Medea – MultifrEquency Digital BEAMForming Antenna
Last Updated: 26/03/2024 14:55 Created at: 11/03/2024 09:24
Final presentation of NAVISP Project EL2-101 now available:
On Tuesday, March 5th, 2024, Space Technologies for Innovation, RadioPoints, and Consortium Ulisse presented the results of the NAVISP EL2 101 project "MEDEA". Over 50 people from industry and research institutes followed the interesting presentation and the subsequent interactive Q&A session.
In the face of growing interference challenges, the MEDEA project set out to create reliable European Global Navigation Satellite System (EGNSS) receivers. The rise of electromagnetic interferences, stemming from spectrum congestion, brings about both unintentional and intentional disruptions. Moreover, the threat of spoofing makes it more difficult to create applications with high reliability. With these complexities in mind, the MEDEA project aimed to provide an efficient and cost-effective solution, seamlessly integrating it with existing receivers to ensure robust protection against interference.
MEDEA is a state-of-the-art EGNSS multifrequency digital array covering essential frequency bands, currently mitigating interference in the L1 band. Beyond its hardware capabilities, MEDEA is designed to enhance receiver integrity, offering adaptability and versatility to suit specific user needs in maritime navigation, integrity monitoring stations, and many other high-integrity applications. MEDEA introduces advancements in several technical aspects. Specifically, it incorporates antenna radiators embedded with Software-Defined Radio (SDR) receivers and employs digital beamforming technology. This enables the system to process signals from up to five GNSS satellites concurrently, while effectively mitigating interference and optimizing Dilution of Precision (DOP).
Utilizing a specialized algorithm, MEDEA optimizes DOP by leveraging a stored almanac generated by its on-board receiver. Consolidating interference detection, localization, anti-spoofing, and DOP computation optimization into a unified system, it further enhances resilience against electromagnetic interference (EMI). Additionally, its Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) design allows for easy programmability and upgrades, ensuring adaptability to evolving needs and advancements. MEDEA's electronic mitigation capabilities, when activated, are complemented by a stabilization mechanism ensuring a consistent attitude over the sea. This mechanism can be seamlessly controlled by its embedded IMU, further enhancing its overall functionality.
In the next steps, MEDEA will extend its applications across various sectors, including Rail & Road Transportation, Manned Aviation, Drones, and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems/Unmanned Aircraft Systems (RPAS/UAS). MEDEA's advanced capabilities, such as the new Beam Forming algorithm (CAPON 2), will additionally contribute to improved performance and resilience against interference and spoofing.
In conclusion, MEDEA enhances receiver integrity while offering flexibility tailored to specific user needs. With embedded customer-designed algorithms, it can function as both an antenna and an integrity terminal, ensuring adaptability and protection against interference.
This project was carried out in the scope of NAVISP Element 2, which supports the development of novel and innovative products and services aiming 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.