Crystal Oscillators in OSNMA-Enabled Receivers: An Implementation View for Automotive Applications

TL;DR

This paper investigates the causes of frequency accuracy loss in real-time clocks used in OSNMA-enabled automotive receivers, models the error contributions, and bounds the maximum clock error over two years for practical applications.

Contribution

It develops a comprehensive model based on RTC datasheets to predict and bound clock errors due to temperature, aging, and calibration offsets in automotive navigation systems.

Findings

Model accurately bounds RTC errors over two years

Temperature and aging significantly impact clock accuracy

Different RTCs exhibit varying error behaviors

Abstract

To ensure the authenticity of navigation data, Galileo Open Service navigation message authentication (OSNMA) requires loose synchronization between the receiver clock and the system time. This means that during the period between clock calibrations, the receiver clock error needs to be smaller than a pre-defined threshold, currently up to 165s for OSNMA. On the other hand, relying on the PVT solution to steer the receiver clock or correct its bias may not be possible since this would depend on the very same signals we intend to authenticate. This work aims to investigate the causes of the frequency accuracy loss leading to clock errors and to build a model that, from the datasheet of a real-time clock (RTC) device, allows to bound the error clock during a certain period. The model's main contributors are temperature changes, long-term aging, and offset at calibration, but it includes other factors. We then apply the model to several RTCs from different manufacturers and bound the maximum error for certain periods, with a focus on the two-year between-calibration period expected for the smart tachograph, an automotive application that will integrate OSNMA.