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LEO PNT
Low Earth Orbit Positioning Navigation, and Timing.
What is LEO PNT? • Why LEO PNT? • How is LEO PNT being implemented? • LEO PNT Resources
What's The Deal?
As GNSS vulnerabilities rapidly evolve, Lower Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations are emerging onto the scene, resulting in many unique solutions poised to address various applications. Whether you plan to develop your own LEO PNT solution or integrate LEO PNT into your solution, it is critical to have a testing and integration plan in place from the very beginning. Orolia's subject matter experts, combined with the industry's leading software-defined platform, will ensure your success in deploying this much-anticipated technology.
What is LEO PNT?
LEO PNT is the use of signals, satellites, and constellations existing in Earth's lower orbit for Positioning, Navigation and Timing in systems. LEO PNT can be used for commercial or defense purposes, offering many stand-alone benefits, and additional capabilities when paired with traditional GNSS constellations. Although roughly eighty-six percent of operating satellites are in LEO, their utilization to support PNT-specific needs is relatively new from a historic perspective.
LEO = Lower Earth Orbit
​PNT = Positioning, Navigation and Timing
Why LEO PNT?
GPS as we know it today has evolved and expanded beyond its original intent. To put it bluntly, relying solely on conventional GPS satellites just doesn't cut it anymore, especially when it comes to critical infrastructure and missions.
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Though there are several GPS alternatives on the market today, what most of them lack is the ability to operate independently with a high level of accuracy and resiliency. Two things that make LEO constellations different than those in other orbital regions are its shorter distance to earth and constant movement. This results in greater performance with effects on faster speeds, higher signal power, increased bandwidth, and decreased susceptibility to attacks.
Additionally, commercial providers can offer more targeted and advanced features by funneling investments into research and development. One such feature is security, thanks to proprietary encryption methods and custom frequencies. Another benefit is the expectation to prioritize, maintain and improve upon technology that aligns with certain needs, translating to rapid development cycles. When you think about it, LEO PNT is really a no-brainer.
How is LEO PNT Being Implemented?
Constellation Development
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• Technology is utilizing satellites for PNT information more than ever
• It is integral to to test their PNT systems before they are deployed
• It is key to develop a test environment for LEO constellations alongside
the development of the constellations themselves.
• A flexible simulation system that can evolve is best equipped for the
advent of new LEO constellations.
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How Simulation Can Aid Development
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• Constellation: Increase communication and available for testing ASAP
• Receiver: View receiver power in GPS denied environments, view
acquisition times, and cost savings
• Systems: Vulnerability, repeatability, and acceptance/verification testing
Simulation of a New Constellation
Software-Defined Test Environment
It's a fact that LEO constellations require more satellites due to their operating mechanism. Hence why there are more satellites (like a lot more) in LEO orbit than there are in the GNSS constellations that have been simulated in the past.
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Traditional GNSS Simulators don't have the built-in architecture to support this large number of satellites, especially if you want to simulate multiple constellations simultaneously, which produces the most realistic scenarios.
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This is where software-defined simulators take the cake. It's important to understand that in a true software-defined system there are no fixed hardware channels limiting the number of satellites and frequency bands that can be generated. Some providers may use crafty language to make you think otherwise, so be sure to clarify this when choosing a simulator.
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Software-defined systems, such as BroadSim, gives you the flexibility to meet your LEO needs without feature-specific add-ons that generally take up more space. A simple software license upgrade gives you access to the new LEO constellation, allowing you to have integrated all-in-view testing between GNSS and LEO constellations. Whether you choose our turnkey BroadSim products or need a more customized BroadSim solution to meet your LEO requirements, you will always use the same intuitive user interface that you are familiar with.
BroadSim for LEO PNT
The Simulator Preferred by Engineers
Here are some of the top reasons why software-defined simulators like BroadSim provide a more dynamic and future-proof solution when it comes to LEO PNT:
1 | Takes advantage of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products to evolve as new technology emerges
2 | GPU can handle the generation of more signals than a traditional FPGA-driven solution
3 | Can rapidly add new constellations and evolve existing ones
4 | New constellations can be incorporated with software instead of additional hardware
5 | Rather than focusing on hardware improvements, engineers can focus on simulation
6 | Upgrade cycles are possible more frequently
Get a Leg Up on LEO PNT
Orolia Defense & Security is integrating new constellations for simulation today and can help do the same for yours. Or, learn what support BroadSim already has for LEO simulation.
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Inquire about LEO PNT → sales@oroliads.com
Curious about what else BroadSim can do? Discover more →