Tag: Spectracom

Orolia enhances Spectracom GPS threat mitigation with Talen-X

Orolia has taken the next integration steps with its Spectracom line of resilient PNT products, which will enable clients to take full advantage of Talen-X’s BroadShield Interference and Spoofing Detection technology.

The announcement follows up on news of the recent Talen-X strategic alliance.

Orolia’s Spectracom and Talen-X have aligned hardware and software development efforts to jointly develop, market and sell an advanced PNT solution. The goal is to combine the strengths of Spectracom’s resilient PNT products with Talen-X’s interference and spoofing detection suite (BroadShield).

In addition, under the alliance, Orolia will manufacture SecureSync precise time and frequency references with BroadShield integrated for Talen-X in its Rochester, New York, facility.

Logo: Orolia Spectracom

Many mission critical defense, government and commercial operations require highly accurate and reliable PNT data but often rely on signals from GPS/GNSS satellites that are increasingly susceptible to interference or jamming. The Talen-X BroadShield technology is a fully integrated software option available within Spectracom SecureSync.

Working with standard SecureSync GPS/GNSS receivers, BroadShield uses its unique software algorithms to detect anomalies in the GPS signal, including unintentional interference and malicious attacks. Armed with feedback from BroadShield detected anomalies, the integrated solution provides notification, alarming and automatic disabling of GPS/GNSS synchronization.

At the same time, BroadShield interference and spoofing detection technology enhances the resilient PNT capabilities of the best-selling Spectracom SecureSync line of time and frequency reference systems. BroadShield achieves this by ensuring mission critical applications receive reliable, accurate and precise time and frequency information in a variety of challenging environments.

In addition, Spectracom SecureSync will take full advantage of Talen-X’s BroadShield algorithms, which are known for meeting the requirements for critical infrastructure published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Beyond complying with DHS best practices, Talen-X has further enhanced the BroadShield algorithms to go beyond detecting threats. With this enhancement, Spectracom SecureSync operators have detailed threat characteristics, real-time situational awareness and recorded data for pos-event forensic analysis.

“This synchronized solution is designed to meet both government and commercial requirements by improving the protection of GPS/GNSS based critical infrastructure systems against emerging GPS/GNSS threats,” said Greg Gerten, Talen-X CEO. “Talen-X’s interference and spoofing detection algorithms have been successfully supporting the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) in Navigation Warfare (NAVWAR) testing for over six years, and are ready to be leveraged to protect civil communities as well.”

“Orolia is focused on providing Resilient PNT solutions, combining and layering technology in innovative ways that help our customers meet their mission goals,” said John Fischer, Orolia’s V.P. of Advanced R&D. “This new capability from Talen-X augments our systems with a unique ability to detect and mitigate emerging GPS and GNSS threats more effectively.”

For more, visit Spectracom.com’s BroadShield information page.

April 17, 2017
2017 Simulator Buyers Guide
Cast Navigation iP-Solutions Racelogic Skydel Spectracom

Spirent Federal Systems Syntony-GNSS Talen-x

Cast-5000 GPS wavefront generator

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
- Generates single coherent wavefront of GPS.
- 6-DOF motion generation capability.
- Complete SV constellation editing.
- Post-mission processing via ICD-GPS-150/153.
- Differential/relative navigation.
- Antenna pattern modeling.
- Waypoint navigation.
- RAIM events.
- Multipath modeling.
- Spoofer simulation.
- Satellite clock errors.
- External trajectory input.
- External ephemeris and almanac.
- Several iono and tropo models.
- Modifiable navigation message.
- Modeled selective availability.
- Time-tagged satellite events.
- Selectable host vehicle parameters.
www.castnav.com
phone: 978 858-0130
email: [email protected]

iP-Solutions, Zero-C Seven Inc.

