A Terrain Visibility Tool for GPS Ground Equipment Site Selection Implemented on a PC

Steven N. Karels, Paul G. Avila, and Gary A. Matchett

Abstract:	GPStechnologyisrapidlycomingofageandisfindingits way into test and training ranges through RAJPO. The RAJPO equipment employs ground-based equipment (reference receivers and datalink sites). Terrain blockage effects can severely limit or degrade system operation. A PC-based analysis tool has been developed that accepts DMA digital terrain elevation data @TED) and rapidly computes visibility regions over large 2dimensional geographic areas. This tool, called SPOT, is described in detail and some of the optimization techniques to rapidly compute large area visibility from one or more sites are discussed. Sample results from studies conducted for WSMR are presented. The results from this tool allow test range implementation specialists to investigate site selection issues for future GPS equipment site locations and to predict test vehicle coverage. The significance of this tool is in the optimization techniques employed to permit rapid computation. A single WSMR site can be evaluated in less than nine minutes on a COMPAQ 386 for an area of 40 miles by 100 miles at DTED Level I resolution.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 4th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1991) September 11 - 13, 1991 Albuquerque, NM
Pages:	601 - 608
Cite this article:	Karels, Steven N., Avila, Paul G., Matchett, Gary A., "A Terrain Visibility Tool for GPS Ground Equipment Site Selection Implemented on a PC," Proceedings of the 4th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GPS 1991), Albuquerque, NM, September 1991, pp. 601-608.
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