GPS World

Tag: utility

  • Microchip releases version 2.1 of TimeProvider 4100 timing grandmaster

    Microchip releases version 2.1 of TimeProvider 4100 timing grandmaster

    Image: Microchip
    Image: Microchip

    Precise timing grandmaster with gateway clock and high-performance boundary clock enhances 5G mobile network phase protection

    To help 5G mobile providers, cable operators and utility providers ensure phase delivery, protection and synchronization even when GNSS is offline, jammed or spoofed, Microchip Technology Inc. has released software version 2.1 for its TimeProvider 4100 precision timing grandmaster.

    TimeProvider 4100 is a 1588 grandmaster including support for the latest ITU-T G.8275.1 and G.8275.2 1588 phase profiles, complemented by extensive port fan-out for PTP, Network Time Protocol (NTP), SyncE, and E1/T1.

    Software release 2.1 builds on earlier versions by adding key software enhancements providing a virtual Primary Reference Time Clock (vPRTC). Virtual PRTC provides the ability to design a redundant precise time distribution architecture for phase protection over an optical network.

    Until recently the main source of precise time has been GPS and other constellations that comprise GNSS. Deployment of GNSS, however, can be costly for service providers given the costs associated with upgrading to GNSS-capable receivers and antennae as well as increasing densification of end points.

    As a result, telecom, cable and utility operators deploying vPRTC benefit from solutions where GNSS dependency is reduced or eliminated. Following are key features of the new vPRTC functionality:

    • Leverages the existing optical network, avoiding high-cost dark fiber expenses
    • Uses a dedicated lambda to transport time precisely and securely
    • Provides a high-performance, redundant source of time through enhanced PRTC (ITU-T G.8272.1)
    • Allows bidirectional, precise time flows (east and west)
    • Chains together high-precision, multi-domain, high-performance boundary clocks that meet today’s standards (T-BC Class D, as defined by ITU-T G.8273.2)

    Microchip’s vPRTC multi-domain architecture is a cost-effective solution providing a high-performance, redundant, sub-5 nanosecond distribution of precise time over regional and national networks.

    In addition, Release 2.1 introduces Network Time Protocol daemon (NTPd) with Message Digest (MD5) security algorithm.

    TimeProvider 4100 2.1 meets PRTC-B performance standards (per ITU-T G.8272) and supports 1G and 10G, NTP and PTP in a single form-factor system. TimeProvider 4100 2.1 is available now for both new and already deployed systems.

  • UAV sensor package detects methane

    Pergam gas sensor aboard the Microdrones md4-1000 UAV.

    The professional aerial methane detector mdTector1000 CH4 from Microdrones makes it easy to detect methane gas via a fully integrated aerial package for professionals responsible for methane gas infrastructure.

    The mdTector1000 CH4 has a Pergam gas sensor, mounted and integrated with the Microdrones md4-1000 UAV. In real time, users can see aerial shots of detection with the laser sensor, the company said. The carbon-fiber built UAV goes into dangerous areas unsuitable for workers.

    The mdTector1000 CH4 can be used for natural gas line surveys, tank inspections, gas well testing, plant safety and landfill emission monitoring.

    The mdCockpit Android App allows users to maintain visualization in flight. A special mdTector app allows users to visualize and present all post-flight data on one map.

  • Asteri Navigation launches X-series of wearable GNSS receivers

    Asteri Navigation launches X-series of wearable GNSS receivers

    Asteri Navigation will introduce a new line of rugged, compact and fully integrated GNSS receivers on Nov. 15 at the 2016 Autodesk University in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    Photo: Asteri NavigationSuitable for geospatial field data collection and inspection applications that require high accuracy positioning, the Asteri X-Series receivers are light enough to be mounted to external sensors or worn on the body or arm.

    Asteri Navigation will debut the affordable X-1 and X-2 receivers in booth No. 1783 at Autodesk University, which runs from Nov. 15-17 at The Venetian in Las Vegas. The X-3 is scheduled for release in December.

    The compact Asteri receivers were designed with safety and ease of use in mind. Each device weighs just 11.3 ounces with the 12-hour lithium battery. Their 2.8-inch by 5.4-inch size allows them to fit safely in shoulder or arm pouches.

