Trimble’s Chris Wheeler offers an overview of Trimble’s GNSS technology, including its latest receiver boards, which include the BD990 and BD992, at Xponential 2018 in Denver.
Tag: GNSS receiver board
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Septentrio to supply GNSS boards for WingtraOne mapping drone
Belgian GNSS receiver manufacturer Septentrio was selected by Swiss drone manufacturer Wingtra to supply GNSS OEM receiver boards and PPK processing software for the recently-launched WingtraOne PPK drone.
The combination of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) technology and a high-spec post-process kinematics (PPK) brings wide-area coverage at ultra-high precision.
Following a flight, the GNSS data of the WingtraOne is processed offline using Septentrio’s PPK software. This combines the drone data with correction data from a nearby reference receiver to get accurate cm-level geolocations for every photograph.
The on-board high-resolution Sony RX1RII camera, AsteRx-m2 UAS receiver board combined with Septentrio’s PPK library, and Pix4D photogrammetry processing software are together able to produce ground precisions of 1.3 centimeter (cm) horizontal and 2.3 cm vertical.
Image: Wingtra “With the WingtraOne PPK, we can offer a world first in drone photogrammetry — wide coverage at ultra-high precision,” said Armin Ambühl, CTO of Wingtra. “In a single one-hour flight, the WingtraOne can cover 130 ha (320 acres) delivering mapping with GSDs [ground sample distance] below 1 cm/pixel with absolute accuracy down to 1.27 cm.”
He continued, “WingtraOne’s advantage is twofold: it combines VTOL with the latest PPK technology from Septentrio. With VTOL we can offer the best of both worlds: multirotors and fixed-wings. Vertical take-off and landing means hands-free operation and a smoother ride for the on-board camera payload. Secondly, efficient flying in fixed-wing mode means far greater coverage than any comparable multirotor.”
“We are proud and excited to be part of this innovative project with Wingtra pushing the boundaries of aerial photogrammetry,” said Gustavo Lopez, product manager at Septentrio. “The WingtraOne incorporates our AsteRx-m2 UAS OEM board and, photogrammetry applications requiring high-precision, low-latency positioning are what it does best. The board is specifically designed for quick and easy integration and, with Septentrio’s world-first, multi-frequency PPK, cm-level precision can now reach the parts dual-constellation solutions feared to tread.”
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Topcon’s new GNSS receiver boards have expanded constellation tracking
Topcon Positioning Group has launched two new full constellation GNSS receivers for the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) market. The new B111 and B125 boards are designed for use with a broad range of positioning applications.
The boards utilize the GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo constellations with the B111 tracking signals in the L1 and L2 frequency band, while the B125 adds signals in the L5 band. Both boards are designed to provide scalable positioning from sub-meter DGPS positioning to sub-centimeter RTK positioning.“The new boards both include 226-channel Vanguard Technology with Universal Tracking Channels, for reliable ‘all-in-view’ and ‘future-proof’ tracking,” said Jason Hallett, vice president of Topcon global product management. “The addition of BeiDou and Galileo constellation tracking along with GPS, GLONASS, SBAS and QZSS functionality ensures the boards provide the best performance available.
“The dual-frequency B111 board has very low-power consumption and flexible communication interfaces, making it easy for OEMs to integrate the compact board into any precise positioning application, reducing their time to market,” Hallett said. “The B111 is also form, fit and function compatible with its predecessor, the B110, allowing a plug-and-play upgrade option to track BeiDou and Galileo.”
The board also includes an SD-card interface designed to provide quick and easy support for datalogging in addition to Quartz Lock Loop technology for superior GNSS tracking in high-vibration environments.
“The B125 board offers Ethernet connectivity for options for advanced OEM integration,” Hallett said.