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)

Racelogic

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:
- GPS: L1 / L2 / L5
- GLONASS: L1 / L2 / L3
- BeiDou: B1 / B2 / B3
- QZSS: L1 / L2 / L5
- Galileo: E1 / E1a / E5a / E5b / E6
- IRNSS: L5
- SBAS: WAAS / EGNOS / GAGAN / MSAS / SDCM
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

Skydel

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:
- COTS hardware offers economy of scale and eliminates dependency over dedicated hardware platforms.
- Generic hardware allow users to repurpose their equipment for different projects.
- Configurable output to test receiver at various entry point with RF, IF or IQ data.
- Uncompromised performance with high dynamics and accuracy.
- Record user interactions and export them to scripts to automate complex use cases intuitively. The export feature reduces the learning curve for advanced concepts.
- Advanced signal customization (signal signature, private encryption, etc.)
SDX Key Features
- Multi-constellation (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou), multi-frequency (upper and lower L-band).
- Selectable RF, IF frequency and IQ file data.
- GPS encrypted codes.
- Fully integrated jammers (static or moving) with over 120-dB jamming-to-signal ratio.
- Multipath.
- Additive pseudorange (PSR) ramps.
- Message modification and corruption.
- 1000-Hz update rate and high dynamics.
- Space (LEO-GEO), air and ground vehicle with 6DoF trajectories.
- Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) integration.
- Street maps integration.
- Raw data logging.
- Real-time receiver deviation analysis.
- Powerful and simple API.
- On-the-fly reconfiguration.
- Windows and Linux compatible.
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]

Spectracom

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
- Position accuracy and dynamic range/sensitivity.
- Simulate movements/trajectories anywhere on or above Earth.
- Sensitivity to GPS impairments: loss of satellites, multipath, atmospheric conditions, interference, jamming and spoofing.
- Conducted or over-the-air RF.
- GPS time-transfer accuracy.
- Effect of leap-second transition.
- Multi-constellation testing.
- Modernization signals/frequencies.
- Keyless military SAASM, dual-frequency and survey-grade receiver testing.
- Application packages for, RTK, CRPA (controlled radiation pattern antennas).
- Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) integration.
- Test solutions for eCall and ERA-GLONASS Infrastructure Possibilities.
- Zone-based indoor location (intelligent repeating).
- seudolite applications.
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

Spirent Federal Systems

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

Syntony-GNSS

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
- performs fair-weather tests, but also is designed to subject receivers to suboptimal conditions, extreme situations and combinations of errors difficult to access in real-world tests — all of it finely controlled and indefinitely repeatable.
- is compatible with other best-in-class test solutions providing GNSS component end-to-end system tests, including hardware in the loop.
- core is software, ensuring that all future constellations, satellites and codes can be handled. Most functional upgrades will then be software-only.
- is used in aerospace and defense (among others) for: multi-antenna receiver testing for spacecraft launcher, satellite onboard receiver testing (telecom and observation) and defense UAV receiver testing.
Main Features
- 128 channels (extensible) delivering high-quality satellite signals on six distinct frequencies (L and S band)
- Hardware-in-the-loop testing at 10- to 100-Hz refresh rates
- Extensive simulation options:
  - • Full-time and location control
  - Receiver trajectories with extreme dynamics
  - Background noise, interference and jamming/spoofing (two units)
  - Atmospheric propagation errors
  - Satellite errors
  - Multipath and obscuration
  - On-the-fly scenario modifications
  - Receiver attitude control
  - Very accurate spaceborne trajectories
Main Simulation and Modeling Capabilities

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

Talen-x

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]
March 21, 2017
PNT Roundup: Iridium constellation provides low-Earth orbit satnav service

Iridium satellite. (Image: Iridium)

A strategic alliance announced on Dec. 15 between Orolia and Satelles includes product development and go-to-market activities of positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) solutions provided by the Iridium satellite constellation, independent of GPS/GNSS signals. The companies intend to provide PNT solutions to military, defense, government and commercial customers worldwide.

Orolia, the parent of GNSS-active companies Spectracom and Spectratime, among others, has formed a strategic alliance, including an equity investment, with Satelles Inc. to develop, market and sell PNT solutions based on Satelles’ satellite time and location (STL) signal technology.

STL is a unique space-based PNT technology that provides location and timing data independent from traditional GPS and other GNSS satellite signals. By using STL, Orolia’s Spectracom and McMurdo solutions will, according to the company, be less susceptible to vulnerabilities such as spoofing, interference and jamming that are associated with GPS/GNSS.