    The internal single-frequency antenna enables users to capture accuracies of well under 10 centimeters with RTK/VRS corrections. This integrated design allows users to work in difficult terrain without worrying about equipment and antennas getting snagged or broken.

    Engineered to provide centimeter-level accuracy with Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) or Virtual Reference Station (CRS) correction when connected to an external antenna, the Asteri GNSS receivers support a generic NMEA 0183 GNSS data protocol. This makes them compatible with data collection and field mapping applications supporting the same protocol and ideal for users who want to develop their own software applications for inspection and GIS data capture activities.

    The new receivers can communicate via Bluetooth or cable with most popular devices used for field data collection, including utility line locators, ground penetrating radar, data loggers, laser rangefinders, smartphones, and tablets.

    Asteri expects the X-Series will be used extensively in mapping and survey applications related to asset management, pipeline operation, utility construction, forestry, electric staking, and underground utility location.

    For users needing higher accuracy, an external multi-frequency antenna can be added to the provided port on the receiver. In addition, the Asteri X-3 will be compatible with Atlas GNSS satellite-based real-time correction services worldwide.

    The three products in the X-Series provide varying levels of accuracy:

    • X-1 provides sub-meter accuracy out of the box.
    • X-2 offers accuracy of 1 meter down to 1 centimeter with RTK/VRS.
    • X-3 will achieve 1 centimeter with RTK/VRS, 30 centimeters with Atlas H30, 4-10 centimeters with Atlas H10.

  • LandWorks upgrades Web AutoMapper service with USLandGrid

    LandWorks Inc., a developer of innovative land management solutions, has improved its Web AutoMapper online service that translates land legal descriptions into GIS-ready map polygons.

    The updated Web AutoMapper features a new interface that is easier to use, including a job detail webpage that lets users review and edit polygons before purchase. Clients can now have their property polygons mapped against USLandGrid’s national land base, with the option of buying land grid townships containing the mapped property.

    “These changes make the Web AutoMapper even easier and more cost effective to use,” said LandWorks President Jerry Bramwell. “Anyone with a need to create land maps can do so in just a few minutes at minimal cost.”

    For about 20 percent of the cost of manual mapping, Web AutoMapper has simplified land records mapping in the oil and gas, renewable energy, mining, banking, utility, pipeline, state/local government, telecommunications, transportation, water and real estate sectors. The cost to map a legal parcel description with Web AutoMapper is $2 per polygon with the USLandGrid offered at $7 per PLSS Township.

    “The USLandGrid data provides the tie between a legal description and the geography of that parcel of land,” said USLandGrid Vice President of Sales Anthony Ford. “Producing polygons this way allows you to get your land positions on a map for critical analysis using the GIS.”

    “LandWorks selected USLandGrid for inclusion in Web AutoMapper because it is the best basemap available for any industry or profession to use in mapping property legal descriptions,” said Bramwell. “An important benefit of the USLandGrid is that its data layers are continuously updated as more accurate survey data becomes available.”

    landworks_webautomapper-o

    LandWorks first introduced Web AutoMapper in 2013 as an inexpensive, fast and easy method of processing many types of standard property descriptions and converting them into digital map polygons. Legal descriptions that would take days or weeks to map manually can be processed in minutes with this online software-as-a-service application.

    A customer simply logs onto Web AutoMapper and creates an account. The user then submits an Excel spreadsheet containing one or hundreds of legal descriptions in Jeffersonian Township/Range or Texas Survey/Abstract formats. Within seconds, Web AutoMapper provides an onscreen report detailing which polygons can be generated, which cannot, and shows an overview of the mapped polygons aligned to the USLandGrid.

    If the customer decides to proceed, a credit card is provided. For customers who don’t already own the Grid, they have the option of buying it by the township along with their mapped polygons.

    Web AutoMapper generates a zip file of the purchased polygons and USLandGrid townships either in Esri shapefile or file geodatabase format in NAD 83 or 27 for direct download into Esri ArcGIS software as well as other popular mapping systems, such as IHS Petra, IHS Kingdom and LMKR GeoGraphix.

