GPS Inside - September 2002

September 1, 2002 GPS World

GPS-Guided Projectile Soars Over White Sands

The first test firing of a precision guided projectile on June 25, 2002, performed better than the U.S. Navy’s tactical accuracy requirements of 20 meters CEP, hitting a designated target aim point 5,000 feet above ground, as tracked by range radar.

The Extended Range Guided Munition (ERGM) missile carried a GPS receiver manufactured by L3 Communications’ Interstate Electronics Corpora-tion, based on the company’s 12-channel SAASM TruTrack receiver. An industry team led by Raytheon Missile Systems of Tucson, Arizona, assembled the project for the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgreen Division, and conducted the guided flight at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

An Mk45 Mod 4 gun system launched the missile with an 18-megajoule propellant charge, a force equivalent to a 40-ton hammer speeding at 70 miles per hour, that accelerated the round almost immediately to 1,875 miles per hour. It flew 39 nautical miles in less than four minutes, successfully executing navigation and guidance after GPS signal acquisition. Had it not been for range safety constraints, the missile reportedly could have flown more than 50 miles under guidance.

The test completes subsystem and system-level design validation of the ERGM guidance, control, and propulsion systems. Final validation tests will take place in 2003, with a new warhead.

SAASM Approval. In other Interstate Electronic news, the GPS Joint Program Office (JPO) issued final security approval of IEC’s Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM)- based receivers. The X-Factor SAASM and TruTrak Projectiles, ERGM and XM982 receivers successfully completed security review, making IEC the first SAASM manufacturer to demonstrate compliance with all new features inherent in the SAASM design.

The JPO controls development, production, sale, and distribution of GPS security devices under Department of Defense regulations. For more information on program requirements, benefits, and capabilities for military and civil users, see “SAASM and Direct P(Y) Signal Acquisition” in GPS World, July 2002.

NovAtel Reports Quarterly Profit, OmniSTAR Unit

NovAtel Inc. has reported second-quarter revenues of CDN $8 million (US $5.1) and net income of CDN $295,000 (US $187,000) for the second quarter 2002 ended on June 29, compared to a net loss of CDN $439,000 in the year-earlier period.

The Calgary, Alberta, Canada-based company also has introduced the ProPak-LB, an OEM GPS engine that provides access to OmniSTAR’s new HP (High Performance) subscription differential GPS (DGPS) service. NovAtel also has received a new contract from Raytheon for development and qualification of a new GPS reference receiver for the Federal Aviation Admini-stration’s Local Area Augmenta-tion System (LAAS).

The second-quarter figure represents the company’s second-largest revenue period ever and marks NovAtel’s fourth consecutive profitable quarter. Aerospace/Defense Markets. Jon Ladd, appointed president and CEO of the company earlier this year, singled out the company’s aerospace and defense segment with revenue more than $1 million higher than the same period in 2001. Leading this segment were engineering service contracts for the U.S. GPS wide and local area augmentation systems (WAAS and LAAS) and equipment sales to WAAS counterpart programs in Japan and Europe.

The company is predicting a $500,000 net income for the full 2002 year, although Ladd predicted a “challenging” third quarter “due to a shift in customer orders in the latter part of the year.” Raytheon Navigation Landing Systems awarded the new LAAS receiver contract to NovAtel as part of a program continuing through fall 2002. the program targets initial software and hardware qualification of the LGF4 receiver, engineered specifically for Raytheon’s LAAS Ground Facility (LGF) equipment. The two companies have worked together for 12 months to date on the LGF, and NovAtel delivered engineering models in June.

The LGFR modifies NovAtel’s OEM4 Euro GPS receiver to include an L1/L1 RF front end, GPS satellite quality monitoring, and tracking for up to 19 GPS and four geostationary satellites. Later program phases will qualify software to RTCA Do-178B level b and hardware to RTCA DO-254.

Satellite-Based DGPS. The ProPak-LB (for L-band), incorporating Nov-Atel’s OEM4 GPSCard coupled with the GPS-600-LB antenna, is designed for system developers and integrators to offer products that reportedly provide decimeter-level accuracy autonomously with an OmniSTAR-HP subscription from Houston, Texas-based OmniSTAR, owned by the Dutch company Fugro.

Using a system of ground-based GPS reference stations and a geostationary satellite uplink, OmniSTAR provides differential GPS corrections to subscribers. NovAtel’s GPS-600-LB antenna operates on the GPS L1, L2,and OmniSTAR’s L-band (1520–1565 MHz) frequencies. The unit is targeted toward markets such as geographic information systems (GIS) data collection, precision agriculture, and machine control systems.

LBS Company Streamlines Data

Telmap, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based company, has launched a platform enabling management and transfer of geographic information systems (GIS) and GPS data, traffic updates and other dynamic input data over any type of bandwidth communication lines. Telmap technology presents maps on mobile and in-car devices while minimizing data transfer to end-user devices.

The company’s mobile navigation system can receive and process data from multiple sources and merge them into a unified, multi-layer map for display and smart-routing functionality. Specializing in off-board applications that receive data through the cellular network, Telmap enables transmission of continual real-time geo-data updates, such as traffic conditions, without slowing down the end-device with megabytes of data — overcoming a key obstacle in mobile use of GIS and GPS data.

The Telmap web platform provides access to its telematics application and enables real-time tracking from around the world. The company targets applications in fleet and task management, stolen vehicle recovery, and public safety targeting of distress calls.

