»LOCATION-BASED SERVICES

Phone Maker Nokia Jumps Into PND Business

European handset giant Nokia took a step beyond mobile phones August 27 with the unveiling of the Nokia 500, a dedicated personal navigation device (PND) for in-car navigation.

While the company has devoted itself to GPS-enabled handsets, it is apparently trying to cover more bases in the marketplace with the Nokia 500 Auto Navigation unit. Recent market research shows that PNDs and handheld navigation devices still hold the lion’s share of the consumer navigation market, at least in the United States, despite the promise of GPS-enabled handsets.

Nokia’s new PND offering led analysts to wonder why a handset manufacturer is getting into that segment of the hardware business. Is the PND market outperforming handset navigation products? Whatever the reason, Nokia has signaled that it intends to be a dominant player in the location-based services (LBS) market, according to Kevin Dennehy, LBS editor for GPSWorld.com.

"With a slew of announcements touting a new portable navigation device, partnerships, and new GPS-capable handsets, Finland-
based Nokia is leveraging its brand name to grab a large share of the LBS market,” Denehy reported in the August issue of LBS Insider.

By offering its own PND, at least one analyst believes that Nokia does not want to wait for the wireless carriers to introduce new handset LBS functionality, according to analyst Thilo Koslowski, Gartner’s ICT Manufacturing Industry Advisory Service vice president. “Due to the larger size of PNDs, they are better suited for navigation applications than cell phones. The trend towards dedicated devices is particularly important for new and emerging applications such as navigation,” Koslowski said. “Nokia and other companies don’t want to miss out on this opportunity and solely rely on network carriers to slowly introduce new functionalities over time.” While the new Nokia PND is intriguing, the company still offers GPS-capable handsets (see box.)

With a 4.3-inch widescreen, the Nokia 500 has a high-sensitivity GPS receiver and Nokia Maps software. It uses spoken and visual turn-by-turn directions, pre-installed regional maps, points-of-interest data and access to the Traffic Message Service where available, according to Nokia. It also has integrated digital music, photo and video players, and can stream music through a car’s FM radio.

The Nokia 500 also can function as a hands-free system for Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones. Its navigation and communications are integrated with one another. POI data includes contact information and users will be able to call directly (where possible) using that information, or maintain a list of personal contacts that can be called directly through a Bluetooth phone and the Nokia 500.

Nokia expects the 500 Auto Navigation to be available in selected sales channels in Europe in the fourth quarter of this year. Nokia says it will introduce the 500 into other markets following this initial launch.

»UTILITIES & COMMUNICATIONS

Javad GNSS Acquires ArWest Communications Corp.

Javad Ashjaee announced August 24 that he acquired all assets of ArWest Communications Corporation. "JAVAD GNSS can compete and sell in all markets from January of 2008, about four months from now,” said Ashjaee, CEO and president of JAVAD GNSS.

"What Thomas Chanian, Gagik Harutyunyan (chief technology officer), and their team have achieved in such a short period of time is truly impressive,” Ashjaee said. “The expertise of ArWest team complements the resources of Javad GNSS in providing the next generation of GNSS technology for all applications."

ArWest Communications Corp. originally formed in 2003 to design narrow-band and spread-spectrum radios using digital signal-processing technology. The founders of the company and the development team have more than 185 years of combined experience in the design, manufacture and marketing of telecommunications products, according to the company. ArWest is the supplier of OEM communication boards to companies such as Leica, Topcon, Altus, and Raytheon.

»UTILITIES & COMMUNICATIONS

NovAtel Acquires Antenna Developer Antcom

NovAtel Inc. acquired privately held antenna specialist Antcom Corporation, located in Torrance, California, on September 18. Under the terms of the agreement, NovAtel will acquire Antcom for $5 million in cash and an additional $1 million in cash subject to Antcom’s achievement of certain financial targets. Antcom will continue to operate in Torrance, California and sell products under the Antcom brand. Antcom will be operating in a business-as-usual fashion and customers and suppliers should expect no changes or disruptions in service or changes in their Antcom contacts. NovAtel expects Antcom to contribute revenues of $7-$7.4 million over the first 12 months of operation.

»MILITARY & GOVERNMENT

Flight Tests Start for Northrop’s F-5 Nav

The first unit of Northrop Grumman Corp.’s latest fiber optic gyro-inertial navigation systems, the LN-260, has been delivered to the U.S. Navy for flight testing on its F-5 Tiger II Adversary Fleet Support Fighter, the company announced September 10. Flight testing is scheduled to begin in October and the upgraded F-5 fleet is scheduled to be operational in 2008.