    As a cloud-based application, Web AutoMapper brings the full power of the standalone LandWorks AutoMapper software to every level of digital map user via the Internet. Introduced in 2002, the onsite AutoMapper package is purchased by an organization and sits behind their firewall as a production-grade GIS mapping tool. The software is used extensively by organizations that own or lease many land rights and must keep their property records up to date, such as local governments, energy companies and natural resource management entities.

  • LandWorks Tightens Integration with Esri in Land Management Software Upgrades

    Landworks-webmaps-spain2

    LandWorks Inc., a developer of innovative land management solutions, has introduced Release 5.20 of its three primary software suites — LandWorks Property Management, LandWorks GIS, and WebMaps Enterprise GIS. All three have been re-written for easier use, enhanced industry-specific functionality, and tighter integration with Esri GIS solutions.

    “In Release 5.20, we rebuilt the software from the ground up with a combination of C# [Sharp] .NET and a service-oriented architecture,” said LandWorks President Jerry Bramwell. “This modern architecture allows for integration of live Esri GIS maps and builds a foundation for hosting in the cloud.”

    Deployed extensively for land asset management and mapping in the oil and gas, utility, mining, pipeline, renewable energy and government sectors, the upgraded LandWorks software suites are expected to appeal to an even wider audience. In addition, their applicability within organizations will expand beyond land management to project planning, acquisition and development.

    The flagship LandWorks Property Management (LPM) suite is a complete solution for land asset management designed for easy storage and retrieval of data relating to any type of land right. In the new LPM version 5.20, clients may open an oil and gas lease or right-of-way agreement and instantly access a live GIS map displaying the relevant polygons. Direct integration with Esri’s ArcGIS Server gives the client full web-based GIS functionality from within the LPM interface and the ability to update the live map with new information on the fly.

    “LPM is the only land asset management software with embedded live access to Esri GIS maps,” Bramwell said.

    The LandWorks suites, used worldwide, also have been internationalized to support the language, date, currency and measurement formats preferred by individual end users based on their locations. A large mining company with operations in multiple countries, for example, may deploy the LandWorks suites across its enterprise. End users in Portugal, Spain and Canada are able to view the same information presented in Portuguese, Spanish or English.

    In addition to a more intuitive interface with a modern look and feel, LandWorks has added new functionality to the software products designed for greater ease-of-use in specific industries. The ability to make land royalty payments for mining and wind energy operations has been expanded. LPM and LandWorks GIS have been enhanced to better manage and present linear-based land rights.

    “The enhancement of our products to better manage land rights associated with linear assets will make the LandWorks suites more attractive to transportation and telecommunications industries,” said Bramwell.

    LandWorks has built new modules to the LPM suite to extend its usability across the entire land management workflow. LPM now manages land-related projects of any type or size including acquisition, surveying and encroachment investigation.

    The three LandWorks suites comprise a total of 18 individually licensed software products, many of which can function alone or interface with LPM. LandWorks GIS integrates the Esri GIS functionality into LPM. WebMaps Enterprise GIS Suite extends web-based mapping via ArcGIS Server across the enterprise to all departments, not just the land department.

    “All LandWorks software products currently reside behind the client’s firewall, however, we will soon offer hosting in the cloud as an additional licensing optional for our clients,” said Bramwell.

  • LandWorks Adds Linear Project Routing to Online Property Mapping Service

    LandWorks Inc., a developer of land-management solutions, has added linear project mapping capabilities to its online Web AutoMapper service, which converts land legal descriptions into GIS-ready map polygons. Web AutoMapper clients can now download digital parcel polygons with ownership information for every property crossed by a linear right-of-way project.

    The linear mapping capability in Web AutoMapper facilitates the planning of any linear infrastructure development project – pipelines by energy companies, electric transmission lines by utilities, roads and highways by departments of transportation, and buried fiber networks by telecommunication companies.

    “Web AutoMapper makes it faster and less expensive to map a proposed right-of-way or corridor project,” said LandWorks President Jerry Bramwell. “In minutes, project planners can download all of the digital parcel and land ownership information needed to select the safest and least costly route.”

