SatGen Real-Time+ | HIL GNSS Simulation Software | LabSat

Your NMEA source. Live GNSS RF. In the lab.

When your system depends on accurate position and time, you need to test it against signals that respond to real motion. SatGen Real-Time+ generates live GNSS RF from your NMEA data source and delivers it directly into your Hardware-in-the-Loop test environment.

How SatGen Real-Time+ works

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Why Use SatGen Real-Time+?

Many R&D and validation programmes reach a point where pre-recorded or scenario-based testing is no longer enough. The system under development needs to see GNSS signals that respond to what it is actually doing, right now, in the test rig.

SatGen Real-Time+ sits inside your test environment. It receives a continuous NMEA position stream from your chosen source, generates the corresponding GNSS RF signals in real time, and delivers them via LabSat 4 to your system under test. The result is a controlled, repeatable, lab-based test environment with the positional fidelity of real-world motion.

SatGen Real-Time+ enables engineers to:

Live position fidelity

Test systems that depend on live position and time data against signals that reflect actual motion.

Repeatable lab conditions

Validate system behaviour under controlled, repeatable conditions without leaving the lab

Drop-in HIL integration

Integrate live GNSS RF simulation into existing HIL rigs without rewiring or replacing equipment

Mid-test signal control

Adjust signal conditions mid-test, including attenuation, satellite selection, and constellation mix

SatGen Real-Time+ is used by R&D engineers, ADAS and autonomy teams, systems integration engineers, and test and validation specialists working on vehicles, UAVs, agricultural machinery, robotics, and any platform where position and time accuracy must be proven before field deployment.

What Does Real-Time HIL Testing Solve?

Scenario-based simulation is well suited to testing receiver behaviour and navigation logic. But when the system under test needs to respond dynamically to motion, standard replay has limits. Real-time HIL testing addresses the gaps.

Dynamic response testing

Pre-recorded scenarios cannot respond to what the system is doing in real time.
A rolling road, flight simulation, or motion platform demands signals that track actual movement as it happens.

Lab vs. field mismatch

Systems validated on static or pre-scripted GNSS data may behave differently when exposed to live, dynamic signals.
SatGen Real-Time+ closes that gap before field trials begin.

Costly and unrepeatable field testing

Field tests are expensive, weather-dependent, and difficult to replicate exactly.
SatGen Real-Time+ enables the same test to be run repeatedly under identical conditions, in the lab.

Integration with existing HIL rigs

GNSS simulation is often the missing element in an otherwise complete HIL environment.
SatGen Real-Time+ connects to your existing rig via RS232 or Ethernet without disrupting the rest of the setup.

How SatGen Real-Time+ Works

SatGen Real-Time+ is designed to fit into your test environment with minimal configuration. Once connected, the system runs continuously for as long as your NMEA source is streaming.

Connect your NMEA source

Connect your NMEA data source to SatGen via RS232 or Ethernet, using one of four supported connection topologies. SatGen accepts GGA and RMC sentences from HIL simulators, rolling road controllers, motion platforms, navigation systems, and other standard NMEA sources at input rates from 5 to 100 Hz.

Configure your signals

Select the GNSS constellations and frequency bands relevant to your system under test. SatGen Real-Time+ supports the full wideband signal set including GPS L1 to L5, Galileo E1 to E6, GLONASS, BeiDou, NavIC, and SBAS. Choose the signals your system actually uses.

Run the simulation

Click Simulate. SatGen processes each incoming NMEA position update in real time and streams the corresponding GNSS RF signals to your LabSat 4 unit, which outputs them via its RF-Out port to your system under test. The live trajectory is tracked on-screen as it evolves.

Adjust conditions live

During simulation, signal strength can be adjusted per channel or per individual satellite without stopping the test. Entire constellations can be enabled or disabled on the fly. Use this to simulate degraded signal environments, partial outages, or antenna-level variation while your system is running.

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SatGen Real-Time+ at a Glance

HIL-ready

Designed for Hardware-in-the-Loop environments. Connects to your test rig, not around it.

Multi-constellation

Full wideband signal support across GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou, NavIC, and SBAS.

Flexible connectivity

RS232 and Ethernet input. Four supported connection topologies to match your existing setup.

Live signal control

Adjust attenuation and satellite visibility per channel during a running simulation.

No new hardware

SatGen Real-Time+ is an add-on licence for SatGen Wideband. Works with LabSat 4, LabSat 4 Core, and LabSat 4 Lite.

Lab-based confidence

Controlled, repeatable test conditions that reflect real-world motion without field testing.

Product Specifications

Compatible Hardware	LabSat 4, LabSat 4 Core, LabSat 4 Lite
Software Platform	SatGen Wideband (SatGen Real Time+ is an add-on licence)
Input Data Format	NMEA: GGA / RMC
Input Interfaces	Ethernet, RS232
Input Rate	5-100 Hz
Recommended CPU	AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D or Intel Core i9-14900K
Minimum CPU	Intel Core i5-12600
RAM	16 GB minimum, 32 GB recommended
Operating System	Windows 10/11 64-bit

Supported GNSS Signals

Constellation	Signals
GPS	L1 C/A, L1P, L1M, L1C, L2C, L2P, L2M, L5
Galileo	E1BC, E5a, E5b, E6
GLONASS	L1OF, L2OF
BeiDou	B1I, B2I, B3I, B1C, B2a, B2b, B2b-PPP
NavIC	L5-SPS, S-SPS
SBAS	L1

*Noise only

Frequently Asked Questions

If your question is not answered below, contact us and one of our engineers will be happy to help.

What is the difference between SatGen Real-Time and SatGen Real-Time+?

SatGen Real-Time generates live GNSS RF signals from a pre-created scenario with a current timestamp. SatGen Real-Time+ goes further: it takes a continuous live NMEA stream from an external source, such as a HIL simulator or rolling road controller, and generates GNSS RF signals that track that live input in real time. SatGen Real-Time+ is designed for closed-loop Hardware-in-the-Loop testing where the position input is dynamic and externally driven.

What NMEA sources does SatGen Real-Time+ accept?

SatGen Real-Time+ accepts standard NMEA GGA and RMC sentences from any source capable of streaming them, including HIL simulators, rolling road and dynamometer controllers, motion platforms, navigation algorithm outputs, and GPS/GNSS receivers. Input rates from 5 to 100 Hz are supported. The source connects to the system via RS232 or Ethernet.

Do I need to replace my existing HIL hardware to use SatGen Real-Time+?

No. SatGen Real-Time+ is a software add-on licence for SatGen Wideband. It works with your existing LabSat 4, LabSat 4 Core, or LabSat 4 Lite hardware and connects to your NMEA source via RS232 or Ethernet using one of four supported connection topologies. If you already own SatGen Wideband, the upgrade path is a licence addition.

Which industries and applications is SatGen Real-Time+ suited to?

SatGen Real-Time+ is used across automotive ADAS and autonomous vehicle development, truck and commercial vehicle testing, UAV and drone navigation, smart agriculture and precision farming, robotics, and marine navigation. It is well suited to any R&D or validation programme where the system under test depends on accurate position and time, and where field testing is costly, impractical, or insufficiently repeatable.

Can I adjust GNSS signal conditions during a live SatGen Real-Time+ simulation?

Yes. Signal attenuation can be adjusted per channel or per individual satellite while the simulation is running. Entire constellations can be enabled or disabled live. This allows engineers to simulate degraded signal conditions, partial sky visibility, or interference scenarios without stopping and restarting the test

Talk to us about your HIL testing requirements