GPS World

Tag: Foxcom

  • Hangar repeater solution enables indoor avionics testing of GPS signals

    Photo: Foxcom
    Image: Foxcom

    Foxcom, a subsidiary of Global Invacom, has launched a solution that enables aircraft ground engineers to undertake 24/7 avionics testing of Inmarsat, Iridium and GPS satellite signals indoors.

    The Hangar Repeater Solution enables engineers involved in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of aircraft to undertake testing 24/7 regardless of the weather, without having to move aircraft in and out of a hangar, as is the current practice.

    The dedicated repeater greatly reduces aircraft-on-ground time, work hours and overall maintenance costs, providing a rapid return on investment.

    While Inmarsat and Iridium satellite equipment has been deployed worldwide, its use was limited to outdoor, as building structures block satellite signals. Foxcom’s unique and all-inclusive repeater solution provides communication inside buildings or underground without the need for a direct line of sight to the sky. An existing Foxcom repeater can be easily upgraded to add Inmarsat compatibility.

    Beyond the aviation sector, GPS, Inmarsat and Iridium repeaters can be deployed across a range of locations and industries, such as underground civil defence and military bunkers, oil rigs and ships and large buildings.

    Foxcom launched its first range of repeaters in 2013. Established in 1993, Foxcom specializes in radio frequency over fiber equipment. It is a top supplier to satellite operators, broadcasters and integrators worldwide, with products that offer high performance, bandwidth and reliability.

  • Foxcom offers GPS/GNSS repeaters for Iridium, indoors

    RF optical solutions maker Foxcom has introduced a range of products to serve the GPS/GNSS repeater market.

    Foxcom launched an Iridium repeater in September 2016 and is now offering advanced GPS/GNSS repeater solutions globally.

    The firm’s repeaters have been designed to cover a wide range of commercial and military applications, such as:

    • aircraft hangars
    • time distribution in data centers
    • GPS distribution in tunnels
    • police and fire stations
    • manufacturing and test facilities

    GPS L1 and GLONASS signals are passed through the repeater to the interior space. This means that satellite navigation devices will always receive a signal when indoors, eliminating any satellite acquisition delay when leaving the building.

    Foxcom offers a choice of coax or optical solutions that have been optimized to meet the needs of customers worldwide, including.

    • Optical GPS/GNSS Repeater. Foxcom’s GPS/GNSS optical repeater solution is for retransmitting GPS/GNSS signals indoors. The repeater system provides seamless coverage inside a hangar or a large facility enabling the testing of navigational systems.
    • GPS/GNSS Distribution in Tunnels. Foxcom’s redundant GNSS Time Distribution System (TDS) ensures failsafe global satellite navigation signal transmission in tunnels.
    • GPS/GNSS Distribution for Data Centers. Foxcom’s optical redundant GNSS Time Distribution System (TDS) ensures failsafe synchronization in data centers by transmitting fully redundant GPS/GNSS signals. By deploying Foxcom’s optical GPS/GNSS link, networks of data centers at multiple locations can be accurately synchronized.
    • GPS Optical Link | GL7222. Foxcom’s Sat-Light/Gold L-Band Interfacility Link offers a high performance,  alternative to conventional coaxial-cabled systems. The Gold GPS Link covers the frequency range of 1100 to 1600MHz and supporting both L1 and L2 GPS bands. The Gold Series GPS link is compatible with wide range of active GPS antenna and is equipped with voltage selectable GPS antenna powering.
    • GPS Repeater Kit. Foxcom’s GPS repeater solution is for retransmitting GNSS and GLONASS signals indoors. The repeater system provides seamless coverage inside a hangar or a large facility enabling the testing of aircraft navigational systems. The kit consists of an active repeater, indoor/outdoor antennas and 3 x 30 foot coax cable.

    Coax-based Iridium repeater. Iridium satellite telephones are used all over the world. They generally can’t operate indoors, because the structure of the building blocks the ingress and egress of the signal. When it isn’t practical or safe to leave the building to make a call, a repeater system overcomes this barrier.

    Iridium repeaters are used in a wide range of situations, including underground civil defense/military bunkers, oil rigs/ships, large buildings and any other underground facilities.

    Foxcom’s coax-based Iridium repeater can be used when the distance from outdoor to indoor antennas is short. For example, when used in an aircraft hangar the ODU and IDU may be just a few meters apart. The cost of the coax-based kit is significantly lower than that of the optical version.

    The new coaxial repeater system merges the ODU and IDU into one combined unit removing the optical fiber interfaces. The single IP65 repeater unit is roof-mounted and comes as a kit with antenna set and the required cabling.