magicSBAS: A South-American SBAS Experiment with NTRIP Data

Abstract (English) The current map of satellite navigation systems includes global systems without integrity service (GPS and GLONASS), regional systems with integrity service (WAAS, EGNOS, MSAS), and future navigation systems providing integrity with global coverage (Galileo). The development and deployment of a complete satellite navigation system for a given region is a serious technological challenge that requires significant investment and a relatively long process, which may last many years. Systems like WAAS or EGNOS have required around a decade from their original concept design to the final achievement of the operational status. In this context, GMV (http://www.gmv.com), a reference Spanish company in the domain of GNSS ground segment computation facilities, has developed magicSBAS. magicSBAS takes advantage of the technology already developed both in the frame of satellite navigation and in the area of personal communications in order to propose alternatives for new regions to a full development of a new system. Moreover, it represents the first multi-constellation SBAS integrity provider by augmenting not just GPS, but GPS and GLONASS satellites. magicSBAS collects real-time pseudorange measurements and ephemeris in RTCM format from existing reference stations in the Internet via the NTRIP protocol (http://igs.bkg.bund.de/ntrip/ntriphomepage). Then magicSBAS computes corrections (SV orbits and clocks, ionosphere), integrity and all additional information required by a SBAS system in real-time (as specified in MOPS-C, Minimum Operational Performance Standards for Global Positioning System/Wide Area Augmentation System Airborne Equipment. RTCA/DO-229C. 28 Nov 2001) and broadcasts this information to the final user using SISNET format (http://www.egnos-pro.esa.int/sisnet/index.html). The SISNET broadcast information can be accessed via Internet or GPRS/3G technology by user receivers to navigate safely. magicSBAS has been adapted to the real-time processing of the NTRIP data in South America with excellent results. It will be shown how a SBAS service can be provided in South America in real time with the same performances as any other SBAS system. Accuracy, availability, continuity and integrity will be evaluated in South America with NTRIP data + magicSBAS. Moreover, the performances of the real-time SV orbits and clocks and ionosphere corrections will be shown.