GPS World

Tag: SMART7

  • Hexagon | Novatel keeps rows straight despite the weather

    Hexagon | Novatel keeps rows straight despite the weather

    Farmers rely on their GNSS receivers to keep their machines on track, their maps accurate, and their rows straight in demanding environments. GNSS receivers on agricultural equipment need to continue to perform at a high level when faced with extreme weather, temperature and vibration while navigating varying terrain. In addition, farmers rely on the correction services that provide them with the high accuracy needed to keep them operating. Still, they face challenges with outages and interruptions from obstacles blocking satellite signals.

    Hexagon | NovAtel’s SMART7 GNSS receiver and TerraStar Correction Services together create an accurate, robust and reliable solution for farmers. These products undergo extensive testing to ensure a high-performing and dependable solution. The SMART7 accesses all four GNSS constellations (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo), providing the best availability in variable terrain and environmental conditions. To compensate for the pitch and roll in the field, the receiver includes terrain compensation — keeping farmers at centimeter-level accuracy when using TerraStar-C PRO, TerraStar-X or RTK corrections.

    Photo: Hexagon | Novatel
    Photo: Hexagon | Novatel

    TerraStar Correction Services are based on a global network of advanced and proprietary GNSS control centers to ensure 99.999% signal availability to farmers. By delivering quality satellite corrections without the need for base stations, farmers can get the accuracy needed for their operations in a scalable format that moves with their equipment.

    Jacob Van Den Borne is a potato farmer in the southern region of the Netherlands. He has been working with precision farming for more than 10 years and recently switched his Fendt tractor to NovAtel’s SMART7. Throughout his last season, Jacob noticed a substantial improvement in signal reception while passing along the edges of his heavily treed field. Previously, his GNSS equipment would lose reception, causing his rows to wander. After using a SMART7 for one season and experiencing its high precision and reliability, Van Den Borne plans to switch all receivers on his farm to the SMART7.

    Evolving advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and developing safe perception and positioning systems in the agriculture industry are top priorities for NovAtel. With the challenges faced by farmers, finding new ways to support a sustainable increase in their production and productivity will help ease the pressures of a growing population.

  • NovAtel SMART7 now default receiver on Fendt machines

    NovAtel SMART7 now default receiver on Fendt machines

    The Fendt 1000 Vario tractor. (Photo: Fendt)
    The Fendt 1000 Vario tractor. (Photo: Fendt)

    Fendt machines in North America, Europe and the Middle East equipped with Fendt Guide guidance systems powered by Fuse Smart Farming now come with NovAtel’s SMART7 GNSS receiver as the default configuration choice.

    “We have been working with NovAtel for years, and their support and willingness to adapt to meet our needs makes them the key GNSS receiver supplier for our Fendt Guide guidance system,” said Bernhard Schmitz, director, FendtONE Market Readiness and Agronomy EME. “They are easy to work with and have high-quality products that integrate seamlessly into our machines.”

    The SMART7 combines a powerful GNSS receiver with a precision antenna in a durable, all-in-one enclosure designed to stand up to the vibration, weather and temperature demands of harsh agricultural environments. Delivering exceptional positioning, the SMART7 is optimized to succeed in demanding agriculture and off-road applications.

    Photo: NovAtel
    Photo: NovAtel

    The SMART7 uses multi L-band tracking to access TerraStar Correction Services globally, bringing repeatable centimeter-level accuracy to any application, anywhere in the world. Access to multi-frequency GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo and QZSS signals provides better satellite availability in challenging environments.

    Resiliency to radio frequency interference is ingrained in NovAtel’s hardware designs, and the company’s Interference Toolkit firmware suite provides detection and additional protection from any potential intentional or unintentional interference.

    Powered by NovAtel GNSS+INS technology, the SMART7 uses an optional integrated inertial measurement unit (IMU) to provide continuous 3D positioning, velocity and roll/pitch/azimuth for deeper integration with vehicle guidance and steering systems. Additional optional features on the SMART7 include Wi-Fi and Ethernet for remote connectivity and monitoring.

  • NovAtel highlights Smart7 at Intergeo 2018

    NovAtel’s Neil Gerein discusses the company’s new Smart7 antenna at Intergeo 2018, which is taking place Oct. 16-18 in Frankfurt, Germany. The antenna is suitable for agriculture and machine applications and can receive corrections from TerraStar-C Pro.

  • NovAtel provides SMART7 smart antennas for agriculture

    NovAtel provides SMART7 smart antennas for agriculture

    Photo: NovAtel
    Photo: NovAtel

    NovAtel has introduced its SMART7 family of SMART antennas for demanding applications like precision agriculture and machine control.

    The SMART7 family features NovAtel’s GNSS + inertial navigation system (INS) SPAN technology; future-ready GNSS; Wi-Fi and internet protocol connectivity; superior tracking performance; and TerraStar-C PRO corrections.

    It is ready to increase GNSS  availability, accuracy and reliability for major precision-agriculture equipment manufacturers, the company said.

    “Manufacturers that serve these demanding industries can now take advantage of the best in precise positioning technology, with added next-generation features including wireless connectivity, SPAN GNSS+INS integration and superior tracking performance, in an even more robust format,” said Gordon Ryley, Precision Agriculture Segment manager at NovAtel. “With this combination of technologies, guidance systems can continue to steer during satellite signal outages and under challenging conditions.”

    The SMART7-S includes NovAtel’s tightly coupled SPAN technology, an advanced GNSS+INS integration technology NovAtel said. SPAN provides accurate attitude information that can simplify the development of vehicle guidance systems and bridge GNSS signal outages.

    For easier connection to mobile devices and cellular gateways, the SMART7-W includes Wi-Fi and an integrated NTRIP client; the SMART7-I model also incorporates Ethernet. A new advanced ISOBUS-compatible CAN interface also supports NovAtel logs, commands and firmware upgrades.

    All models in the SMART7 family provide exceptional positioning availability using signals from all constellations and frequencies to deliver assured positioning anywhere.

    Each model includes a VEXXIS antenna, and supports TerraStar-C PRO, the newest offering from TerraStar correction services, which delivers 2.5 centimeters and convergence times of less than 18 minutes in most regions.