Canadian Firm Offers GPS RFIC

SiGe Semiconductor, an Ottawa, Canada–based, fabless IC manufacturer specializing in silicon/germanium technology, has entered the GPS market with its PointCharger SE4100 device. Designed for integration into automotive systems and portable devices (specifically for covert and always-on applications), the SE4100 combines an intermediate frequency filter, voltage controlled oscillator, low noise amplifier, and tank circuitry into a 4-square-millimeter, 24-pin package with less than 10mA power consumption from a 2.7V supply, according to the company.

The PowerPoint may be combined with a variety of GPS base- band circuits, although STMicroelectronics ST20-GP7 IC is used in SiGe’s reference design. According to company president and CEO Jim Derbyshire, SiGe Semi-conductor is “aggressively partnering” with baseband and software providers to provide seamless interfaces and easy implementation.

SiGe Semiconductor will introduce the SE4100 at the Institute of Navigation ION GPS-2002 conference in Portland, Oregon, later this month. Unit pricing is $3.50 in 10K quantities. For more information, contact SiGE Semiconductor, Inc., 2680 Queensview Drive, Ottawa, Ontario Canada K2B 8J9; 613-820-9244; fax, 613-820-4933; e-mail, info@sige.com.

Trimble Mobile with ESRI ArcPad

A partnership between California firms Trimble of Sunnyvale and ESRI of Redlands, announced earlier this year, culminated in the debut of the GeoExplorer CE product family of GPS handhelds at the ESRI User Conference in July.

Designed for collecting, maintaining, and using GIS data in the field, the handheld device with Windows CE operating system and an integrated GPS receiver can run such GIS field software as Trimble’s TerraSync or ESRI’s ArcPad, or purpose-built field software. It can receive differential corrections in real time or postprocess data from TerraSync or Trimble’s GPS-correct. Users can connect the device to a desktop computer for data transfer or to a cellphone for wireless access to Web map servers and the Internet.

GeoExplorer targets applications beyond current uses in data collection and maintenance, such as enterprise workflow including building inspections. ESRI will sell the device as a mobile GIS platform bundled with ARCPad, while Trimble will also supply base stations for large sales. Trimble has engineered Bluetooth shortrange wireless communication technology into the GeoExplorer so that it can be customized for special uses.

ERI Anti-Jam Used by Lockheed

Electro-Radiation Inc. of Fairfield, New Jersey, has received a contract from Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems Rapid Response Communications Electronics Command (CECOM) program to integrate its GPS antijam technology for precision-guided munitions. The U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) Armament, Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, provided the initial funding.

ERI will interface its GPS antijam technology with the Deeply Integrated Guidance and Navigation Unit (DI-GNU) under development by TACOM-ARDEC. It combines a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) inertial unit with GPS in a single package. ERI is a developer of active radio

frequency interference (RFI) mitigation and jamming products, with programs including sensor data fusion, radar target simulation and other defence and commercial navigation technology

Raven Tied to Beeline, Farm Works

Raven Industries, Inc. of Sioux Falls, South Dakota has allied with Farm Works Software, a division of CTN Data, and Beeline Technologies, Inc., a provider of GPS and inertial navigation steering-assist systems for the agricultural market.

With Farm Works, Raven will market a new GuideMate product, combining Raven’s GPS-based guidance system with Farm Works mapping software to run on a personal digital assistant (PDA) such as the Compaq iPAQ, providing guidance, data logging, and a coverage map for instant feedback on application performance in the field. Earlier this year, Raven acquired GPS specialist Starlink, which designed custom receiver engines using a GEC Plessey chipset.

Raven and Beeline will introduce a farm-vehicle steering system combining Beeline software and Raven’s Viper user-interface system. The new product, called Trueline, provides steering assistance together with precision chemical-application control .

Cobra Embeds Rand McNally

Mobile communications manufacturer Cobra Electronics Corp., which entered the GPS market last year with three handheld receivers, announced that the products will utilize Rand McNally basemap data and a custom edition of StreetFinder navigation software.

Cobra’s GPS 500 will embed basemap data for U.S. state, Canadian province, and European country boundaries and worldwide city locations. The GPS 1000 handheld will add major U.S. highway data. Cobra will sell as a product accessory the customized Streetfinder software, a local guide with customizable street-level maps of the 48 contiguous states, address lookup, and route calculation.

Cobra has long marketed a large volume of two-way radios. Its new GPS handheld line is to be produced in a strategic alliance with Maxwood Technology Ltd., an affiliate of Nikko Electronics of Malaysia.

Paradigm Shifts to Leadtek

Toronto, Canada-based Paradigm Advanced Technologies, Inc. signed a licensing agreement with Leadtek Research Inc. of Taipei, Taiwan, to market Paradigm’s Destinator Lite SE navigation software with Leadtek’s WinFast PortaNav GPS product for Pocket PC devices.

Destinator Lite SE will provide users with full Destinator navigation functionality for a limited time. When the period expires, users can continue to use Destinator Lite routing and mapping capability, with the option to upgrade to full navigation functions. Leadtek GPS products incorporate SiRF Technology chipsets.

Motorola, Garmin Choose Navtech Data

Navigation Technologies, a Chicago, Illinois–based provider of digital map data, has reached agreements with Motorola and Garmin International to use its navigable maps in the latter companies’ products. Garmin already uses Navigation Technologies maps to power three of its current MapSource software products — City Navigator, City Select and MetroGuide — and under this agreement will incorporate Navtech maps in future products.

Motorola will use the maps to extend its location-based consumer telematics applications in Europe. Motorola’s product wirelessly transmits turn-by-turn directions to in-vehicle devices and mobile phones. Navigable attributes in Navigation Technologies’ data include addresses, turn restrictions, and points of interest such as restaurants, hotels, gas stations, and cash machines.

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