GNSS Performance and Authentication Services User-Oriented Network

Last Updated: 31/01/2023 16:07     Created at: 31/01/2023 15:59

Final Presentation of NAVISP Project EL2 076 now available:

On Monday, January 30, 2023, Intecs Solutions S.p.A.  presented the results of the NAVISP project “GNSS Integrity and Authentication Services User-Oriented Network (GIASONE).” About 50 people from industry and research followed the interesting presentation and the subsequent interactive Q&A session.

The wide use of GNSS in almost all fields such as air navigation, maritime, railroad, automotive, precision agriculture, unmanned systems or time synchronization requires constant monitoring of the system's integrity to avoid undesired or, at worst, dangerous events. Effective protection requires knowledge of those threats that can affect GNSS performance.

The objective of the activity was therefore to design and develop a GNSS integrity monitoring infrastructure capable of providing a set of services to the user segment to ensure its operational status when using GNSS. The final product, called GIASONE, is a ground infrastructure designed to provide continuous monitoring of key GNSS positioning services, including the signal authentication service, developed under the NAVISP EL2 002 project G-Passion.

GIASONE's mission is to improve awareness of the GNSS status, including the detection of possible anomalies that could affect the GNSS and the consequent emission of timely warnings to notify users. The services offered by GIASONE can be divided into three groups:

• GNSS Monitoring: GIASONE provides a set of metrics to monitor the behaviour of the GNSS positioning system Some metrics are evaluated in the measurement domain while others are provided in the position domain.
• RFI Monitoring: GIASONE monitors the GNSS spectrum to identify the presence of eventual interferers. In case of detected interference, the system attempts to determine its category.
• Authentication: GIASONE provides the authentication service by means of authentication reports.

Thanks to the support of NAVISP, INTECS Solution was able to prototype a wide range of services tailored to the needs of users. One of the most innovative aspects of the GIASONE concept is the expansion of the range of users who can receive information about GNSS status and the possibility of also informing those users who use GNSS on a daily basis for professional or recreational purposes. In addition, the application of Software Defined Radio (SDR) technology for the implementation of the monitoring stations is considered as a foundational technology for the implementation of GNSS equipment capable of analysing the entire GNSS stack by balancing aspects of performance and reliability with those of configurability, flexibility, and upgradeability. 

In a next step, an extension to the frequencies L 5 and L 2 (multi-frequency services) is planned for both GNSS and RF monitoring. In addition, a better ability to detect and classify radio interference will be achieved by improving the corresponding processing.

The project was part of NAVISP Element 2, which aims to maintain and improve the capabilities and competitiveness of the participating States' industry in the global market for satellite navigation and, more broadly, PNT technologies and services.

More detailed information can be found in the slides of the Final Presentation.