Wind River, a world leader in embedded and mobile software, today announced that VxWorks has been chosen to run Logica’s Integrity Processing Facility (IPF) check set for the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS). The IPF, developed and delivered by Logica, is the crucial element that validates the information broadcast by the satellites to safety critical users such as aircraft in flight or ships navigating through narrow channels. Without EGNOS it is not possible for users such as civil aviation to rely with full confidence on satellite navigation systems like the Global Positioning System (GPS). EGNOS allows these users to count on improved accuracy of satellite navigation signals, which, in turn, reduces travel time and helps operators save fuel.EGNOS is Europe’s first venture into satellite navigation. EGNOS signals augment the two military satellite navigation systems now operating, the US GPS and Russian Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) systems, and makes them more suitable for safety critical applications.Consisting of three geostationary satellites and a network of ground stations, EGNOS achieves its aim by transmitting a signal containing information to increase the reliability and accuracy of the positioning signals sent out by GPS and GLONASS satellites. It allows users in Europe and beyond to determine their position within two meters, compared with about 20 meters for GPS and GLONASS alone. Read More
