Chronos, NPL and Bath University form Saturn Consortium

Lydbrook, Gloucestershire, 4th January 2007 – Chronos Technology, the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and Bath University announce the formation of the Saturn Consortium to better understand the local availability and integrity of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) transmissions and the susceptibility or immunity of GNSS applications to external interference.  GNSS is the new generic term encompassing the GPS, Galileo and GLONASS satellite navigation systems.

From separate perspectives as independent organisations, Chronos, NPL and Bath University have all experienced problems associated with interference, jamming and multi-path activity affecting the integrity of GPS applications.  Some of these problems would clearly have a major impact from a safety of life perspective if the GNSS application were for example deployed in an asset tracking application in an airport environment or for lone worker safety.

The Saturn consortium proposes to assess the susceptibility of GNSS applications to external interference and multi-path problems. It aims to develop cost effective techniques to assess local availability of GNSS transmissions, and to define new standards for Galileo integrity and availability at the point of use.

A typical location application will be to provide an authentication service over a local area so that users of GNSS based tracking technology will be able to believe the reported position of important assets or alternatively proactively detect the occurrence of interference or jamming on the GNSS signal. In a timing environment, local signal authentication will help to improve the efficiency of the new generation of telecommunications and wireless technologies such as TETRA, WCDMA and Wi-Max, which require precise time synchronisation for capacity and bandwidth optimisation.

There are many reasons why local reception of weak GNSS signals can become compromised. These include: interference from un-authorised boosting or re-radiation of GNSS signals; deliberate jamming; accidental jamming caused by microwave radio links or faulty equipment; multi-path caused by difficult reception conditions or the sudden proximity of large reflective objects near to the GNSS receiver. 

The Galileo system will have an embedded Quality of Service (QoS) integrity feature to provide users with the confidence that a signal is fit for purpose. This is of no benefit if a localised interference source compromises the GNSS signal at point of use. These problems are generally not systematic so tracking them down can be difficult. Research by the Saturn consortium has identified evidence from GNSS location users that indicates random false readings of position due to multi-path or interference. 

As GPS applications and, in future, Galileo applications proliferate, instances of local reception failure may become increasingly more problematic for certain applications.

The consortium recognises that, by bringing together complementary knowledge skills, measurement and simulation techniques, solutions can be developed providing clear benefits for future QoS. The consortium has strong links to the wider GNSS community through the Location and Timing Knowledge Transfer Network operated by NPL, one of 22 KTNs funded by the UK Department of Trade and Industry to promote innovation in key technologies.

Today the majority of GNSS applications involve GPS. The techniques developed by the consortium will be applicable to Galileo as the new European navigation satellite system comes into service.

For more information and photographs please contact:

Louise Davies
Chronos Technology Limited
Tel: +44 (0)1594 862200
Email: louise.davies@chronos.co.uk

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