Rokubun’s new Galileo OSNMA Embedded Library delivers navigation message authentication

Rokubun’s new Galileo OSNMA Embedded Library delivers navigation message authentication

“Are you looking for robust authenticated navigation information for your application? Do you trust the navigation information provided by the GNSS receiver in your solution? Do you trust it enough to use the data for billing in demand-responsive transport or surveillance applications? If you want to have the benefit of extra trust in the authenticity of the navigation data in your application, then look no further than the Rokubun Galileo OSNMA Library for embedded solutions,” says Rokubun CEO and co-founder Xavier Banqué Casanovas. 

Rokubun is a Spanish company specialising in accurate and scalable navigation solutions based on GNSS. 

According to a company news release, the Library is the ultimate solution for decoding and processing Galileo OSNMA for embedded platforms. “Adding our Library to your embedded project seamlessly enables the use of Galileo OSNMA service for authenticated navigation message,” adds Banqué.

The solution is part of the legacy of the EU-funded and EUSPA-supported Horizon Europe BANSHEE project. That project, of which Rokubun served as the coordinating partner, developed a hybrid technology that combines Wi-Fi ranging and satellite navigation (including the Galileo OSNMA) to allow for accurate and seamless indoor-outdoor navigation. 

The upcoming Galileo OSNMA is set to provide authenticated navigation data message against data-level spoofing attacks 

By delivering data authentication, the free-to-use Galileo OSNMA assures users that the received Galileo navigation message comes from the system itself and has not been modified by, for example, a spoofing attack. “In safety and security-focused sectors like drone traffic management, on-demand public transport or cadastral surveying, amongst others, the risk of spoofing poses significant threats with possible legal and economic implications,” says Banqué.

To address this risk, Rokubun’s ready-to-use library enables the Galileo OSNMA in embedded GNSS solutions. 

The cross-platform, small-footprint library has undergone extensive testing using official EUSPA test vectors, and all OSNMA algorithms have been validated in real conditions at the European Commission’s Galileo testing facilities located at the Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy.

“We have managed to develop and validate a Galileo OSNMA client for tiny embedded microcontrollers,”Banqué told Inside GNSS. “This opens the door to millions of devices with a GNSS chip and general purpose MCU to use the Galileo OSNMA to verify the authenticity of GNSS information used for navigation.”

Ready to power your navigation solutions 

The Library is organised to be as portable as possible, requiring only a working Assembler and C compiler that supports ISO C99. “This clean interface design ensures easy and fast integration,” says Banqué. 

In most GNSS solutions, both commercial-grade receivers along with survey grade receivers, output the ‘raw’ navigation message bits using proprietary messages/protocols. Alternatively, if the receiver supports it, the non-standard RTCM3 4075 (navigation data frame) message can be used to obtain these ‘raw’ navigation bits.

“To decode the OSNMA information contained in the navigation message, the user only needs to enable the corresponding message in their receiver and forward the payload of the message with minimal to no modifications to your embedded project,” notes Banqué.

To ensure optimal performance and validate user-specific enhancements, such as the utilisation of cryptographic accelerators or other System-on-Chip/Microcontroler specific resources, Rokubun has implemented a state-of-the-art hardware-in-the-loop continuous integration/deployment setup. This setup continuously tests the library against several reference MCU targets, assessing its performance and guaranteeing its reliability.

The Library is also designed to fit every build system, meaning it can be easily added to any project in a matter of minutes. “We have successfully built and packaged the Rokubun Galileo OSNMA Library and seamlessly integrated it into various embedded projects,” concludes Banqué. “It is now ready to empower your navigation solutions with enhanced authentication.”

The Galileo Open Service Navigation Message Authentication will soon become operational; for more information about OSNMA go to https://www.gsc-europa.eu/galileo/services/galileo-open-service-navigation-message-authentication-osnma

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