New Partnership to Validate Inertial Interface Between GNSS Simulators and Inertial Systems

Spirent Federal Systems will team up with Northrop Grumman to develop inertial interface test tools that continue to yield repeatable, accurate results By DA Staff / 17 Aug 2021
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Spirent Federal Systems will fully validate the inertial interface between Spirent GNSS simulators and both Northrop Grumman legacy and modernized inertial systems under the Embedded Global Positioning System (GPS) / Inertial Navigation System (INS)‐Modernization (EGI‐M) program. 

Spirent Federal has history of developing inertial interface test tools in collaboration with Northrop Grumman that yield repeatable, accurate results.

Northrop Grumman’s EGI‐M program is developing state‐of‐the‐art airborne navigation capabilities with a government‐owned open architecture. The fully modernized system integrates new M‐Code capable GPS receivers, provides interoperability with civil controlled air space, and implements a new resilient time capability.

“Spirent Federal has long supported testing of the Northrop Grumman family of interfaces and our customers have always obtained precise, reliable results,” said Jeff Martin, Vice President of Sales for Spirent Federal.

“Spirent Federal strives to keep abreast of the newest technology to be ready to meet the needs of industry, and this collaborative effort that includes the EGI‐M program is yet another example. Spirent is an important part of Northrop Grumman’s test solutions and this validation project acknowledges that importance.”

Jonathan Novak, Manager of Systems Engineering Integration & Test in Navigation, Targeting and Survivability at Northrop Grumman, added, “Northrop Grumman confirms that while the Spirent SimINERTIAL product line, coupled with the Spirent GNSS simulator, is a useful tool for testing Northrop Grumman inertial systems, we are enthusiastic to continue strenuous validation testing.”

Testing the full operational performance of GPS/inertial systems usually requires expensive and time‐consuming field testing on a moving vehicle. Spirent’s SimINERTIAL system emulates inertial sensor outputs while concurrently simulating GPS RF signals, enabling controlled, repeatable testing of EGIs and reducing the need for field trials.

Posted by DA Staff Connect & Contact