The F-5N/F is a twin-engine tactical fighter used for adversary combat tactics by the Navy to simulate enemy aircraft in aerial combat training exercises. The F-5N is the Navy’s newest variant of the F-5E single-seat fighter while the F-5F is a two-seat variant used primarily for pilot training. Internationally, there are more than 1,000 F-5 E/F fighter aircraft in more than 20 countries with inertial navigation systems dating from the early 1970s or the early 1980s.

"Our LN-260 fiber optic technology with a 24-channel GPS receiver will enhance the performance and reliability of the F-5’s avionics systems,’’ said Mark Casady of Northrop Grumman’s Navigation Systems Division. "Its entry into flight testing is an important step in supplying an integrated upgrade solution that increases the reliability and performance of F-5 aircraft.’’

»MASS MARKET OEM

Garmin Selects STMicro´s Teseo GPS Chipset

European chip maker STMicroelectronics announced August 23 that it is engaged in volume production of its Teseo GPS device designed for use in certain Garmin (personal navigation devices) PNDs and handheld GPS receivers.

The company didn’t cite specifically which Garmin models will use the Teseo, however.STMicro, one of the world’s largest chip makers and the largest in Europe, said that Teseo’s chipset offers good satellite tracking in poor visibility conditions and shortens GPS signal acquistion times. A "warm start" — the acquisition of accurate time, satellite positioning and ephemeris data that have been lost during switch-off — takes less than 34 seconds, according to the chip maker.

The Teseo chipset also supports satellite-based augmentation systems such as WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) and EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service). Its accuracy expressed in circular error probability is as low as two meters, STMicro says. The device is also Galileo-ready.

The chipset comprises a high-sensitivity, single-chip baseband (STA2058) with embedded flash and an RF front-end (STA5620), complemented with full software libraries.

The product is available both in a single-package form (STA8058) and as a dual-chip offering. ST designers are currently working on a system-on-chip product that integrates the Teseo GPS engine and an ARM9 core for GPS navigation processing.

The embedded flash memory enables the equipment manufacturer to load the entire GPS software, according to STMicro. The Teseo GPS baseband integrated circuit also integrates a rich set of peripherals, including a CAN 2.0 B active interface, a four-channel 12-bit analog-to-digital converter, I2C (Inter-IC), UART (universal asynchronous receiver-transmitter), SPI (serial peripheral interface), GPI/O (general purpose input/output), and USB.

»SURVEY & CONSTRUCTION

Magellan Unveils MobileMapper CX for GIS Professionals

On September 6, Magellan introduced the MobileMapper CX, a handheld GPS receiver for geographic information system (GIS) users that offers Magellan’s Mobile Mapping application software, a phone-like keypad for data entry, and sub-meter accuracy.

The Mobile Mapping application software’s GIS data-logging capabilities include GIS feature libraries for logging feature descriptions; support for logging point, line, and area features; and an offset function for logging hard to reach features.

A nesting function lets customers log features without closing features already being logged. For example, a utility worker could insert a telephone pole while mapping a road without closing and opening screens.

MobileMapper CX customers can purchase the unit as a stand-alone open platform unit ready for use with custom and third-party software applications or with an ESRI ArcPad GIS field software bundle.

The device uses the Win CE.NET 5.0 operating system, and can accommodate up to 4GBytes of Secure Digital flash memory storage for maps, GIS databases, and field-collected data. It can achieve sub-meter resolution in real time, and sub-foot resolution when post-processed, according to Magellan.

The MobileMapper CX connects with both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

»AVIONICS & TRANSPORTATION

FAA Awards ITT Air Traffic Control Contract

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced August 30 that it has awarded ITT Corp. a $207 million initial contract leading a team to develop and deploy the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system.

ADS-B is a key component of the FAA’s GPS satellite-based NextGen program intended to replace the nation’s aging network of ground-based radar sites in the national air traffic control system. The new system as designed will be 10 times more accurate than radar, according to the FAA.

Under the initial three-year contract, ITT will be responsible for overall system integration and engineering, and under contract options will operate and maintain the system after deployment through September 2025, according to ITT. The contract has a potential value with all options exercised of $1.86 billion.

Essentially ITT will be required to build and operate the ADS-B ground stations, which it will own. The FAA will pay subscription charges for ADS-B broadcasts transmitted to properly equipped aircraft and air traffic control facilities. Under the terms of the contract, ITT will be required to have the system ready for use by 2010 and enable it to cover the entire nation by 2013.

The deployed ADS-B surveillance network is designed to provide more accurate and rapidly updating position data using GPS to determine aircraft position, according to ITT. ADS-B will give pilots graphical weather information, terrain maps and flight information, as well as precise location of aircraft to both pilots and controllers, which will result in airspace efficiency.

