PNTaaS – Alternative PNT solutions for the future
The Challenge Ahead
GPS (Global Positioning System) is a constellation of orbiting satellites that provides position, navigation, and timing data to users globally, 24/7/365. Since 2007, it has become the most widely used Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and it plays a critical role in our society today. Due to its very low signal strength, it is vulnerable to degradation, jamming or spoofing of the signal resulting in an inability to accurately determine time and position. GPS spoofing and jamming both pose significant risks and challenges, especially in contexts where GPS signals are crucial for navigation, timing, and various critical applications. The race to secure a back up to GPS is motivating leaders across many sectors including military, aviation, telecommunications, transportation and government agencies. Addressing these challenges requires a combination of technological advancements in signal authentication, encryption, and anti-jamming techniques, as well as regulatory measures to deter malicious activities and protect critical infrastructure.
What is PNTaaS?
NAVSYS has merged modern Software Defined Radio (SDR) technology with key software-based algorithms to enable a service that can provide position, navigation, and time data without necessitating the ownership of satellites or the infrastructure needed to support those satellites. We call this technology “PNT as a Service (PNTaaS)”. NAVSYS has developed PNTaaS Monitor Stations that can receive and publish signals content, location and timing data from existing SATCOM signals allowing them to be used for PNT. Subscribers can access the PNTaaS data from our service, leveraging an Internet of Things (IoT) protocol, to receive the precise timing and signal content needed for a SDR to observe a pseudo-range (like the GPS observations) from these SATCOM signals. Through integration with our SATCOM partners’ existing infrastructure, the PNTaaS Monitor Stations can rapidly deliver global PNT coverage to subscribers. This innovative solution delivers a PNT capability that can operate in areas where GPS is denied and provide resilient precision positioning and timing solutions for military and commercial high reliability applications, including communications network, power distribution systems and financial services.
Benefits
Experience the unparalleled benefits of the NAVSYS PNTaaS Software Defined Radio (SDR), designed to excel across a vast frequency spectrum ranging from 70 MHz to 6 GHz. With the ability to swiftly cycle through hundreds of satellite signals, the PNTaaS SDR offers spectrum awareness, leveraging machine learning to detect and navigate interference, ensuring subscription only to unjammed frequency bands.
Harnessing the power of NAVSYS data, the PNTaaS SDR collects precise Time of Arrival (TOA) observations from selected space or terrestrial Signals of Opportunity (SoOP), seamlessly updating inertial and clock devices for continued precision PNT, even in GPS-denied environments.
Key benefits of NAVSYS PNTaaS include:
GPS-Denied Environment Resilience
Leveraging commercial broadband GEO, NGSO, MEO, and LEO satellite systems as SoOP, PNTaaS ensures uninterrupted positioning, navigation, and timing services during GPS denial.
Unprecedented Jamming Resilience
PNTaaS utilizes a massive constellation and an extensive frequency range (3-30 GHz L-band, C-band, Ku Bands), offering unparalleled resistance to jamming with its open architecture and time-synchronized fast sequencing supporting utilization of hundreds of SoOPs.
Modular Design and Customizability
With a modular design supporting multiple GPS receivers, IMUs, antennas, and atomic clocks, PNTaaS offers flexibility for diverse applications.
Partnership with Commercial Operators
NAVSYS’ collaboration with commercial operators enables NAVSYS to utilize existing SATCOM constellations and ground infrastructure, ensuring seamless integration and robust backup signals.
Long-Term Reliability
Because PNTaaS can use an extensive frequency range, NAVSYS can maintain signal integrity over time, ensuring prolonged operation during GPS outages, while accuracies approaching GPS levels (~5m RMS) guarantee precision navigation.
Flexible Licensing and Development Options
Hardware and software licenses are tailored for custom or embedded applications. The PNTaaS Development Kit provides a cost-effective solution for prototyping integration. Contact us to learn more info@navsys.com.
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of Interest
NAVSYS is advancing state-of-the-art position, navigation, and timing (PNT) technologies in partnership with SATCOM providers and the US Military. NAVSYS aims to commercialize PNTaaS within 2 years and as part of the upcoming research and development, NAVSYS is leading a “Community of Interest”. The purpose of this group is to share learnings, invite participation in the open-source development of PNTaaS, demo SDRs and engage hardware manufacturers. The future of GNSS is PNT and NAVSYS is leading the way with PNTaaS.