    To use the service, the client logs onto Web AutoMapper and creates an account. The user then uploads a shapefile of the proposed linear project route from their GIS or mapping software. Web AutoMapper prompts them to enter start and end points for the route. Customers are also given the option of having their route mapped with or without a buffer on either side.

    Within minutes, Web AutoMapper overlays the route onto the nation-wide tax parcel grid developed by Digital Map Products of Irvine, California. Web AutoMapper then provides an onscreen map showing every property crossed by the route or within the user-selected buffer around the route. Paying with credit card or a customer account, the customer downloads the Digital Map Products parcels for only those properties affected by the proposed route. The parcel polygons are delivered in either shapefiles or as a file geodatabase for seamless ingest into the GIS or other mapping software.

    Also included in the Web AutoMapper deliverable is a Line List Report identifying every property crossing in order from the starting to end points of the proposed route. Both the parcel polygons and Line List Report contain important attributes for each property, such as landowner and address details, obtained from county tax records.

    “The linear mapping capability in Web AutoMapper serves as an easy-to-use cost-estimating tool for major infrastructure development projects,” said Bramwell. “The planner receives all of the land ownership information that will be needed to acquire rights-of-way for the project.”

    In many cases, the ownership information in the parcel file will help planners identify certain types of properties — such as hospitals or schools — where rights-of-way may be impractical or simply too costly to acquire, said Bramwell. This allows the planners to look for less expensive alternatives while the project is still in its early phases.

    Some linear projects require the developer to notify land owners within a certain distance of the proposed route. The buffering option in Web AutoMapper enables the planners to easily obtain land ownership information for properties within the regulated proximity to the line.

    LandWorks introduced Web AutoMapper in 2013 as a fast and easy method of processing many types of standard property descriptions and converting them into digital map polygons. The cloud-based application is used extensively by organizations that must manage large tracts of land and keep property records up to date for activities related to oil and gas, renewable energy, mining, banking, utility, pipeline, state/local government, transportation, telecommunications, water and real estate sectors.

  • CoreLogic Makes Available Land Records Management Solution

    CoreLogic, a global property information, analytics and data-enabled services provider, has introduced a new land records management solution to provide a single source of location information and property characteristics data for the oil & gas, utilities and telecommunications industries. SpatialRecord by CoreLogic integrates CoreLogic parcel-level spatial data with the company’s vast property-level database to provide expanded data analysis and more granular information.

    The patented technology used to create SpatialRecord technology converts raw data into easily digestible information that can be leveraged to make more informed exploration, planning, serviceability and compliance process decisions. SpatialRecord, appends and normalizes location information and property characteristic data that is often otherwise dispersed across a variety of sources so that it’s ready for client use quickly and without further analysis required.

    “Whether managing field infrastructure, planning the path of a new transmission line, or managing legal compliance and risk, it’s vital for oil & gas, utility and telecommunications companies to have access to complete information to make critical decisions quickly and accurately,” said Jay Kingsley, senior vice president for CoreLogic Spatial Solutions. “This integration of location information and property-specific data, combined with the quick turnaround and comprehensive front-end analysis, puts crucial information at a users’ fingertips, reducing the time and resources required and allowing a greater focus on core business activities.”

    SpatialRecord provides highly granular data that is updated daily from more than 4,700 sources on 99 percent of properties throughout the U.S. In addition to combining the data sets into a single, ready-to-use resource, the expanded integration of CoreLogic spatial and property-level data includes:

    • Land property use, as well as the actual and effective year a structure was built on the property
    • Land, structure and property valuation and tax information
    • Property and structure area
    • Construction and structure details, including specifics on the type of foundation, roof covering used, the number of bathrooms and the number of fixtures in each
    • Mailing addresses that coincide with site addresses, which can help prevent delays and mistakes in compliance processes and communications
    • Both first and last names of primary property owners, as well as first and last names of secondary property owners to increase accuracy in identifying and communicating with land owners

    “Combining the most granular property characteristics with parcel-level accuracy not only saves time and money, but also improves efficiencies in the complex processes of planning, exploration and compliance,” said Kingsley. “And the benefits extend to land and property owners as well. With a more comprehensive record of a property in hand, these companies are better positioned to work more effectively, minimize errors or disruptions and provide a higher level of service to individual land owners.”