Launchpad: OEM simulator, IMU, antennas

A roundup of recent products in the GNSS and inertial positioning industry from the March 2019 issue of GPS World magazine.

MEMS INS/GPS

Update improves heading performance and reduces jitter

Photo: Systron Donner

The SDN500 digital quartz micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) GPS inertial navigation system (GPS/INS) has been updated. Model SDN500-xE provides a newer generation JF2 (C/A) code GPS receiver and tightly couples the 1 PPS GPS signal to the SDI505 IMU synch pulse to improve heading performance and reduce jitter after long periods of operation without dynamic inputs. The 25-inch-square SDN500 provides for maximum packaging flexibility in dense systems and delivers accuracies to within 1.0 mrad in attitude, 0.1 m/s in velocity and 3.9 meters spherical error probability (SEP). It offers tactical-grade performance, integrating SDI’s latest quartz gyros capable of 0.5°/hr. bias in-run stability and low angular random walk (ARW, 0.02°/√ hr), quartz accelerometers delivering 0.5 milli-g in-run bias stability and low velocity random walk (VRW, 80 µg/√ Hz), plus high-speed digital signal into a tightly coupled GPS/INS for tactical navigation and geo-location applications.

Systron Donner Inertial, www.systron.com

A-GNSS antenna testing

Testing location accuracy performance of mobile devices

Photo: Rohde & Schwarz

To create test concepts for over-the-air (OTA) antenna measurements, Rohde & Schwarz and Bluetest have integrated the R&S LBS Server, a software component running on the R&S CMW500 wideband radio communication tester, and the Bluetest over-the-air (OTA) test solution for A-GNSS systems based on Bluetest’s RTS65 reverberation chamber and Bluetest’s Flow measurement software. The R&S LBS Server controls the Rohde & Schwarz base-station simulator R&S CMW500 for LTE, WCDMA and GSM, and uses the R&S SMBV100B vector signal generator for simulation of GNSS and metropolitan beacon systems (MBS) signals. An upgrade for 5G will be available soon. The R&S LBS Server is an essential part of the R&S TS8991 OTA Performance Test System.

Rohde & Schwarz, rohde-schwarz.com
Bluetest, bluetest.se

Fog-based IMU

Brings Navsight technology to the most demanding environments

Photo: SBG Systems

The Horizon IMU adds a third choice to SBG System’s Navsight Land/Air Solution. It is a FOG-based high-performance inertial measurement unit (IMU) designed for highly demanding surveying applications such as high-altitude data collection or mobile mapping in dense areas such as urban canyons. The Horizon IMU joins the Ekinox and Apogee IMUs as options for Navsight. The different levels of accuracy enable the solution to meet various application requirements and can be connected to various external equipment such as odometer, lidar and more. The Horizon IMU allows customers to use Navsight in high-altitude and highly dense areas, as well as where only a single antenna can be used. It is based on closed-loop FOG technology that enables ultra-low bias and noise levels. The Navsight solution can be installed in a plane or car — the sensor alignment and lever arms are automatically estimated and validated. The Navsight unit also integrates LED indicators for satellite availability, real-time kinematic (RTK) corrections and power. Qinertia post-processing software provides access to offline RTK corrections from more than 7,000 base stations in 164 countries.

SBG Systems, www.sbg-systems.com

Dual-band antenna

For mobile and fixed deployments

Photo: PCTEL

The Coach 4×4 Wi-Fi/DSRC GNSS multi-band antenna enables smart grids, mobile workforce communications, and advanced automation technologies. The dual-band 802.11ac/p MIMO antenna helps boost data rates and reliability for utility networks, intelligent transportation systems and other industrial internet of things (IoT) applications. The low-profile antenna features four-port 2.4/5-GHz coverage along with PCTEL’s high-rejection GPS/GLONASS technology for network timing and tracking in a single IP67-rated housing.

PCTEL, www.pctel.com