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RACELOGIC Support Centre

01 - LabSat3W Introduction

LabSat 3 Wideband is an RF signal record and replay system with 3 independently tuneable wideband channels. This allows capture and replay of most GNSS signals and even a few non-GNSS signals. The three RF channels all share a common sample rate which can be adjusted from 10 - 60 MHz.
 

Quantisation of I and Q signals is selectable from 1, 2 or 3 bits per signal. Depending on the combination of channel bandwidth and quantisation, LabSat 3 Wideband will adjust the number of available RF channels to keep the record data bandwidth within a rate that ensures continuous file transfer.
 

Because wideband recording allows capture of multiple GNSS frequencies within each RF channel, the procedure for configuring LabSat 3 Wideband involves selecting the frequency bands most suitable for capture of the required GNSS signals. LabSat helps by displaying only the frequencies for GNSS bands appropriate for the selected bandwidth.
 

Despite its simplicity, LabSat 3 Wideband supports a number of powerful features for use in industries such as automotive, sports and aerospace including three RF channels for multiple constellation testing, dual CAN Bus recording, inertial sensor logging and battery powered operation.
 

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Additional features:-

  • Available for all global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). i.e GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou & Galileo.
  • Additional systems include QZSS, IRNSS, SBAS and Commercial differential services.
  • Simple to use one touch recording.
  • Record or replay using internal SSD.
  • RS232, Digital & Dual CAN interface.
  • Remote control over Ethernet.
  • External 10 MHz Reference input.
  • Selectable TCXO/OCXO.
  • OEM version available for system integrators
  • Digital input for event marking or 1PPS recording.
  • Adjustable attenuation (+20 to -69 dB).
  • On-board GNSS receiver for monitoring RF during record and replay (L1 only).

 

Product description:-

Version Description
RLLS03W-RP Three channel record & replay system with CAN Bus / RS232 / Digital IO
RLLS03W-P Three channel replay only system with CAN Bus / RS232 / Digital IO

 

How does it work?

GNSS stands for Global Navigation Satellite Systems and is a general term that covers satellite positioning constellations belonging to different countries around the world. These include, among others, the United States ‘GPS’, the Russian ‘GLONASS’ and the Chinese ‘BeiDou’ systems. LabSat 3 Wideband is capable of recording and replaying the raw radio signals that are transmitted by the various constellations of satellites. LabSat receives the signal from an antenna just like a standard GNSS receiver but instead of processing each of the received signals to calculate a position fix, LabSat 3 Wideband samples and stores the antenna signal at very high speed.
 

When recorded RF signal is replayed by LabSat 3 Wideband into a standard GNSS receiver, such as a portable navigation system, the receiver will accept the signal as live, including all the velocity, delays and multipath effects.
 

This makes LabSat 3 Wideband invaluable for recording dynamic scenarios such as driving through a city in a vehicle. The benefits of using a recorded test signal are consistency and reliability. For example, if testing of a product involves going for a drive each time the receiver firmware is updated, the satellite positions and atmospheric conditions will all be different for every drive. If the drive is recorded once with LabSat 3 Wideband, the recorded signal can be replayed over and over on the bench saving hours of drive time and with the knowledge that conditions will be the same for each reply.

Registration

Racelogic recommend that all LabSat devices are registered immediately on receipt. Please go to www.labsat.co.uk/register and fill in all the details requested. If you register your LabSat within its first year warranty, you will automatically receive an additional year's warranty.

 

Registering your LabSat will enable you to easily communicate with our support team. Any firmware / software updates will be available on the LabSat website. Updates are more robust and easier to use, and later firmware releases offer bug fixes as well as added features and improvements to the original specification of the product. Your details will be available to our Support Team, in case you need any assistance in the future.

Replay Example

Example of Replay using the internal SSD with preloaded scenario.
 

Briefly press the power button to power up LabSat 3 Wideband. Connect from the RF output on the rear of LabSat 3 Wideband to your GPS system antenna input. Use the 'UP/DOWN' arrows to select a file. Press the 'PLAY' button to start replay. 
 

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LabSat 3 Wideband contains an on board GNSS receiver that allows monitoring of the RF signals during record or replay. To show a live histogram of satellite signal levels detected by the on board receiver, press the 'OK' button during replay. Press the 'OK' button again to return to the replay status display. During replay, pressing the 'PLAY' button will halt replay and return to the file list.
 

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Record Example

Example of Recording your own file to the internal SSD card.
 

To record a new file, connect the LabSat 3 Wideband antenna to the RF input on the rear of the LabSat. Ensure that the antenna has a clear view of the sky, press the 'REC' button to start recording. Press the 'REC' button again to stop recording. While recording, if the SSD becomes full, recording will stop automatically. During recording, pressing the 'OK' button will switch the display to show a live histogram view of the satellite levels being received by the on-board GNSS monitor. Pressing the 'OK' button again will return to the record status display.
 

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During recording, while using battery power, the GNSS monitor display will automatically revert to the record display after a short period to conserve battery power. This power save feature can be switched off but it is recommended to be left active for maximum battery life.

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