Based on the low-Earth orbit (LEO) Iridium satellite constellation, STL signals are up to 1,000 times stronger than GPS/GNSS; this signal strength, due in part to the constellation’s closer proximity to users, helps to prevent jamming and enables signal reach into buildings and other difficult locations. STL’s additional cryptographic security also ensures performance, productivity and security.

For further background on Iridium, see GPS World’s June 2016 Defense PNT column, “Iridium and GPS revisited: A new PNT solution on the horizon?” Projected applications and use cases include energy/utility grids, enterprise data networks including financial systems, maritime/aviation navigation, fleet/asset tracking management, search and rescue, and data center management.

Many highly sensitive military, defense, government and commercial applications and operations require accurate and reliable PNT data. Today, these applications rely on signals from GPS/GNSS satellites. There are instances, however, where GPS/GNSS signal strength and security are not sufficient and prone to signal disruption. For these cases, the companies jointly state, STL can be used as a secure signal of opportunity to complement GPS/GNSS, making the applications more accurate and secure, and less prone to interference and attack.

“There is a growing need for precise and robust positioning, navigation and timing information especially in business-critical, high-risk and life-saving operations,” said Jean-Yves Courtois, Orolia CEO. “By augmenting Orolia’s GPS/GNSS-based solutions with Satelles’ STL technology, we will have the industry’s first essentially fail-safe, resilient PNT solution. This breakthrough offering will be ideal for mission-critical applications in which the smallest discrepancy in PNT data accuracy, availability and stability can produce a network outage, a system crash or a loss of life.”

Signal strength, availability

The technical advantages provided by adding ranging satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO) to the GNSS satellites in medium-Earth orbit (MEO) were explored in a 2012 Institute of Navigation paper by Per Enge, Bert Ferrell, David Whelan, Greg Gutt and David Lawrence. GPS World plans to publish an updated version of that paper, with key new material on current STL performance statistics, in an upcoming issue.

Briefly, the paper concluded that “Due to their proximity, signals received from LEO are approximately 30 dB stronger than the signals from MEO. Indeed, we show data collected inside an industrial-strength metal storage container. The power of a LEO signal received inside the container is approximately equal to the power of a GPS signal received under the open sky. On the other hand, LEO proximity also dictates that only a few Iridium satellites are in view of the ground-based user. We show typical examples where six to 11 GPS satellites are joined by one or two LEO satellites.”

The authors then examine the effect of the swift mean motion of LEO satellites, analyzing the ability to whiten multipath based on the rapid motion of the line-of-sight vectors from the user to the LEO satellites. In sharp contrast to MEO, the LEO satellites attenuate errors due to multipath solely based on satellite motion, and do not require user motion. They also analyze Doppler-based positioningvusing the rapid mean motion of the LEO satellites. The Doppler shift projects onto the line-of-sight vectors from the user to the LEO satellites. Over 100 or 200 seconds, this projection is a sharp function of the user location, and this connection enables Doppler-based positioning similar to the Transit satellite system. The authors’ analysis shows that position accuracies of 5 meters can be based on noncoherent code tracking of the LEO plus GPS signals.

This paper also discusses the broadcast of UTC time to sites with known locations, describing experimental results with absolute time accuracies of one microsecond. The broadcast of high-accuracy frequency from LEO would enable a high-accuracy hot clock to replace the relatively low-quality oscillator in GNSS receivers, allowing longer coherent and non-coherent averaging times and improving the sensitivity of GNSS receivers by several decibels. Many other navigation applications would benefit from one LEO satellite in view, the authors assert.

Market view from operator’s CEO

“We are a manufacturer and integrator of timing equipment,” Orolia CEO Jean-Yves Courtois told GPS World. Orolia is the parent company of GPS/GNSS product and service providers Spectracom, McMurdo and Spectratime. “This new STL service is not fully commercialized yet, but it’s operational and it can be tested. Receivers are available and can be integrated into our equipment.

“The timing signal is very accurate and close enough to GPS for most timing applications, although the positioning accuracy is lower than what GPS users are accustomed to. It is an augmentation for timing primarily, and secondarily for positioning,” Courtois continued.

