Radio Frequency Interference to GNSS: Issues, Concerns and Status

Keith D. McDonald and Stephen B. Heppe

Abstract:	As applications for the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) multiply, it has become clear that radio frequency interference (RFI) can pose a serious threat to many GNSS receiver operations. It can adversely affect the performance, continuity and integrity of the applications these receivers support (e.g.. navigation, time transfer, survey. precision landing, etc). Accumulating evidence indicates that harmful interference can originate from many sources, licensed and unlicensed, and occasionally from emitters that are far removed in frequency from the GNSS bands of operation. System designers and implementers, as well as policy makers and certification authorities, must carefully consider the resulting issues. Causes of harmful RF1 need to be identified and analyzed, and appropriate mitigation techniques need to be determined and evaluated. These steps are required if internationally acceptable standards are to be developed which ensure adequate services and safe operations for the GNSS user community . This paper, based in part on the results of the recently completed RTCA Working Group on Interference (SC-159, WG/6), surveys the interference characteristics of the RF environment and the deleterious effects of intentional RF1 emissions. A number of the interference mitigation and protection techniques available to the system designer are presented. Potential risk areas for the various candidate applications, and the viability of corresponding concepts for improving performance are addressed, especially for those cases where increased GNSS receiver robustness is desired. Both GPS and GLONASS are considered as well as the domestic and international augmentation systems WAAS and LAAS. The interference aspects of both the ranging capabilities and the data links associated with these planned augmentations are addressed.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 53rd Annual Meeting of The Institute of Navigation (1997) June 30 - 2, 1997 Albuquerque, NM
Pages:	619 - 637
Cite this article:	McDonald, Keith D., Heppe, Stephen B., "Radio Frequency Interference to GNSS: Issues, Concerns and Status," Proceedings of the 53rd Annual Meeting of The Institute of Navigation (1997), Albuquerque, NM, June 1997, pp. 619-637.
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