDX is designed for military, research, industrial and consumer applications.
www.skydelsolutions.com
[email protected]
All Constellations, All Frequencies
Spectracom GSG-5/6 series simulators are easy-to-use, feature-rich and affordable, offering value compared to the limitations of testing from “live sky” signals. The Spectracom platform approach allows users to buy what they need today and upgrade later. The adaptability of the GNSS RF generation platform can extend it to applications for intelligent repeating and meaconing.
Test Solutions
Infrastructure Possibilities
GSG-6 Series 64-channel multi-frequency, advanced GNSS simulator is powerful enough for any cutting-edge test program. GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, QZSS and IRNSS signals are available across multiple frequencies. The GSG-6 is designed for military, research or professional applications.
GSG-5 Series 16-channel multi-constellation L1-band GNSS simulator is designed for commercial development/integration programs. If the user is developing commercial products with GNSS capability, the GSG-5 will shorten test programs with confidence.
GSG-51 single channel signal generator is designed for one purpose — fast, simple Go/No-Go manufacturing test and validation, ensuring the manufacturing line is operating at full capacity with confidence in quality.
spectracom.com
email: [email protected]
phone: +1-585-321-5800
GSS9000 simulator, CRPA Test System, GSS6425 RPS
Spirent Federal provides simulators that cover all price points, from high-end research and development, to integration/verification, to single-channel production testing.
GSS9000. The Spirent GSS9000 multi-frequency, multi-GNSS RF constellation simulator can simulate signals from all GNSS and regional navigation. The GSS9000 offers a four-fold increase in RF signal iteration rate (SIR) over Spirent’s GSS8000 simulator.
The GSS9000 SIR is 1000 Hz (1ms), enabling higher dynamic simulations with more accuracy and fidelity. It includes support for restricted and classified signals from the GPS and Galileo systems, as well as advanced capabilities for ultra-high dynamics. It can evaluate resilience of navigation systems to interference and spoofing attacks, and has the flexibility to reconfigure constellations, channels and frequencies between test runs or test cases.
Hardware changes can be made in the field, supported by the new on-board calibrator module. The GSS9000 is extensible and can support the widest range of carriers, ranging codes and data streams for the Galileo, GPS, GLONASS, and BeiDou systems, as well as regional/augmentation systems. Multi-antenna/multi-vehicle simulation for differential GNSS and attitude determination, and interference/jamming and spoofing testing, are also supported.
CRPA Test System. Spirent’s Controlled Reception Pattern Antenna (CRPA) Test System generates both GNSS and interference signals. Users can control multiple antenna elements. Null-steering and space/time adaptive CRPA testing are both supported by this comprehensive approach.
GSS6425. The Spirent GSS6425 RPS quickly and simply records complex real-world RF environments, capturing both GNSS signals and atmospheric/interference effects. These environments can then be replayed repeatedly to the hardware software under test, reducing project, travel and engineering costs.
www.spirentfederal.com
phone: 801 785 1448; fax: 801 785 1294
email: [email protected]
Key contacts:
Jeff Martin, Sales East
Kalani Needham, Sales West
A: Spoofing is normally associated with the creation of false signals in order to generate a position error, but the same technique may be used to distort a timing solution. With GNSS timing systems being used in critical infrastructure, like power supply, financial transactions and data network synchronization, disruption of timing solutions could have catastrophic implications. GNSS simulators can be used to test the vulnerability of current timing systems and also the effectiveness of potential mitigation techniques.
A: An expanded set of tests for anomalous conditions. The growing number of GNSS signals offers attractive performance benefits, but also multiplies exposure to GNSS errors and interference. Functional requirements are clear to the developer and are naturally developed first. Defining response to anomalies is a less clear task, which too easily becomes a secondary concern. To ensure coverage of the larger test space, multi-GNSS development now requires that anomalous cases be addressed earlier, at priority on par with core functional requirements.
A: Multi-Constellation performance. Using two or more constellations can significantly increase coverage under adverse, limited-sky-view situations. Using two or more frequency bands will combat interference and jamming, and deriving a PNT solution from multiple constellations is a great way to detect spoofing. Integrators/ developers should be using a simulator to verify how the system/receiver behaves under loss of sky view, jamming or spoofing when tracking any combination of multiple constellations.