“In terms of timing accuracy, it provides on the order of tenths of microseconds in accuracy, and this covers a lot of timing applications. This is an ideal timing backup or augmentation of GPS. In positioning it’s closer to 50 meters or more, much better for fixed objects than for mobile objects. The faster the vehicle, the lower the positioning accuracy. It’s not directly usable for GPS applications that require a few meters’ accuracy, but it can be associated with inertial navigation for much better results.

“The STL signal penetrates buildings well, it has unique features, and it performs at a high level. The signal is encrypted, so you have to subscribe to a service to receive a key, allowing access to the signal. Applications are developing based on equipment that will be STL-enabled. For the user it will be transparent. The user will have a different antenna.

“We are also active in tracking and emergency location devices, where this is also of interest. It has some authentication capability, to guarantee that the person who accesses the signal is in the location that he pretends to be.

“For customers to be able to use this service, there is some integration work to be done, some dedicated STL receivers to integrate into our current hardware set up, and software modifications. We are ready to work with government and defense organizations and other new clients. Our basic interest is to add some robustness to our equipment for our current customers, and then of course to develop new customers worldwide.”

Grab It’n’Go Drive-By Shopping

Four years ago, retail giant Amazon, a leader in the elimination of human interaction, started to explore what shopping would look like if you could walk into a store, grab what you want, and leave. In early December, the company rolled out its new vision: Amazon Go.

Currently in private beta testing in Seattle and scheduled to open to the public in early 2017, the system employs a fusion of sensor technologies including RFID to detect when a shopper takes an item from the shelf, sync the data to the shopper’s handheld device, sense when the shopper leaves the store area, then charge all collected items to the shopper’s Amazon account. No muss, no fuss.

The company is keeping a tight lid on exactly how its system works, but earlier patent filings give some description of the confluence of sensor data.

“In some implementations, data from other input devices may be used to assist in determining the identity of items picked and/or placed in inventory locations. For example, if it is determined that an item is placed into an inventory location, in addition to image analysis, a weight of the item may be determined based on data received from a scale, pressure sensor, load cell, etc., located at the inventory location. … By combining multiple inputs, a higher confidence score can be generated increasing the probability that the identified item matches the item actually picked from the inventory location and/or placed at the inventory location.”

January 12, 2017
Orolia fortifies resilient PNT with Satelles satellite time and location signal

A strategic alliance announced on Dec. 15 between Orolia and Satelles includes product development and go-to-market activities of positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) solutions provided by the Iridium satellite constellation, independent of GPS/GNSS signals. The companies intend to provide PNT solutions to military, defense, government and commercial customers worldwide.

Orolia, the parent of GNSS-active companies Spectracom and Spectratime, among others, announced that it has formed a strategic alliance, including an equity investment with Satelles Inc. to develop, market and sell PNT solutions based on Satelles’ satellite time and location (STL) signal technology. STL is a unique space-based PNT technology that provides location and timing data independent from traditional GPS and other GNSS satellite signals. By using STL, Orolia’s Spectracom and McMurdo solutions will, according to the company, be less susceptible to vulnerabilities such as spoofing, interference and jamming that are associated with GPS/GNSS.

Iridium satellite, courtesy Iridium.

Based on the low-Earth orbit (LEO) Iridium satellite constellation, STL signals are up to 1,000 times stronger than GPS/GNSS; this signal strength, due in part to the constellation’s closer proximity to users, helps to prevent jamming and enables signal reach into buildings and other difficult locations. STL’s additional cryptographic security also ensures performance, productivity and security.

For further background on Iridium, see “Iridium and GPS revisited: A new PNT solution on the horizon?“, the June 2016 Defense PNT column by Don Jewell.

Projected key applications and use cases include energy/utility grids, enterprise data networks including financial systems, maritime/aviation navigation, fleet/asset tracking management, search and rescue and data center management. Further details on planned projects and products of the Orolia-Satelles partnership will be posted to this site in a follow-up story in coming days.

Many highly sensitive military, defense, government and commercial applications and operations require accurate and reliable PNT data. Today, these applications rely on signals from GPS/GNSS satellites. There are instances, however, where GPS/GNSS signal strength and security are not sufficient and prone to signal disruption. For these cases, the companies jointly state, STL can be used as a secure signal of opportunity to complement GPS/GNSS, making the applications more accurate and secure and less prone to interference and attack.

