International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 27-30, 1997 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / There is an interest in using Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers to find: Time Space Position Information (TSPI), miss distances between a missile and target, and using the data real time as an independent tracking aid for range safety. Ashtech, Inc. has several standalone GPS receivers they believe can work at high g levels. This paper investigates how the Ashtech GPS receivers work under high g loading in one axis. The telemetry system used to collect data from the receivers and the reconstruction of the data will also be discussed. The test was done at SNORT (Supersonic Naval Ordnance Research Track) located at NAWS, China Lake, CA. The g level obtained was about +23 g’s with a deceleration of -15 g’s. The velocity reached was about Mach 2.0. A summary of the errors is included.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / November 04-07, 1991 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / As we develop more space vehicles, a pressing requirement emerges to provide precision tracking information. This need for exact time and space-position information (TSPI) persists whether developing and testing space weapons or locating the precise position of intelligence-gathering satellites. Because this is a worldwide tracking requirement, the use of conventional tracking techniques such as radar is precluded. Fortunately the Global Positioning System (GPS) is now in place and can provide the tracking information required. GPS offers two techniques for tracking space vehicles. A GPS receiver can be installed on the vehicle to determine the position that is then relayed to a ground terminal, or a GPS frequency translator can be used to compute the vehicle position at the master groundsite. Since both techniques have been proven satisfactory, the specific tracking requirement determines the method selected. For the flight tests of the Exoatmospheric Reentry-Vehicle Interceptor Subsystem (ERIS), the GPS frequency translator technique is used. A GPS frequency translator is installed on the target (a reentry-vehicle launched on a Minuteman from Vandenberg), and a translator is also installed on the ERIS, which is launched from Meck Island in the Kwajalein Atoll. The GPS frequency translator approach was chosen for these tests for a variety of reasons, the most important of which were the limited instrumentation space on the target and interceptor, the extreme dynamics of the interceptor, the tracking accuracy required, and the range at which the operation must be tracked. For the tracking of orbiting satellites, a GPS receiver can be flown on the satellite with its derived position information continuously stored. This data can then be dumped as the satellite passes over a selected groundsite.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 28-31, 1996 / Town and Country Hotel and Convention Center, San Diego, California / The objective of the FIRST project is to define a modern DoD Standard Datalink capability. This defined capability or standard is to provide a solution to wide variety of test and training range digital data radio communications problems with a common set of components, flexible to fit a broad range of applications, yet be affordable in all of them. This capability is to be specially designed to meet the expanding range distances and data transmissions rates needed to test modern weapon systems. Presently, the primary focus of the project is more on software, protocols, design techniques and standards, than on hardware development. Existing capabilities, on going developments and emerging technologies are being investigated and will be utilized as appropriate. Modern processingintensive communications technology can perform many complex range data communications tasks effectively, but a large-scale development effort is usually necessary to exploit it to its full potential. Yet, range communications problems are generally of limited scope, so different from one another that a communication system applicable to all of them is not likely to solve any of them well. FIRST will resolve that dilemma by capitalizing on another feature of modern communications technology: its high degree of programmability. This can enable custom-tailoring of datalink operation to particular applications, just as a PC can be tailored to perform a multitude of diverse tasks, through appropriate selection of software and hardware components.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 23-26, 2000 / Town & Country Hotel and Conference Center, San Diego, California / A novel approach combines GPS receiver technology with micro-electromechanical inertial sensors to improve performance of single object tracking radar. The approach enhances range safety by integrating an airborne Global Positioning System/Inertial Movement Unit (GPS/IMU) with a C-band transponder to downlink time-space-position information (TSPI) via FPS-16 instrumentation radar. This improves current telemetry links and the Range Application Joint Program Office (RAJPO) data link for downlinking TSPI because of the inherent long-range advantage of the radar. The goal of the project is to provide distance independent accuracy, and to demonstrate continuous 15-meter or better position accuracy over the entire flight envelope out to slant ranges up to 1,000 Km with at least 50 updates per second. This improves safety coverage for the wide area flight testing. It provides risk reduction for the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC), Edwards Air Force Base, California and other ranges planning TSPI system upgrades.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 25-28, 1999 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / The use of Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers as a source to provide Time Space and Position Information (TSPI), and Miss Distance Indication (MDI) data in Test and Evaluation (T&E) applications is being considered. Specifically, GPS receivers are being evaluated to determine their usefulness as a sensor in a Sidewinder missile telemetry system (AN/DKT-80). Initial testing has indicated that position information generated from a GPS receiver can provide significantly better position data than a radar tracking system when using Double Differential error correction techniques. This concept requires a GPS reference station to be located in the general proximity of the Telemetry data-receiving site. Software has been developed that will compare GPS data from the airborne telemetry system to the GPS reference station and display a real-time TSPI solution. This software will also provide MDI information from two different airborne sources that are equipped with GPS receivers (missile and drone). To prove out this concept, a Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) Commercially/Available (C/A) code GPS receiver was integrated into the AN/DKT-80 Sidewinder telemetry system (TM). A MQM-107 drone was instrumented with the same GPS receiver, as was a ground based reference station. A simple TM was developed for the drone that telemeters only the GPS data. The modified AN/DKT-80 system incorporated an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) into the design. Post processing software was developed that will integrate the IMU information with the GPS data so accurate position can be generated if the GPS data was momentarily lost. A missile firing is scheduled for the spring of 1999 to prove this concept.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 21, 2002 / Town & Country Hotel and Conference Center, San Diego, California / The Joint Advanced Missile Instrumentation (JAMI) program is developing a Time, Space, and Position Information (TSPI) unit for high dynamic missile platforms by employing the use of Global Position System (GPS) and inertial sensors. The GPS data is uncoupled from the inertial data. The output of the JAMI TSPI unit follows the packet telemetry protocol and is called the TSPI unit message structure (TUMS). The packet format allows the data stream to stand on its own, be integrated into a packet telemetry system or be an asynchronous data channel in a PCM data stream. On the ground, the JAMI data processor (JDP) Kalman filters the GPS and inertial data to provide a real time TSPI solution to the ranges for display. This paper gives an overview of the message format, the timing relationships between the GPS data and inertial data, and how TUMS is to be handled by the telemetry receiving site to hand it off to the JDP.

