DETECTOR
Detection, Evaluation and Characterization of Threats to Road Applications

Consequences of RFI are becoming increasingly serious as GNSS is being used in more widely. At the same time low-cost jammers have become common. Mechanisms to counter this threat include stricter regulation; better enforcement; raising public awareness that jammers are illegal, and better robustness within GNSS-based equipment. RFI detection and characterisation can be a tool to enforce regulations and to better understand the threat in order to produce effective counter-measures.

Why this project is important for EGNOS/GSA/SatNav?

Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) disrupts GNSS. DETECTOR is prototyping a low-cost solution to detect and characterise RFI to protect and increase the use of GNSS in critical road applications.

Objectives

1. Threat Identification: Identify threats to GNSS from natural and man-made interference sources.
2. Threat Demonstration: Conduct tests in controlled environments to demonstrate the types of threats (jammer technologies) that are currently available on the market and to assess their impact on GNSS applications and services.
3. Prototype Development: Develop a simple, low-cost GNSS jammer detection capability based on the integration of advanced signal processing algorithms into an existing flexible software GNSS receiver.
4. Prototype Validation: Validate the prototype through a series of witnessed tests in controlled environments to assess its operational effectiveness at correctly identifying and classifying a range of different jammer types.
5. Identification of Operational Concepts: Examine how the DETECTOR system could be used by EU transport infrastructure operators, police forces and government agencies in the protection of GNSS based applications and services (within the context of existing EU legal frameworks).
6. Database of Jammer Signatures: Assemble a database of jammer signatures which the project will make available to the community, through appropriate channels, to enable receiver manufacturers and system integrators to develop innovative countermeasure technologies.
7. Commercial Feasibility Analysis: Develop the business case for the DETECTOR system.

Next Steps

DETECTOR will be validated at the “AutomotiveGATE” in Germany where jammers, receivers and interference detectors can be installed on vehicles and roadside gantries. A further unit will be installed on a gantry over a major road in France.