“In today’s increasingly dynamic and mobile world, there is a growing need for precise and robust positioning, navigation and timing information especially in business-critical, high risk and life-saving operations,” said Jean-Yves Courtois, Orolia CEO. “By augmenting Orolia’s market-leading GPS/GNSS-based solutions with Satelles’ STL technology, we will have the industry’s first essentially fail-safe, resilient PNT solution. This breakthrough offering will be ideal for mission critical applications in which the smallest of discrepancies in PNT data accuracy, availability and stability can result in a network outage, a system crash or a loss of life.”

“Satelles’ pioneering role in STL technology is a perfect fit with Orolia’s proven Resilient PNT strategy,” said Michael O’Connor, Satelles CEO. “We look forward to working together to introduce new products and solutions that will provide our customers with the utmost confidence that their positioning, navigation and timing data is accurate, secure and accessible.”

December 15, 2016
Launchpad: Time and frequency server accurate in all conditions
The VersaSync is a new generation time and frequency server from Spectracom. The high-performance GNSS master clock and network time server delivers accurate, software-configurable time and frequency signals in all circumstances, including GNSS-denied environments.

It is based on a platform-approach to maximize versatility without restricting performance, which maintains or improves high-performance standards from larger form factors while reducing the footprint. The result is a rugged and compact design suitable for air, land or sea applications.

Standard VersaSync configurations are designed in accordance to VITA 75, which was developed for easy integration of subsystems in mobile platforms. The overall volume is under 1 liter, the weight is less than 1 kilogram, and its power consumption is approximately 10 watts.

The list of design features for harsh environmental conditions include mil-performance circular connectors, a sealed enclosure (IP65), and an efficient heat transfer via the conduction-cooled based plate. Spectracom is currently confirming its extensive reliability and compatibility modeling to military specifications.

Versatility is also the theme for the VersaSync’s internal time-base, compatibility with external time and frequency reference sources, and time and frequency signal generation. It is available with a choice of a very low-phase noise ovenized crystal oscillator (OCXO) or chip-scale atomic clocks (CSAC), and can accommodate other high-precision internal time references. Similarly, it is available with various GNSS receivers including multi-constellation receivers and SAASM encrypted GPS with an upgrade path to M-code.

Software-defined digital timing I/Os offer mission-to-mission configurability of virtually any timing signal. Network synchronization and management also offers a high degree of flexibility. Two gigabit Ethernet interfaces are available for network synchronization protocols (NTP and PTP) as well as for configuration, status, logging and upgradability.

Applications
- UAVs
- flight test
- telemetry
- mobile communication systems
- C4ISR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance)
Spectracom, spectracom.com
September 21, 2016
Spectracom adds resiliency for military communications system

Secondary receiver uses eLoran to back up GPS time

Spectracom has been selected to provide Interference, Detection and Mitigation (IDM) capability to its SecureSync precision time and frequency reference system to support Rohde & Schwarz Benelux B.V. and the Netherlands Ministry of Defence for secure long-range military communications systems.

The upgrade, which is based on a secondary receiver that extracts precision timing signals from the eLoran system when GPS signals are not available, will increase the reliability of the overall communication system by further enhancing the resiliency of the precision timing core.

As part of its expanding set of resilient PNT solutions, Spectracom systems synchronize to a variety of precision references whenever and wherever available.

In this deployment, signals from the eLoran system are constantly monitored and act as the primary reference when GNSS signals are not available due to interference or jamming. This new capability supports the goal of a sustainable and reliable network for ongoing global operations.

The modularity of the SecureSync precision time and frequency platform allows customers and integrators to easily and incrementally increase system capabilities, such as multiple reference signals, as they become available.

July 25, 2016
Spectracom’s VelaSync offers grandmaster, server and sync in one
Spectracom’s VelaSync time server and grandmaster clock.

Spectracom’s VelaSync high-speed time server offers high-performance synchronization for time-sensitive networks. It is designed for high frequency trading and other low-latency network applications.

