A Real Time Ground Based Augmentation System Implemented with LabVIEW Software

Abstract

This thesis develops and implements a real time Ground Based Augmentation System (GBAS) in the LabVIEW environment incorporating the Local Monitor (LM) from the Closed-Loop GBAS (CL-GBAS) concept. GBAS, also referred to as the Local Area Augmentation System (LAAS), is a flight landing system that provides landing guidance information and corrections to global positioning system (GPS) for aircraft. CL-GBAS is an implementation of LAAS that was prototyped in 2007 and uses the LM and Far Field Monitor (FFM) integrity monitoring systems to assess the accuracy of the GPS corrections generated in the system and to assess the validity of the data broadcast. The software architecture leverages the robust timing and pipelining features of LabVIEW to perform data acquisition and synchronization, perform the LAAS algorithm to generate Type 1 corrections, perform the CL-GBAS algorithm to evaluate the accuracy of the GPS corrections, and perform communication with the VHF Data Broadcast (VDB) transmitter. The LAAS ground facility (LGF) was successfully constructed and integrated with GPS receivers and a VDB transmitter and the accuracy of the GBAS corrections were determined to perform at the highest GBAS Service Level (GSL F).