IEEE Commences the Development of a PNT Standard (P1952)

November 18, 2021

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced this past summer that it had transitioned its effort to develop international industry standards for resilient PNT user equipment to the IEEE.

The IEEE effort, being led by the IEEE Communications Society, called Project 1952 (P1952), commenced their activity in September to specify “technical requirements and expected behaviors for resilient Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) User Equipment (UE).” The scope is limited, to “the reception, ingestion, processing, handling, and output of PNT data, information, and signals” and does not include standards relating to the characteristics of PNT sources.

Based on technical requirements, the new standard will define different levels of resilience to enable users to select a level that is appropriate based on their risk tolerance, budget, and application criticality. This standard applies to user equipment that outputs PNT solutions and includes “PNT systems of systems, integrated PNT receivers, and PNT source components (such as Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) chipsets).” 

“This standard defines expected behaviors in resilient PNT UE and facilitates development and adoption of those behaviors through a common framework that enables improved risk management, determination of appropriate mitigations, and decision- making by PNT users,” the need statement says. “The standard allows stakeholders to define and communicate resilient PNT UE needs and evaluate proposed resilience solutions in a consistent, uniform manner.”

The stakeholders for the standard include manufacturers of PNT UE, public and private sector users of PNT UE, and providers of PNT services focused on critical infrastructure. “These include Power Generation and Utility, Telecommunications, Finance, Transportation, Agriculture, Space, and Emergency Services sectors.”

I would ask you, as a member of ION and a PNT expert, to consider joining these efforts. ION plans to send an additional communication to its exhibitor/corporate member list also making them aware of these efforts.

To Join the IEEE P1952 Standards Working Group please contact:

Dr. Patricia Larkoski
P1952 Secretary
Lead Sensors Engineer
The MITRE Corporation
plarkoski@mitre.org
Ph: 703-712-0351

Additional IEEE P1952 resources are available below.

• Public-facing information about the IEEE P1952 working group: https://sagroups.ieee.org/p1952/ 
• The PAR outlining the scope of the work: https://standards.ieee.org/project/1952.html 
• The ION Newsletter Article by Doug Taggart: https://www.ion.org/outreach/upload/PNT-Standard-Taggart-ION-Newsletter-Fall21.pdf
• The GPS World article published in August: https://www.gpsworld.com/ieee-to-develop-pnt-standard/ 
• Resilient PNT Conformance Framework (IEEE P1952 Committee starting with this): https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/2020_12_resilient_pnt_conformance_framework.pdf

Lisa Beaty
Executive Director
Institute of Navigation
8551 Rixlew Ln Ste 360
Manassas, VA 20109
P: 703-366-2723
E: Lbeaty@ion.org