The Business: LabSat Simulator Tests OEM GPS Devices
June 1, 2009 GPS World» MASS MARKET OEM
LabSat Simulator Tests OEM GPS Devices
With the ability to record, replay, and simulate GPS RF data, Racelogic’s new LabSat is being marketed as a real-world testing solution for original equipment manufacture (OEM) of GPS devices. The influx of professional and consumer GPS products in the electronics and automotive markets has led to a demand for efficient and accurate validation through GPS simulators, according to the company. However, one of the problems with GPS simulation has been the inability to accurately reproduce real-world conditions. The need to understand the effects of phenomena such as multipath reflections, atmospheric effects, and drop-outs on GPS devices has therefore meant that products must be taken out into the field and laboriously tested.
The capacity of LabSat to record and replay real-world data means that common conditions can be faithfully reproduced on the test bench, the company said. Connecting to a PC via USB 2.0, LabSat records raw signals from a GPS antenna directly to hard disk, with no limitations on the number of satellites being tracked or the length of the recording. When the data is replayed, the GPS engine will faithfully re-create the movement and satellite reception encountered during the test, including all original multipath, satellite obstructions, and atmospheric effects.
Apisphere Unveils Out-of-the-Box Geocaching GPS
Apisphere, Inc., has announced the availability of the Geomate.jr., a GPS device designed to make geocaching accessible to families and children of all ages. The unit comes pre-loaded with 250,000 geocache locations covering the 50 United States.“It’s the extreme ease of use and out-of-the-box ability that makes Geomate.jr so unique and family-friendly,” said Warren Hewerdine, co-inventor of Geomate.jr and senior director of marketing at Apisphere. “It offers a way to reconnect our children with the joy of the outdoors, and encourages them to take advantage of the natural environment.”
Video games, the Internet, and television have captured more of children’s leisure time, making them increasingly disassociated with the outdoors, Apisphere said, citing a study by the Outdoor Foundation that found outdoor activity among children ages 6 to 17 declined 11 percent in 2008. Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) and geocaching.com will sell the Geomate.jr.
JAVAD GNSS Customers Now Track GPS L5 Signal
JAVAD GNSS triple-frequency type OEM boards (TR-G2T, TR-G3T, TRE-G2T, TRE-G3T, TRE-G3TAJ) and receivers (TRIUMPH-1, Alpha TR-G2T/TR-G3T, DeltaS TRE-G2T/TRE-G3T/TRE-G3TAJ, SigmaS TRE-G2T/TRE-G3T/TRE-G3TAJ) can now track the L5 demonstration signal, activated April 10. The white-noise and multipath tracking errors are comparable to what is normally seen for the L1 and L2 signals. Those interested in sample raw data with the triple-frequency (L1-L2-L5) code and carrier-phase measurements from IIR(M)-20 can download sample data from www.javad.com.
Trimble GPS Mapping Solutions Receive EU Certification
Trimble (Sunnyvale, California) has announced that its GeoXT handheld computer, GPS Pathfinder ProXT receiver, and GPS Pathfinder ProXRT receiver have obtained TÜV certification under the European Union (EU) Agricultural Directive Commission Regulation 796/04, Article 30. The directive supports the validation of area measurement methods for agricultural parcels to comply with the current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the EU. The certification was performed for Category A of the regulation, which requires a buffer accuracy of less than 0.40 meters, far beyond the maximum tolerance of 1.5 meters.
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