Some information on GPS and electric utilities. Does anyone in the industry know if GPS receivers are being checked?

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There is quite a bit of concern being expressed by various groups over the Global Positioning Satellite rollover in August of 1999. The U.S. Navy has said it is the responsibility of users to ensure any GPS receivers can handle the transition:

"Once the rollover has occured, it is the responsibility of the user (i.e., user equipment or software) to account for the previous 1024 weeks.

Depending upon the manufacturer of your GPS receiver, you may or may not be affected by the GPS Week Number Rollover on 22 August 1999. Some receivers may display inaccurate date information, some may also calculate incorrect navigation solutions.

Contact the manufacturer of your GPS receiver to determine if you will be affected by the GPS week number rollover. "

The heaviest users of GPS receiver systems are in the shipping, transportation (railroads, trucking, bus transit) and emergency services sectors (911 and police). Electric utilities also use GPS synchronized clocks. This is from the True Time vendor site at: http://www.truetime.com

"TrueTime specially configured GPS and GOES synchronized clocks are designed to meet the particular meeds of power utilities. These include frequency and time measurements as well as precise time and frequency outputs to SER's, fault locators, and phase angle systems."

This vendor has also supplied the Bonneville Power Administration with a Central Timing System for Bonneville's operation center. You can find details of this under the Reference Material section at TrueTime's site, but an Adobe Acrobat reader is necessary for access. Here is part of the description concerning the BPA's operation center:

"The operation center controls the entire Northwestern United States' power transmission grid. One of the BPA's primary missions is to ensure the region does not have power blackouts. The Central Timing System is an essential piece of the system that maintains synchronized power in the region and aids in the prevention of blackouts. In addition, the Central Timing System provides ultra-precise time and frequency information to equipment and labs throughout the center."

The TrueTime site also has a Year 2000/GPS week rollover section, and a chart of products identified as needing upgrades or fixes. Now, it's to be assumed that utilities and transmission centers are on top of checking their GPS products out to make sure they are both Year 2000 compliant and able to handle the GPS rollover. However, it would help ease concerns if someone in the industry *knows* that this has been/is being done and could post that information here. That would go a long way towards calming public fears in this regard. Anyone know their utility IS addressing the GPS receiver situation?

-- Anonymous, December 16, 1998

Answers

Bonnie,

The True Time software upgrade is definitely on Sacramento Municipal's inventory list.

Actually, I am kind of confused over the whole GPS issue. I was under the impression that 1)most everyone in the electric utility world knows about the roll over AND 2)the GPS receiver manufacturers have software upgrades available. Am I wrong?

-- Anonymous, December 16, 1998


Mark, most, but not all, of the GPS receiver/systems vendor sites that I visited had upgrades or help available to their customers. From what I understand, the GPS problem is a situation similar to the Year 2000 dating problem, in that there are fixes to be made which will turn the problem into a non-issue. The only question then becomes, "Are businesses aware and budgeting to take advantage of these upgrades?"

As to whether your impression that most everyone in the utility world knows about this, I can't say whether you're right or wrong. That's one of the reasons I posted the GPS info and question in the first place. I would hope your impression is absolutely right, but your statement that an upgrade was on the list for Sacramento Municipal is the first time I've seen anything which referred to actual GPS fixes being addressed by a specific business (other than the U.S. Navy). Maybe there's no mention of fixes because it's already a non-issue for businesses. That would be great! Then again, with the Year 2000 problem having taken such a long time for awareness to spread, I hate to assume that GPS awareness has reached everywhere without seeing at least some references to the fixes being done. Thanks so much for posting that Sacramento is on top of the situation! I really appreciate it, and I'd love to hear from others who know the GPS upgrades are taken care of. Good news is always welcome!

-- Anonymous, December 16, 1998


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