Global technology leader, NovAtel, has been granted a contract from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to produce 40 next-generation Ground Uplink Station (GUS) signal generators to support the FAA’s safety of life WAAS navigation service.
The contract of ongoing engineering support services, for NovAtel’s portfolio of Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) products, deployed by the FAA, including the WAAS G-III reference receiver platform; NovAtel will modernize the WAAS network by upgrading support for the network’s GUS infrastructure.
Jonathan Auld, Vice President of Engineering and Safety Critical Systems at NovAtel, said: “We have a long history with the FAA and have worked very closely with the WAAS program team to develop multiple-generations of SBAS infrastructure.”
Developed by the FAA, the WAAS network is a safety navigation aid that allows aircraft to use the US Global Positioning System (GPS) for all phases of flying. When an aircraft takes off or lands within the WAAS coverage area, NovAtel technology generates data that allows aviators to make precision approaches to any airport.
The FAA has relied on NovAtel’s safety-critical SBAS technology for over 20 years starting with NovAtel’s first-generation WAAS reference receiver that was created in the 1990s.
Since the program’s inception, NovAtel has provided the FAA with technology that delivers high-precision GPS receiver measurements and navigation information from WAAS Reference Stations (WRS) and the GUS infrastructure.
Mr Auld said: “NovAtel remains committed to supporting the FAA and their safety of life WAAS service and we are excited to deliver this critical next-generation technology for SBAS modernization.”
The next-generation of GUS Signal Generators, which are designed specifically for SBAS ground uplink systems, will include independent L1 and L5 signal paths to precisely control the frequency and phase of L1 and L5 code and carrier for dual-frequency SBAS.
A GUS receiver system based on the WAAS G-III receiver platform will also be released along with the Signal Generator to complete the modernized GUS control loop.
