Savannah ION Showcases Promising New Products

Leading navigation companies announced new products, new services, and new contracts at the 21st technical meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS), held September 16–19 in Savannah, Georgia. For more ION news and blogs by our editors, go to www.gpsworld.com.

NovAtel Debuts SPAN-SE Receiver

NovAtel Inc. unveiled its latest flagship product, SPAN-SE, a GNSS/INS receiver designed for precision applications and incorporating the company’s OEMV technology.

NovAtel’s OEMV GNSS engine uses application specific integrated circuits and multipath mitigation technology. SPAN, or Synchronous Position, Attitude and Navigation technology, couples GNSS precision positioning with inertial navigation incorporating IMU gyro and accelerometer measurements, to provide 3D position, velocity, and attitude, according to the company.

SPAN-SE’s features include on-board data logging, Ethernet connectivity, wheel sensor input, and scalability, NovAtel said. The receiver’s output is stable and continuously available, even through periods where GNSS signals are blocked, according to the company.

In addition to SPAN and OEMV technology, SPAN-SE features GPS and GLONASS capabilities and NovAtel’s AdVance RTK functionality, including a dedicated processor for real-time GPS/INS processing results, the company said.

SPAN-SE is available in a single antenna configuration, with NovAtel planning a dual antenna configuration in the near future.

Trimble Rolls out Rugged RTK OEM Receiver and Multi-GNSS CORS Receiver

Trimble announced two new products at ION.

The NetR8 GNSS reference receiver offers the functionality of a geodetic reference station, including CORS support. NetR8 can operate as a campaign receiver for post processing, as a continuously operating reference station (CORS) receiver, as a portable base station for real-time kinematic (RTK) applications, or as a scientific reference station collecting information for specialized studies, according to Trimble. Applications include high-accuracy positioning as part of a Trimble VRS network, support for differential GPS MSK beacons, and integrity monitoring of networks and physical infrastructure such as bridges, dams, and mines. It can also be used to expand the geographic coverage area of an existing network, as a dedicated rover for VRS network performance analysis, or for adding GNSS support through Trimble’s Sparse GLONASS technology, the company suggested.

The BX960 is a real-time kinematic (RTK) GNSS receiver in an environmentally rugged enclosure for OEM or system-level integration. The BX960 is designed for integrators who are looking for a complete system, according to the company. It is a multi-channel, multi-frequency OEM GNSS receiver based on Trimble’s BD960 receiver module. The BX960 is available with either a single or dual Trimble BD960 OEM GNSS module; the unit with a single BD960 module can cover a range of configurations from L1 DGPS to fully-loaded RTK unit tracking including GPS L1/L2/L5 and GLONASS L1/L2 signals, according to Trimble. Model BX960-2 contains two BD960 modules that allow moving baseline RTK calculations to be made between two antennas.

Fastrax Adds RF Module to Software GPS

Programmable GPS receiver and software GPS receiver supplier Fastrax showed off its IT900 RF module at ION GNSS, which it rolled out to complement its software GPS receiver that debuted earlier this year.

The Fastrax IT900 essentially acts as an RF front-end for the Fastrax Software GPS receiver, converting a GPS RF signal into a digital intermediate frequency (IF) that is in turn processed by the software receiver, according to the company. The Software GPS has so far been ported to x86 and ARM processors and Windows, Windows CE, and Linux operating systems. The Fastrax Software GPS can also be ported to additional processors, application-specific processors, and operating systems, according to the company.

The IT900 does not require additional CPU or SRAM-memory for correlation, acquisition, and tracking; once the IF signal is received from it, all remaining calculations are performed in the software, Fastrax said. This includes signal correlation, acquisition, and tracking, as well as pseudo-range calculations, navigation, and final PVT output.

Hemisphere Unveils Eclipse-Driven R220

Hemisphere GPS unveiled its latest GPS receiver at ION GNSS. The R220 incorporates its dual-frequency Eclipse technology, the first finished product to do so.

The R220 GPS receiver features real-time kinematic (RTK) measurements and tracks GPS, satellite-based augmentation systems, and L-Band (OmniSTAR) HP/XP) differential corrections. The device also uses Hemisphere’s COAST technology, which enables it to provide accurate positioning data for up to 40 minutes during a differential correction outage, according to the company. The R220 supports RTCM v3/CMR+ standard RTK message formats, which make it compatible with CORS and other RTK base station networks, the company noted. It also uses a standard USB flash drive for data logging.

The R220 is designed for professional mapping, guidance, machine control, and navigation applications.

Spirent Demonstrates GNSS Simulator

Spirent Communications plc demonstrated its GSS8000 simulator, a GPS/Galileo/GLONASS simulation system, at ION-GNSS 2008.