ITC/USA 2005 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-First Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 24-27, 2005 / Riviera Hotel & Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / The Joint Advance Missile Instrumentation (JAMI) program has developed a Time Space Position Information (TSPI) unit (JTU). The JTU employs a novel use of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, and inertial measurement units (IMU) to provide a real time trajectory for high dynamic missile systems. The GPS system can function during high g maneuvers that an air-to-air missile might encounter. The IMU is decoupled from the GPS sensor. The IMU data is a secondary navigation source for the JTU and will provide platform attitude. The GPS data and IMU data are sent to the ground in telemetry packet called TSPI Unit Message Structure (TUMS). The TUMS packet is sent to a computer that hosts the JAMI Data Processing (JDP) software, which performs a Kalmam filter on the GPS and IMU data to provide a real time TSPI solution to the range displays. The packetized TUMS data is available in three different output formats: RS-232 serial data, 16-bit parallel and PCM. This paper focuses on how to integrate the JTU into a telemetry system, use it as a standalone system, and provides examples of possible uses.

ITC/USA 2005 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-First Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 24-27, 2005 / Riviera Hotel & Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / The Joint Advanced Missile Instrumentation (JAMI) Program involves the integration of Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking technology into the Test Ranges. GPS Technology will be used for Time, Space, and Position Information (TSPI) as well as Flight Termination purposes. JAMI is currently developing the JAMI TSPI Unit (JTU) and the Flight Termination Safe & Arm (FTS&A) devices. This paper will discuss the current efforts to integrate these JAMI components, off the shelf items (Flight Termination Receivers (FTR), Telemetry Transmitters, Encryptor and Thermal Batteries) and in-house developed devices (PCM Encoder, Tri-band Antenna with integrated Limiter, Filter, and Amplifier) into a five-inch diameter Missile Telemetry (TM) Section. The discussion of the transmission of the data and how the Test Ranges process it is beyond the scope of this paper and is covered in [1].

ITC/USA 2007 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Third Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 22-25, 2007 / Riviera Hotel & Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / The Joint Advanced Missile Instrumentation (JAMI) Program’s main thrust has been the integration of Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking technology into the Department of Defense (DoD) Missile Test Ranges. This technology could be used for Time, Space, Position, and Information (TSPI), Flight Termination (FTS), or End Game Scoring purposes. However the Program’s main goal is to develop Proof-of-Concept components only. Transitioning Missile technology developed by the Government to Private Industry, so that it can be economically mass produced, has been quite a challenge. Traditionally, private industry has had to bid on proposals without much detailed information on how these components have been designed and fabricated. These unknown risks, Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) and Missile Flight Qualification costs, routinely have significantly increased the price of these procurement contracts. In order so that the Fleet can economically utilize these components in the field, Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA) between the Government and Private Industry have been used to successfully transition Government developed technology to mass production. They can eliminate the NRE and flight qualification costs to provide for an economical and low risk method of providing the Fleet with the latest advances in GPS Tracking Technology. This paper will discuss how this is currently being accomplished in the development of a conformal wraparound instrumentation antenna for a five-inch diameter Missile Telemetry (TM) Section.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 29-November 02, 1990 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / TASC is currently developing for the GPS Range Applications Joint Program Office (RAJPO) the mission planner which will be used by test ranges procuring RAJPOdeveloped GPS test range instrumentation. Test Range User Mission Planner (TRUMP) is a user-friendly, PC-resident tool which aids in deploying and utilizing GPS-based test range assets. In addition to providing satellite/jammer visibility (for a Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED) range map) and dilution-of-precision (DOP) information, TRUMP features: C Time history plots of time-space-position information (TSPI) C Performance based on a dynamic GPS/inertial system simulation C Time history plots of TSPI data link connectivity C DTED maps with user-defined cultural features C Two-dimensional coverage plots of ground-based test range assets. This paper will discuss TRUMP’s role on the test ranges and its current features. In addition, the functionality to be added during the next development phase will be presented.