Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Nickbat on 06 March 2011, 23:59:35

Title: GPS
Post by: Nickbat on 06 March 2011, 23:59:35

Amazing article. It certainly opened my eyes to our reliance on this technology.  :o :o

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20202-gps-fail-how-a-little-black-box-could-cause-chaos.html?page=1

Title: Re: GPS
Post by: Kevin Wood on 07 March 2011, 10:12:00

A good sprinkling of "dangle berries" has been added to that article for journalistic impact, IMHO.

He makes a good point, though. GPS provides a nice, free method for time synchronisation and location, but you get what you pay for, and anyone incorporating it into a mission critical system would be an idiot not to implement a strategy to detect and handle its' failure. It's easy to jam and spoof, for a start. I have worked with devices that can generate a convincing GPS signal myself.

You will find such a strategy in any aeronautical, marine or telecomms application so I can't see many things "going haywire". "Operating slightly sub-optimally" would be a better phrase, IMHO.

As for it landing aircraft.. Not a chance!

Kevin

Title: Re: GPS
Post by: Banjax on 07 March 2011, 10:19:56

i had no idea the signal was so easily fooled, then again my tomtom quite often says "are you in a building?" when i'm sitting at 70 on the m90  ;D