The GSS8000 GNSS simulator supports multi-system, multi constellation GNSS, including GPS, Galileo, and GLONASS signals, plus satellite-based augmentation signals such as WAAS, EGNOS, and MSAS, combined at one RF output, according to the company. The same system is also capable of generating signals representing the planned Japanese Quazi Zenith satellite system.

Magellan Back in High-End OEM Boards

Magellan launched its latest OEM (original equipment manufacturer) embedded GNSS board at ION GNSS, calling the MB 500 the company’s re-entry into high-end OEM boards.

The MB 500 incorporates a blend of technologies that increases real-time kinematic (RTK) reliability and compatibility with other brands of GNSS receivers, according to the company. It can reportedly work seamlessly with any base or reference station on the market.

Using Magellan’s BLADE technology, the MB 500 board has the ability to process signals from GPS, GLONASS, and satellite-based augmentation systems. It can use all available GLONASS corrections without suffering from interchannel GLONASS biases; the board itself makes all the checks and corrections needed to mitigate these signal instabilities, according to Magellan.

“Magellan plans to strongly re-enter the high-end OEM board business with this board, which is the heart of our highly successful ProMark 500 GNSS Survey System,” said Robert Snow, product marketing director of Magellan Professional.
The MB 500 also features low-power consumption in a compact board design, as well as a large variety of output messages with many different data formats, Magellan says. It is available as a base and as a rover, and supports standard and advanced RTK operations using RTCM 2.3 or 3.1 format, as well as Magellan’s proprietary ATOM format.

The MB 500 will be available for evaluation in the fourth quarter of this year, and in quantity in the first quarter of 2009.

u-blox’s AMY Her Debutante Ball in Savannah

GPS chipmaker u-blox demonstrated at ION GNSS what it calls the the smallest standalone GPS receiver module on the market at 6.5 2 8 2 1.2 millimeters.
Dubbed AMY, it is based on the u-blox 5 positioning engine. A quarter of the size of its predecessor, the u-blox 5-based NEO series, AMY offers the same performance of these modules, says u-blox. The u-blox 5 receiver, which debuted at the end of 2007 in the company’s LEA modules, is u-blox’s fifth-generation receiver; it boasts a 50-channel architecture. The company’s NEO modules appeared in June.

The use of a module dramatically cuts the engineering effort needed to add GPS capabilities to a product, which can shorten the time to market, said Thomas Seiler, u-blox CEO. Engineering samples of AMY modules will be available at the end of 2008 with volume production following in 2009.

Trimble, Saab Transponder Combine DGPS/AIS Efforts

Trimble and Saab TransponderTech AB said at ION GNSS that they are cooperating to integrate their respective differential GPS technologies for use in marine navigation.

The two companies are combining efforts to deliver Differential GPS (DGPS) error-correction messages to ships at sea through automatic identification system (AIS) coast stations and networks. The DGPS messages transmitted on AIS frequencies will augment existing marine DGPS broadcasts from coastal beacon stations.

Specifically, the two companies are collaborating to develop interfaces connecting Saab’s AIS and Vessel Tracking Management & Information System (VTMIS) with Trimble DGPS reference station and integrity monitoring software. The integrated system will use Trimble’s Charisma and Coastal Center software for advanced integrity monitoring of the DGPS data prior to transmission through both the beacon transmitters and AIS stations, according to the two companies. The integration will also permit the Saab AIS/VTMIS operator to monitor the performance of both DGPS services.

» MILITARY & GOVERNMENT

U.S. Military Orders More GPS-Guided Rockets

Lockheed Martin has received a $61 million follow-on contract for its GPS-based Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) Unitary rockets from the U.S. military.

GMLRS is an all-weather, precision-strike artillery rocket system that achieves greater range and precision accuracy with fewer rockets compared to other similar systems, according to Lockheed; the reliability of U.S. Army GMLRS missions exceeds 98 percent reliability. In addition to precision strikes, the system is effective against counter-fire, air defense, light materiel, and personnel targets, the company said. GMLRS incorporates a GPS-aided inertial guidance package integrated on a product-improved rocket body; small canards on the guided rocket nose add maneuverability to further enhance the accuracy of the system.

Work on the contract will be performed at the company’s facilities in Camden, Arkansas, and Dallas, Texas. Deliveries will begin in May 2010 and conclude in July of that year.

» MILITARY & GOVERNMENT

Northrop Grumman to Acquire Geospatial Company 3001 International

Northrop Grumman Corp. and 3001 International Inc. have announced that they have signed a definitive merger agreement under which Northrop Grumman will acquire 3001. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The companies expect the transaction to close in the fourth quarter of 2008, after which 3001 will be part of Northrop Grumman’s information technology sector. Completion of the transaction is subject to customary regulatory conditions and approval.

3001, owned by its management and CM Equity Partners, provides geospatial data production and analysis, including airborne imaging, surveying, mapping, and geographic information systems for domestic and international government intelligence, defense, and civilian customers. Federal customers include the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Navy Facilities Command, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.