»MASS MARKET OEM

Rockwell Offers Civilian Versions of GPS Hardware

Rockwell Collins has decided it’s time to get in on the booming consumer and civilian market for GPS technology. The military contractor has introduced GPS units for the commercial market, dubbed Polaris, that are similar to its military-grade Defense Advanced GPS Receiver (DAGR) and Miniature Precision Lightweight GPS Receiver Engine (MPE).

Polaris comes without the Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM), which the military uses to render errors in the civilian GPS signals in certain geographic areas should it become a military necessity. The Polaris devices also use the Course Acquisition (C/A) code signal and the Standard Positioning Service (SPS) designated for civilian use.

The Polaris Guide, a handheld receiver, and Polaris Link, an embeddable card, will be available for use in any federal, civilian, Department of Defense or international platforms requiring SPS real-time GPS data. Both products incorporate Rockwell Collins’ 12-channel All-in-View SPS C/A code module and will be available to both military and non-military customers, as well as NATO and non-NATO countries.

The Polaris Explosive Resistant GPS is also available and is designed for vehicle and ship applications requiring the ruggedness to resist mine or improvised explosive device detonations, Rockwell Collins said. The Polaris family is designed for applications such as patrolling borders, monitoring seaports, disaster response, and search-and-rescue.

»SURVEY & CONSTRUCTION

Combo L1/StarFire Receivers Released

NavCom Technology Inc. unveiled its SF-2110M and SF-2110R modular L1 StarFire GPS receivers August 24, saying the receivers can provide 50-centimeter accuracy anywhere in the world through its satellite-based StarFire differential correction system."The SF-2110M and SF-2110R are a major milestone for both NavCom and the GPS Industry," said Steve Wilson, NavCom’s GPS products business manager. "These StarFire-enabled L1 receivers provide precise global positioning superior to WAAS based L1 receivers without being limited to a specific geographic region."

The SF-2110M uses a compact dual-band antenna capable of receiving GPS and StarFire signals. This antenna provides phase-center stability. The SF-2110R includes a separate L-Band antenna for enhanced StarFire signal reception in challenging environments and at high latitudes., NavCom says.

Coupled with NavCom’s StarFire subscription service, the SF-2110 series delivers 50-centimeter position fixes without the use of a second receiver serving as a base station.

IN BRIEF

Hewlett-Packard Co. unveiled five new handheld devices in September, including its iPaq 300-series Travel Companion, the company’s second GPS-based personal navigation device. The iPaq 300 series (310 model at right) relies on a 600MHz version of Centrality Communications’ (now SiRF’s) integrated high-end mobile processing platform, Titan. Based on a proprietary dual-core processor architecture — including an ARM 11 core — these devices have integrated GPS, DSP (digital signal processing), graphics and multimedia accelerators. The iPaq 300 has Tele Atlas maps of the U.S. and Canada along with data on 12 million points of interest, according to Tele Atlas.

On September 10, Antenova Ltd. introduced its GPS Radionova M10214-A RF Antenna Module, what it says is the world’s smallest RF antenna module incorporating a complete SiRFstarIII GPS chipset. The Radionova M10214-A module is designed for mobile handset, portable navigation device (PND), and portable media player (PMP) applications. It contains a full GPS hardware implementation combining SiRFstar III GPS architecture, specifically the GSC3LTf GPS receiver IC, with Antenova’s high-efficiency complementary antenna technology, the company said.

Chip-maker Fujitsu Microelectronics America Inc. is developing a high-performance integrated circuit with GNSS components for use in GPS receivers, the company announced September 11. NovAtel Inc. is subsystems supplier. The new application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), the second design on which Fujitsu has worked with NovAtel, is to be used in GPS receivers for high-precision market applications such as mapping, surveying, precision agriculture and machine guidance. The first ASIC the two companies successfully developed is now in full production.

Symmetricom Inc. announced August 28 that its XLi SAASM time and frequency receiver, coupled with a Ground-Based GPS Receiver Application Module (GB-GRAM), has been granted security approval by the Global Positioning Systems Wing (GPSW). The GPSW recently embarked on an initiative to migrate to a defined, open system architecture for ground-based embedded military applications. These must incorporate a Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) security device and be low-power, secure and jam resistant as well as being standardized GPS solutions used in communications and weapons platforms across the military.

The U.S. Strategic Command has awarded Overlook Systems Technologies, Inc. of Vienna, Virginia, a two-year GSA order (base year plus option) for technical support to the Joint Navigation Warfare Center (JNWC) at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. Overlook selected Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) as a teammate to provide support in response to Strategic Command’s June 2007 solicitation. The award coincides with the October 1 transition of the JNWC to Strategic Command, from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration.