Tag: gyro

  • Sensonor launches space-dedicated gyro and IMU modules

    Sensonor launches space-dedicated gyro and IMU modules

    Photo: Sensonor
    Photo: Sensonor

    Sensonor has launched two new navigation devices. The high-accuracy tactical-grade STIM277H gyro module and STIM377H inertial measurement unit (IMU) are based on experiences and requirements from serving customers in the space segment during the past decade.

    The modules have a hermetic aluminum enclosure with a glass-to-metal sealed electrical micro-d connector and a laser-welded lid to secure long-term hermetic operation.

    All parts are tested for fine and gross leak to conform to MIL-STD-883J, Class H. The hermetic enclosure protects the system from the external environment and ensures long-term reliability to meet requirements within the space segment and other applications needing exceptional long-term reliability.

    The design is tested for a 20+ years’ operating life through high-temperature operating life (HTOL) testing. STIM277H and STIM377H are electrically and mechanically backward-compatible with Sensonor’s other IMU and gyro modules, and provide users with an easy implementation into an existing design.

    The components come in dust-free clean-room packaging and have SurTec650 as the only surface treatment. The components are International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)-free, and have a range of features that can be configured by the customer.

    While the new part is still a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) product and not space-qualified, Sensonor has carried out extensive radiation characterizations to understand the capability of the parts. This data is available on request from Sensonor or can be downloaded.

    The parts are a good fit for satellite attitude and orbit control systems (AOCS), launchers, portable target acquisition systems, UAV payloads, land navigation systems, turret stabilization, missile stability and GNSS-supported navigation systems.

  • New Report on Global Military GPS/GNSS Market Looks at Next Decade

    Reportstack has announced a new report on The Global Military GPS/GNSS Market 2013-2023.  This report offers the reader detailed analysis of the global military GPS/GNSS  market over the next 10 years, alongside potential market opportunities to enter the industry, using detailed market size forecasts, Reportstack said.

    A satellite navigation system provides GPS positioning from a global perspective, and is therefore of utmost importance for modern-day military operations, which rely on accurate real-time data on hostile forces in order to carry out precision attacks, Reportstack said. It is here that GPS/GNSS devices assume an important role, as they are imperative to transfer signals from these satellites back to earth.

    The U.S. is the highest spender on military GPS/GNSS navigation, and is responsible for 42.9% of the global military GNSS devices market. Others major spenders in this sector include Russia, the UK, China and India. In July 2013, India launched the IRNSS-1A, the first of seven satellite constellation to be deployed under the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) program to be completed between 2015-2016. And China’s BeiDou is scheduled to be operational by 2020.

    Another factor driving the market is the integration of satellite navigation technology with other navigation systems, such as the inertial navigation system (INS) and gyro, as GPS devices are to be used in order to decipher data correctly, Reportstack said.

    The increasing demand for satellite navigation and communications is driven primarily by the desire of militaries to monitor more areas and derive accurate information by a range of GNSS receivers/sensors in the shortest time possible. Major military aircraft and helicopters are dependent on GPS embedded INS systems for effective navigation. Similarly, naval vessels and guided munitions are increasingly relying on the collaboration of laser, gyro, INS, and satellite navigation technologies to derive accurate real time data.

    Furthermore, it has been observed that the usage of standard positioning services/open service receivers, which use unencrypted signal for non-combat purposes has increased, and is expected to drive demand and encourage expenditure, Reportstack said. The military GPS/GNSS technology is expanding its horizon beyond the basic characteristics of navigation and tracking. The use of GPS, in conjunction with a number of software applications, has expanded its use in military operations. A number of new technologies are now embedded with GPS receivers to produce a more sophisticated military tool.

    Recently, a Swiss-based company developed a device called GPS Log Book based on u-blox technology. The new device has extended the scope of GPS technology to the administrative side of military operations. It provides an easy way for military drivers to automatically keep an accurate travel log book which can be securely accessed later from anywhere via a web interface. Information logged includes route, speed, and distance traveled. It also keeps a close record of fuel used by the vehicle, based on the distance traveled at various speed levels.

    The advent of Differential GPS (DGPS), an enhancement to GPS, which provides improved location accuracy, from the 15-meter nominal GPS accuracy to approximately 10 cm, has further expanded the scope of GPS in missile technology. The intercontinental ballistic missiles, which are capable of hitting targets across thousands of miles navigation, use inertial navigation with DGPS receivers. The advent of DGPS is expected to be one of the most significant steps in accurate missile targeting for militaries across regions.

    The companies mentioned in this report are Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Rockwell Collins , Lockheed Martin, ITT Exelis, Thales, and BAE Systems. More details and table of contents about this report can be found by visiting The Global Military GPS/GNSS Market 2013-2023 report.

  • Northrop Grumman Demonstrates Micro-Gyro Prototype for DARPA Program

    Northrop Grumman Demonstrates Micro-Gyro Prototype for DARPA Program

    Photo: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Photo: Northrop Grumman Corporation

    Northrop Grumman Corporation has developed and demonstrated a new micro-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Gyro (micro-NMRG) prototype for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), providing precision navigation for size- and power-constrained applications.

    The development of a hermetically sealed micro-NMRG that meets precision navigation requirements along with a successful prototype demonstration marks the fourth and final phase of DARPA’s Navigation-Grade Integrated Micro Gyroscopes (NGIMG) program. The culmination of the eight-year program is a micro-NMRG that offers near navigation-grade performance for the next generation of high-precision inertial sensors.

    Northrop Grumman’s micro-NMRG technology uses the spin of atomic nuclei to detect and measure rotation, providing comparable performance to a navigation-grade fiber-optic gyro in a small, lightweight, low-power package. Additionally, the gyro has no moving parts and is not inherently sensitive to vibration and acceleration. The technology can be used in any application requiring small size and low power precision navigation, including personal and unmanned vehicle navigation in GPS-denied or GPS-challenged locations.

    “Our miniature gyro technology offers unprecedented size, weight and power savings in a compact package, exceeding program requirements,” said Charles Volk, vice president of Northrop Grumman’s Advanced Navigation Systems business unit. “This important technology can help protect our warfighters by offering highly accurate positioning information, regardless of GPS availability.”

    The NGIMG effort is part of DARPA’s Micro-Technology for Positioning, Navigation and Timing program that aims to develop technology for self-contained, chip-scale inertial navigation and precision guidance. Northrop Grumman began the first phase of the NGIMG effort in October 2005 and has consistently met or exceeded the performance goals of each program phase.