SBAS Knowledge Base

Source - EASA ETSO-C145e and ETSO-C146e

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Source - EASA ETSO-C145e and ETSO-C146e

Scope of this note

This note is the knowledge base’s current EASA source-family anchor for ETSO-C145e and ETSO-C146e A1, the European Technical Standard Order layer associated with GPS/SBAS airborne navigation equipment.

Public EASA PDFs were retrieved and text-extracted in this cycle. This note records source-family identity, applicability boundaries, and downstream editorial rules. It is not a substitute for the official EASA CS-ETSO text, a Declaration of Design and Performance, aircraft certification basis, installation approval, operational approval, or avionics manual.

Public identity and document signals reviewed

FieldETSO-C145e public signalETSO-C146e A1 public signal
Issuing authorityEASAEASA
Decision / amendment signalED Decision 2018/002/R; CS-ETSO Amendment 13ED Decision 2020/011/R; CS-ETSO Amendment 16
Applicability date signal21 February 2018Applicable from 25 July 2020
Public subject signalAirborne navigation sensors using GPS augmented by SBASStand-alone airborne navigation equipment using GPS augmented by SBAS
DO-229 relationshipRTCA DO-229E Section 2 as modified by ETSO appendicesRTCA DO-229E Section 2 as amended by ETSO appendices
Equipment class signalFunctional equipment Class BetaFunctional equipment Class Gamma or Delta; A1 adds an option involving an ETSO-2C205a Class Delta CCA functional sensor
Integration boundaryDoes not address integration issues with other avionicsExcept for ADS with Class Gamma, integration with other avionics is not addressed; aircraft-level requirements may differ

ETSO-C145e extracted scope signal

The public ETSO-C145e text applies to airborne navigation sensors using GPS augmented by SBAS that provide position, velocity, and time information to navigation-management units or non-navigation applications. It points to DO-229E Section 2 for Class Beta equipment, as modified by ETSO appendices.

For this knowledge base, ETSO-C145e should be routed as:

European article-approval source family for GPS/SBAS navigation sensors,
not a complete aircraft installation or operational-use approval.

ETSO-C146e A1 extracted scope signal

The public ETSO-C146e A1 text applies to stand-alone airborne navigation equipment using GPS augmented by SBAS. It identifies DO-229E Section 2 as the MPS basis for functional equipment Class Gamma or Delta, as amended by ETSO appendices. The A1 material introduces an option for using an ETSO-2C205a Class Delta circuit-card-assembly functional sensor, while stating there is no technical MOPS change compared with ETSO-C146e.

For this knowledge base, ETSO-C146e should be routed as:

European article-approval source family for stand-alone GPS/SBAS navigation equipment,
not a blanket approval for an aircraft, operator, procedure, runway, or region.

Approval and integration boundaries

The extracted EASA material contains several boundary signals that should be preserved in downstream writing:

  • ETSO-C145e and ETSO-C146e depend on RTCA DO-229E, but with EASA appendices/modifications.
  • Equipment can have antenna-related limitations that must appear in the installation manual when applicable.
  • GEO satellite bias data must be available for EASA review under the extracted provisions.
  • Failure-condition classifications are minimum equipment-level classifications; aircraft-level certification specifications may require different classifications.
  • Integration with other avionics is explicitly outside or limited in the extracted scope.
  • A Class Delta CCA option in ETSO-C146e A1 does not make the end-use manufacturer responsibility disappear.

Relationship to DO-229 and FAA TSOs

Source - RTCA DO-229 is the equipment MOPS source-family anchor. This EASA ETSO note is the European article-approval layer that references DO-229E and adds EASA-specific modifications and approval context.

Source - FAA TSO-C145e and TSO-C146e is the U.S. regulator/article-approval counterpart. The FAA and EASA paths should be compared cautiously. Similar titles and common DO-229 references do not by themselves prove identical approval conditions, identical appendices, identical deviations, or mutual operational approval.

What this source can currently anchor

This note can support these statements:

  • EASA ETSO-C145e is an approval-layer source for GPS/SBAS airborne navigation sensors.
  • EASA ETSO-C146e A1 is an approval-layer source for stand-alone GPS/SBAS airborne navigation equipment.
  • Both source families visibly rely on RTCA DO-229E Section 2, modified or amended by EASA ETSO appendices.
  • ETSO-C145e is associated with Class Beta equipment in the extracted public text.
  • ETSO-C146e A1 is associated with Class Gamma or Delta equipment in the extracted public text.
  • EASA material preserves installation/manual, antenna, GEO-bias, failure-classification, and aircraft-integration boundaries that prevent overclaiming.

What this source must not be used for alone

Do not use this note alone to publish or validate:

  • a claim that a specific aircraft installation is approved;
  • a claim that a specific operator, crew, procedure, route, runway, or region is operationally approved;
  • LPV minima, LPV availability, or charting status;
  • complete equipment-class definitions or all DO-229 requirements;
  • test tolerances, algorithms, receiver annunciation behavior, or protection-level formulas;
  • FAA equivalence, bilateral validation, or export/import approval conclusions;
  • DFMC or multi-constellation requirements not explicitly supported by the applicable official source.

Downstream documentation rules

When editing downstream pages:

  1. Use ETSO-C145e for European GPS/SBAS navigation-sensor article-approval routing.
  2. Use ETSO-C146e for European stand-alone GPS/SBAS navigation-equipment article-approval routing.
  3. Pair either ETSO with Source - RTCA DO-229 for MOPS context.
  4. Pair ETSO material with aircraft-level certification, installation, avionics, operator, and AIP/procedure sources before any operational claim.
  5. Preserve the difference between equipment-level failure classification and aircraft-level safety assessment.
  6. Preserve the difference between article approval and installation/integration approval.

Extraction template for a future EASA cycle

Sections to map with official section references

  • applicability and subject;
  • minimum performance standard paragraph;
  • functional and operational equipment-class language;
  • appendices modifying DO-229E;
  • cybersecurity/spoofing and data-validity language;
  • antenna limitation and installation-manual provisions;
  • GEO satellite-bias data requirement;
  • failure-condition classification;
  • marking and DDP requirements;
  • ETSO-2C205a Class Delta CCA integration option under ETSO-C146e A1;
  • availability of referenced documents.

Downstream pages to revisit after extraction

Public sources reviewed

  • EASA ETSO-C145e public PDF: https://www.easa.europa.eu/download/etso/ETSO-C145e_CS-ETSO_13.pdf
  • EASA ETSO-C146e A1 public PDF: https://www.easa.europa.eu/download/etso/ETSO-C146e_A1.pdf
  • EASA list of current and historic ETSOs: https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/domains/aircraft-products/etso/list-of-all-etso
  • EASA NPA 2017-08 public PDF, used as harmonisation/context signal only: https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/dfu/NPA%202017-08.pdf

See also

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