Rohde & Schwarz adds GPS L5 and Galileo E5 to SMW200A GNSS simulator

September 19, 2018  - By

Rohde & Schwarz has added GPS L5 and Galileo E5 simulation capabilities to its R&S SMW200A GNSS simulator.

The R&S SMW200A GNSS simulator is designed for efficient test and characterization of multi-constellation and multi-frequency GNSS receivers. With its additional simulation capabilities for GPS L5 and Galileo E5, the R&S SMW200A enables generation of complex and highly realistic test scenarios with up to 144 channels in the GNSS frequency bands L1, L2 and L5, the company said.

In addition to GPS (L1/L2/L5), GLONASS (L1/L2), Galileo (E1/E5) and BeiDou (L1/L2), the R&S SMW200A also supports signal generation for QZSS and SBAS on L1. The available channels can be routed to up to four RF outputs, so that even multi-antenna systems can be tested.

Apart from its new GNSS simulation capabilities, the R&S SMW200A can generate complex coexistence and interference scenarios with multiple interferers. GNSS signals, noise and all interference signals are generated directly in the instrument. Additional signal sources for external generation of interference signals are not required, resulting in small, compact and simple test setups.

Launched in 2017, the R&S SMW200A can be turned into a high-end GNSS simulator and is able to internally simulate complex interference environments in parallel with GNSS signals.

An increasing number of GNSS receivers are capable of receiving signals on multiple different frequencies, such as L1, L2 and L5. Although this multi-frequency capability, as well as having to process signals from diverse navigation systems such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo or BeiDou, make the receiver design more complex, they ensure a better quality of service for the end user.

According to the company, multi-frequency and multi-constellation processing not only improves positioning accuracy, service availability and robustness, it also makes the positioning process less vulnerable to interference, jamming or spoofing attacks.

The R&S SMW200A with its new GNSS simulation capabilities will be showcased at the ION GNSS+ 2018 trade show in Miami.

About the Author: Tracy Cozzens

Senior Editor Tracy Cozzens joined GPS World magazine in 2006. She also is editor of GPS World’s newsletters and the sister website Geospatial Solutions. She has worked in government, for non-profits, and in corporate communications, editing a variety of publications for audiences ranging from federal government contractors to teachers.