Global Navigation Satellite System

(GNSS) Overview and Spectrum

Implementation
 Basic GNSS System

• Core Constellations
– GPS
– GLONASS: Global Navigation Satellite System, is a
Russian satellite-based navigation system that works
with GPS to provide location information to compatible
devices.
• Augmentation Systems
– Aircraft-Based Augmentation System (ABAS)
– Space-Based Augmentation System (SBAS)
• Uses geostationary satellites
• India, Japan, Europe, US
– Ground-Based Augmentation System (GBAS)
• A navigation augmentation system improves the
accuracy, integrity, and availability of positioning,
navigation, and timing.
• These systems can be used to correct for errors in
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) signals,
such as those used by the Global Positioning
System (GPS).
• A GPS augmentation is any system that aids GPS
by providing accuracy, integrity, availability, or any
other improvement to positioning, navigation, and
timing that is not inherently part of GPS itself.
• Augmentation of a GNSS is a method of improving
the navigation system's attributes, such as
precision, reliability, and availability, through the
integration of external information into the
calculation process.
• Air traffic controllers need position, heading, speed and time
information for the continuous management of all aircraft.
• Some areas of the world lack the appropriate ground infrastructure,
including secondary radar and communication links.
• Standardized transmission of GNSS navigation data will lead to
advanced systems and techniques for safer air traffic monitoring.
Satellite-based Augmentation System (SBAS)
•A SBAS enhances GNSS performance by providing ranging,
integrity, and correction information.
• In SBAS, the ground infrastructure consists of accurately
surveyed and geographically distributed sensor stations that
receive the data from the primary GNSS satellites and a Central
Processing Facility (CPF) that computes integrity, corrections, and
ranging data forming the SBAS signal-in-space (SIS).
•Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites then relay the SIS to
the receiving devices which determine their position and time
information by using the measurements and satellite positions from
both the primary GNSS constellation(s) and the SBAS GEO
satellites.
1.The Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) – USA
2.The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service
(EGNOS) – European Space Agency Program
3.The Multi-functional Satellite Augmentation System – Japan
4.GPS-aided GEO augmented navigation (GAGAN) – India
 Aircraft-Based Augmentation System (ABAS)
• An augmentation system that augments and/or
integrates the information obtained from the other
GNSS elements with in formation available on board the
aircraft.
• The Aircraft based augmentation system can be implemented by:
1. Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM) whereby a
GNSS receiver processor determines the integrity of GNSS position
using GPS signals or GPS signals augmented with altitude.
2. Aircraft Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (AAIM) whereby the
GNSS signal is integrated with other navigation sensors, such as the
inertial navigation system (INS) which can perform an integrity check
on GNSS data when RAIM is unavailable.
 Ground-Based Augmentation System (GBAS)
• The GBAS provide GNSS integrity monitoring through data
obtained from the ground. They also increase the accuracy of
satellite navigation, clearing the way for GNSS precision approach
and landing.
• The GBAS avionics only use GPS satellites for which it receives valid
ground corrections.
• When the GBAS Ground Facility determines there is a potential
problem with a GPS satellite or when it cannot monitor a GPS
satellite, it stops broadcasting corrections for that particular
satellite, effectively preventing the GBAS avionics from using the
satellite.
• The GBAS Ground Facility uses the VHF radio link to provide aircraft
with GPS corrections, integrity, and approach path information.
Satellite Navigation … Basically Multilateration

Multilateration:
a c By knowing your distance
from at least 3 points of
known-position, you can
determine your own
b position.

For Satellite Navigation: a, b & c are satellites, and a fourth

is needed to solve for clock variations.
 GNSS Ranging and Timing
Actual Path

Earth’s
Ionosphere
Assumed Path

•Approach: tarrival – ttransmitted ~ distance from satellite

•Assumes straight path of radio frequency signals
•Earth’s ionosphere actually disrupts/bends that path

•Augmentations correct for that bend using dual-frequency

measurements
Satellite Navigation’s Mission
SBAS/GBAS Implementation
SBAS/
GRAS

GBAS
GNSS by itself provides a global navigation and timing capability. With the
addition of SBAS and/or GBAS, the benefits are increased.

SBAS: A Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) is a primary air

navigation system that provides augmented accuracy and integrity to a Global
Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) navigation signal such as used by the U.S.
Global Positioning System (GPS).
•SBAS improves the accuracy and reliability of GNSS positioning by correcting
signal measurement errors

GBAS: A Ground Based Augmentation System (GBAS) augments the existing

Global Positioning System (GPS) used in U.S. airspace by providing
corrections to aircraft in the vicinity of an airport in order to improve the
accuracy of, and provide integrity for, these aircrafts' GPS navigational
position.
Satellite Based Augmentation
System
(WAAS used as example)

L1,
L2

FAA288-021
Ground Based Augmentation System
(GBAS) Architecture

Pseudolite

Pseudolite
Processor GBAS
Reference Station
GNSS
Receiver (Integrity
Pseudolite
VHF Accuracy
Transmitter
Availability)
Monitor
Status
• Pseudolites are most often small transceivers that
are used to create a local, ground-based Global
Positioning System (GPS) alternative.
 Planned GNSS Modernization
• Addition of satellite constellations
– Galileo, additional GLONASS satellites
– Improves user availability
• Addition of civil signals
– 1164-1215 MHz band
– Facilitates user ionospheric corrections
• Increased power, improved coding
– Better resistance to interference
 GNSS Frequency Bands
Frequency (MHz) Function

108-117.975 GBAS/GRAS broadcast link

1164-1215 GPS L5, Galileo E5, future

SBAS, GLONASS L3
1215-1240 GPS L2 (site-by-site ground use
only)
1559-1610 SBAS, GPS L1, GLONASS,
Galileo E1
• Currently most of GNSS occurs in 1559-1610
MHz with GBAS broadcast in the upper part of
the VHF navigation band.
• The 1215-1240 MHz band is used at SBAS
ground reference stations to enable ionospheric
corrections.
• The signal corrections and integrity information
for SBAS are transmitted in the 1559-1610 MHz
band.