GPS week counter reset

What will happen?

On April 6, 2019, the second GPS week rollover counter will be reset to zero, the first was August 21, 1999. This means that in the navigation data frame transmitted by GPS satellites, week number 10 will be displayed after week number 1023, since in the structure The navigation message is assigned a 10-bit value under the GPS week number (if we take into account that about 52 weeks per year, then 1024 weeks is a little less than 20 years).

How will this affect consumers?

The receivers in the software of which this event is provided will continue to correctly decode the current GPS week number from the navigation frame and for the consumer the week number will continue to increase, that is, a zero value will automatically be interpreted as 2048, 1 as 2049, and so on. But if the receiver is not prepared for this, then it will return to the past (in 1999 or even in 1980).

What can / should be done?

Check that the current firmware version is installed in your navigation receivers, as mostly manufacturers are aware of this situation and adjust the software so that consumers have no problems.

Contact the manufacturer of the receivers or software on which the data falling into the consumer depends.

It also makes sense to add a crutch on the consumer side - for example, add a check:

if ( week < 1023 ) week += 2048;