GPS World

Tag: low-noise ampifier

  • Ultra-low-noise amplifiers achieve in-orbit milestone on ESA HydroGNSS mission

    Ultra-low-noise amplifiers achieve in-orbit milestone on ESA HydroGNSS mission

    Ultra-low-noise amplifiers developed by European Engineering Consultancy Ltd. (EECL) are operating in orbit on the European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) HydroGNSS mission, marking a technical milestone for the hardware following the satellites’ launch in November 2025.

    HydroGNSS consists of two small satellites designed to measure hydrological and climate-related variables using GNSS reflectometry. The satellites collect signals transmitted by navigation satellites such as GPS and Galileo and analyze those signals after they reflect from Earth’s surface. The reflected signals provide data on environmental parameters including soil moisture, freeze–thaw conditions in permafrost regions, wetlands and inundation, and above-ground biomass.

    The satellites were launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Nov. 28, 2025. The mission is part of the European Space Agency’s Scout program, which focuses on relatively small and cost-effective Earth observation satellites designed to demonstrate new measurement techniques.

    EECL designed and manufactured six multiband ultra-low-noise microwave amplifiers used in the spacecraft payload. The amplifiers are part of the radio-frequency front end of the receiver system and are designed to amplify very weak reflected GNSS signals while minimizing additional noise, helping preserve signal quality for scientific analysis.

    Early on-orbit results indicate the satellites’ payloads are functioning as expected. Both spacecraft have begun collecting delay-Doppler maps of reflected GNSS signals, an early step in commissioning that confirms the receivers are acquiring and processing signals properly.

    The HydroGNSS satellites were built by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd., which also developed the GNSS receiver used on the mission. The spacecraft operate in low Earth orbit and are phased apart to increase global coverage of the measurements.

    Data from HydroGNSS are expected to support research on the global water cycle and contribute to studies related to climate monitoring, agriculture, flood risk and ecosystem changes.

  • Quectel GNSS module wins Product of the Year

    Quectel GNSS module wins Product of the Year

    Quectel Wireless Solutions’ LC76G GNSS module has been named a Product of the Year by Electronic Products. The annual awards recognize products that represent a significant advancement in technology or its application, an exceptionally innovative design, a substantial achievement in price/performance, improvements in design performance, and a potential for new product designs/opportunities. 

    Image: Quectel
    Image: Quectel

    The LC76G module is a compact, single-band, ultra-low power GNSS module that features fast and accurate location performance. The module can concurrently receive and process signals from all satellite constellations including GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo and QZSS. 

    Image: Quectel
    Image: Quectel

    The LC76G has an internal surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter and integrated low-noise amplifier (LNA), which can be connected directly to a passive patch antenna and provides filtering against unwanted interference. With a compact size of 10.1 mm × 9.7 mm × 2.4 mm, the footprint of the LC76G is compatible with other industry solutions, as well as Quectel’s legacy L76 and L76-LB modules. 

    The LC67G is designed for battery-operated, ultra-low power GNSS devices, such as wearable personal trackers, wildlife and livestock tracking, toll tags, portable container trackers, as well as several traditional markets such as shared mobility and low-cost asset trackers. 

  • LNA upgrades enable expanded GNSS reception

    LNA upgrades enable expanded GNSS reception

    Tallysman, a manufacturer of high-performance GNSS antennas, has released a family of high-performing economical wideband low noise amplifiers (LNAs) for choke-ring antennas.

    Tallysman offers four models of the LNA with options of 35-dB and 50-dB gain. The capabilities of the models are shown in the table below. The LNAs are designed for upgrading existing choke-ring antennas with Dorne Margolin/EDO elements to receive new and expanding GNSS signals.

    The LNAs provide consistent gain across the full bandwidth and include filters for suppression of out-of-band interfering signals, such as cellular LTE and Iridium signals, while maintaining a low noise figure, high third-order intercept point, small group delay and low power consumption, the company said.

    The enclosure is designed to fit a wide variety of currently deployed choke-ring antennas.