Spirent Announces Major GSS9000 Series GNSS Constellation Simulator Enhancements

Spirent Communications, the world leader in global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) testing solutions, today announced the launch of its enhanced GSS9000 Series GNSS constellation simulator. Providing significantly-improved capability, flexibility and performance, the GSS9000 Series has been updated to meet the ever-more-demanding test needs of high-performance satellite navigation systems.

Spirent already leads the market in multi-frequency, multi-GNSS RF constellation simulators, and the enhanced GSS9000 Series’ enriched features and capabilities raise the bar for GNSS development and test still further.

“We’re seeing the number of GNSS signals growing all the time, and an ever-increasing number of the receivers and systems we rely on every day are making use of these signals to improve accuracy, availability and continuity,” said Spirent Managing Director of Positioning, Martin Foulger. “That’s why it’s important that GNSS testing today and going forward reflects the reality of real-world situations, where simultaneous generation and testing of all signals is vital.”

The enhanced GSS9000 Series addresses this need by doubling the number of supported channels (320 in a single chassis) while maintaining its full performance specification, including in key areas such as signal iteration rate and low latency, under maximum signal dynamics. These attributes, together with the ability to produce a comprehensive range of emulated multi-GNSS, multi-frequency RF signals, enables full and future-proofed testing of advanced applications.

“Because the GSS9000’s dedicated platform and software are designed from the ground up to work together, there is no need for a trade-off between capacity and performance,” says Foulger. “The newly-enhanced platform provides full control and verification at maximum performance across all channels at all times, removing any need for our customers to compromise their testing regimes.”

Greater signal flexibility is also built into the enhanced GSS9000 Series, through its open API and flexible system architecture. This delivers a highly-sophisticated arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) capability. It also provides unrivalled coverage and support for all current Signal-in-Space Interface Control Documents (SIS ICDs), with even greater flexibility for both system and signal evolutions. This includes built-in and user-defined parameter controls for generation of non-current SIS ICD PRN codes, navigation data content, navigation data rate, chipping rate, edge shaping and modulation types.

The enhanced GSS9000 Series also features sophisticated spoofing test capabilities, with full parametric control of multi-copy constellations, and trajectory spoofing/meaconing. Precise phase-aligned signal wavefront generation and multi-antenna/output capability is supported, creating the most capable anti-jam and anti-spoof test system available anywhere.

“Spirent has an unmatched pedigree in GNSS test, stretching back more than 30 years. The enhanced GSS9000 Series is the next step in the continuous advances we’ve been making over that period,” said Foulger. “Once again, we have applied our unique expertise and experience to provide those working in high-end GNSS technology and application development with an advanced test solution that meets their current and future needs.”