A: The recent explosion of wearable technology has led to a proliferation of devices being used in “edge-case” situations, with receiver performance being put under greater pressure to perform in a multitude of potential scenarios. A record and replay simulator gives you real signals as opposed to modeled ones, allowing for GNSS product development to be conducted with absolute realism, resulting in greater robustness within the market.
A: The threat of intentional broadcasting of a fake GNSS signal is dangerously growing. GPS spoofing is real and not a military-only concern. The proliferation of SDR and open-source code make spoofing accessible to malicious people even without extensive knowledge in the field of GNSS. Most GPS receivers, as tests show, are vulnerable to spoofing, and no warnings are generated when it happens. Test engineers should definitely consider spoofing attack detection in their test plans.
The world’s clocks will be adjusted by one second on June 30, when a leap second will be inserted into Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the standard international time scale.
In theory, all UTC clocks should insert a second labeled 23h 59m 60s (the leap second) following one labeled 23h 59m 59s UTC. This is equivalent to having all of the clocks in the world stop for one second at that time, as explained in May’s Expert Advice column.
Several legacy GPS receivers immediately and incorrectly applied a leap second correction as early as January, or showed incorrect leap-second-pending data when queried due to an incorrect interpretation of the GPS specification by the firmware programmers of those GPS receivers, according to Jackson Labs Technologies.
To help affected industries prepare, the DHS National Coordinating Center for Communications issued guidance with a paper titled “Best Practices for Leap Second Event Occurring on 30 June 2015.”
The financial market has prepared for potential disruptions. The adjustment could present technical difficulties for traders and exchanges, as some computers might not be programmed to account for the adjustment.
One company preparing is Racelogic, who makes the LabSat simulator. Racelogic will be recording the leap second as it happens and will then have the scenarios available for customers to replay. A variety of recordings will be taken: GPS, GLONASS, and BeiDou constellations will each be captured as a single channel, and also as a simultaneous triple-constellation recording. These will then be available to use with the LabSat.
Jackson Labs has released new firmware versions for various products that address any potential issues for the pending and future leap second events, and that add a number of additional commands to query and handle leap second events.
Precise Time and Frequency, Inc., has published a paper, “Phase Error Correction — Precision versus Speed,” which describes a technique for rapidly eliminating very large phase offsets (up to 0.5 seconds) between two 1 pulse per second pulses. The change is achieved without a sudden step change (which can be unwelcome in numerous applications) while retaining the ability to tune the phase with high precision (resolution of 0.006 pico seconds) once the large error is eliminated.
“Like many novel ideas, the simplicity of this technique belies its effectiveness,” according to the paper. “With hindsight it seems like an obvious solution; however, the engineering mind is trained to know that to generate a one-second pulse from a reference frequency (in this case 10 MHz), it must be divided by the frequency itself, and the concept of an ‘incorrect’ divisor is not necessarily so obvious. In this case, however, the technique provides an ideal solution that reduces the phase-lock capture time from something that would be intolerable to a very acceptable time period.”
Download the paper at this link.
SatGen v3 software is now available for the LabSat GNSS simulator by Racelogic. Version 3 includes BeiDou (BDS) in addition to GPS and GLONASS.
SatGen is billed as a powerful and intuitive software package that gives users the ability to create scenarios for replay through any LabSat simulator. The software creates either user-generated or imported trajectory files for use with a LabSat simulator.
The addition of the BeiDou B1 signals means that users can now test a device’s effectiveness as if it were being used within the operating area of the Chinese constellation, which at present only provides full coverage in Asia.
The BeiDou constellation is set to become globally operational by 2020. With the new SatGen v3, users can create scenarios that include signals from satellites yet to be launched, so new products can be developed in readiness for the full constellation.
SatGen v3 can produce scenarios with one, two or three sets of signals being simultaneously output: GPS, GLONASS and now BeiDou. The software now matches the record and replay abilities of the LabSat 3 simulator.
A trial of SatGen is available here. To purchase a full copy contact a LabSat distributor.