Matching network speeds between timing and data on a single low-latency high-throughput network enhances synchronization accuracy and eliminates queuing delays and hidden time errors caused by slower connections. The availability of a network timing appliance with 40 GbE interfaces benefits deployment of critical network infrastructure at high-speed data rates.

When the VelaSync time server platform was introduced in 2014, it met the needs of financial trading networks’ move to 10 gigabit-per-second networking. Spectracom’s precision GPS timing technology, software from its partner FSMLabs and modular server hardware enable it to meet the needs of high-frequency trading and other low-latency network applications.

VelaSync Features
- PTP + NTP on all ports
- Low hundreds of nanoseconds accuracy
- 1G/10G/25G/40G Ethernet solves network queueing problems (silent time errors)
- High-quality GPS-disciplined clock source
- Rubidium atomic clock option
- Single-pane-of-glass enterprise sync management
- Time Intelligence Platform gathers statistics from clients, detects problems
- Map time network topology
- Multiple time sources for redundancy/security
- Configuration via web interface
June 2, 2016
Spectracom boasts new products for UAV market at AUVSI’s Xponential 2016

Spectracom highlighted its new products for UAVs at the Association of Unmanned Vehicles International‘s Xpontential 2016 show, held May 2-5 in New Orleans. John Fischer, chief technology officer for Spectracom, focuses on the VersaSync time server, derived from the company’s ground-based SecureSync time server, and its GNSS vulnerability test system.

May 13, 2016
Expert Opinions: What key challenge should developers test for in a full PNT solution?

Q: What key challenge should system integrators and product developers test for in a full position, navigation and timing solution?

Günter Heinrichs
Director, Customer Applications, IFEN GmbH

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.

Roger Hart
Director of Engineering, Spirent Federal

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.

John Fischer
Chief Technology Officer, Spectracom

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.

Mark Sampson
LabSat Product Manager, Racelogic

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.

Iurie Ilie
Chief Technology Officer & Co-founder, Skydel Solutions

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.

March 9, 2016
ION GNSS+ 2015: Spectracom presents GPS, GNSS simulator product line

Rohit Braggs, vice president of sales and marketing for Spectracom, talks about the company’s GPS and GNSS simulator product line at ION GNSS+ 2015 in Tampa, Fla.

November 19, 2015
Spectracom Shows Off Rugged Product Line at AUVSI Show

Spectracom displayed its precise positioning, navigation and timing solutions that leverage GPS/GNSS signals while at Unmanned Systems 2015, held May 4-7 in Atlanta. Capabilities for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) include precision references, signal generation, reception, synchronization, distribution, test/validation, simulation, integration, interference, detection/mitigation, real-time embedded and technical/support services.

May 4, 2015
Spectracom Adds India’s IRNSS, Japan’s QZSS to Simulator Capabilities

Spectracom’s GSG-6 Series multi-frequency GNSS signal simulator. Photo: Spectracom

Spectracom has added capability to simulate India’s global navigation satellite system, IRNSS, and Japan’s regional satellite system, QZSS, to its GSG-6 Series multi-frequency GNSS signal simulator. The simulator is designed to be field upgradeable to simulate all current and future GNSS constellations so current customers can benefit from these features without the need for a factory return in most cases.

“Spectracom understands the need for system developers and integrators to be compatible with various GNSS systems. Support for multiple constellations is a requirement in many markets and additional satellites add signal diversity for improved reliability,” said Spectracom Global Sales and Marketing Vice President Rohit Braggs. “Our easy-to-use, compact and affordable GNSS simulator can now be configured with IRNSS and QZSS capability in addition to the big four: GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo. Our customers can buy what they need now and easily upgrade in the future, often times without a hardware upgrade.”

In anticipation of the deployment of new GNSS systems, Spectracom ensures that every GSG simulator that leaves the factory is tested for compliance with all L-band signal frequency and modulation specifications as defined in their ICDs, the company said.

The Series 6 multi-frequency simulator is fully capable of all four bands of any system: L1 / E1 / B1; L2 / L2C; L5 / E5 / B2; and E6 / B3.

“As we have seen with our recent roll-out of Beidou and Galileo signal compatibility, when the need for new signals arise, we will offer those capabilities with a simple upgrade path,” Braggs said. “This ensures our customer’s investment is always protected.”

March 31, 2015