Wind River embedded RTOS chosen for key element of European satellite navigation system
18 June 2010
Wind River has announced that its VxWorks embedded real time operating system has been chosen to run the Logica Integrity Processing Facility (IPF) check set for the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS). The IPF, developed and delivered by Logica, is the crucial element that validates the information broadcast by the satellites to safety critical users such as aircraft in flight or ships navigating through narrow channels.
Without EGNOS it is not possible for users such as civil aviation to rely with full confidence on satellite navigation systems like the Global Positioning System (GPS). EGNOS allows these users to count on improved accuracy of satellite navigation signals, which, in turn, reduces travel time and helps operators save fuel.
EGNOS is Europe’s first venture into satellite navigation, and its signals augment the two military satellite navigation systems now operating - the US GPS and Russian Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) systems - making them more suitable for safety critical applications.
Consisting of three geostationary satellites and a network of ground stations, EGNOS achieves its aim by transmitting a signal containing information to increase the reliability and accuracy of the positioning signals sent out by GPS and GLONASS satellites. It allows users in Europe and beyond to determine their position within 2m, compared with about 20m for GPS and GLONASS alone.
EGNOS is a joint project of the European Space Agency, the European Commission and EUROCONTROL, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation. It is Europe’s first activity in the field of Global Navigation Satellite Systems and is a precursor to Galileo, the full global satellite navigation system under development in Europe.
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