The first launch attempt on Oct. 2 from Cape Canaveral was halted due to an “unexpected pressure rise in the turbomachinery gas generator,” said SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Twitter, referring to a part in the rocket’s Merlin engines.
SpaceX test-fired the Falcon 9 rocket for the GPS mission on Saturday at 7 p.m. on pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to verify that corrective actions have resolved the issue, according to SpaceX and reported by SpaceFlightNow. The fourth GPS III satellite was not aboard during the test.
GPS III SV04 first rolled out to Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40 on Sept. 27. The satellite was originally scheduled for launch Sept. 30, then Oct. 1, but that launch was delayed because of a “traffic jam” at the launchpad caused by launch delays of other rockets.
The satellite was almost launched at 9:43 p.m. EDT on Oct. 2 until the launch was stopped at T– 2 seconds.
The Lockheed Martin-built GPS III SV04 will be launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket — the third National Security Space Launch (NSSL) mission on a Falcon 9 rocket, the second U.S. Space Force (USSF) first-stage booster recovery, and the sixth USSF launch.
A live feed will begin 20 minutes before the launch and conclude approximately 45 minutes afterward. A simulcast of the broadcast can be viewed at www.spacex.com.
GPS III SV04 will be launched to augment the current GPS constellation comprised of 31 operational spacecraft. GPS satellites operate in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) at an altitude of approximately 20,200 km (12,550 miles) in six orbital planes. Each satellite circles the earth twice per day.
GPS III brings new capabilities to users such as the new L1C civilian signal, which opens the window for future interoperability with international satellite navigation systems.
GPS III SV04 rests atop a Falcon 9 rocket, waiting to be sent into orbit. (Photo: SpaceX)
Esri is offering two major capabilities in Site Scan for ArcGIS that will enable governments and critical infrastructure organizations to meet hardware and software regulations in the United States and Europe. Site Scan is Esri’s unmanned aerial systems flight planning and processing solution.
Through an established partnership with Auterion, creator of an open-source drone autopilot operating system, security-conscious U.S. organizations will be able to use Site Scan to plan and execute missions with Auterion’s Freefly Astro drone.
In Europe, data from publicly funded or critical infrastructure projects cannot leave the European Union (EU). For these organizations, a new and fully independent instance of Site Scan for ArcGIS has been deployed to a server cluster in Ireland, ensuring that organizational data resides within the region.
Site Scan for ArcGIS is used by organizations that require drone imagery for visual inspections, site monitoring, asset management and situational awareness. It’s an all-in-one, cloud-based drone mapping solution for managing fleets and collecting, processing, analyzing, and sharing data products. Industries using this solution include architecture, engineering, construction, natural resources, infrastructure and government.
Freefly Astro uses U.S. Department of Defense-approved Blue sUAS software architecture from Auterion, and is fully supported by Site Scan. The first vehicle integrates the software with the Freefly Astro, with more vehicles becoming available.
Auterion’s secure, integrated workflow for mapping uses the Freefly Astro drone, Sony A7R4 camera and Esri Site Scan within a single platform.
The Freefly Astro and Site Scan integration will be available by December. The European deployment of Site Scan is available now.
The 10-minute-long drone show included a flying dove with a wingspan of 600 meters, visible from three kilometers away. (Photo: u-blox)
U-blox supplied the high-accuracy technology that made it possible to fly a massive swarm of drones. The simultaneous flight of 2,198 miniature unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) was launched into the night sky over Saint Petersburg, Russia, on Sept. 3.
The 10-minute-long drone show included a flying dove with a wingspan of 600 meters, visible from three kilometers away.
Geoscan, which built and programmed the drones and ran the display, chose u-blox positioning technology for its combination of accuracy, reliability, performance and ability to access positional data from both the GLONASS and GPS satellite navigation constellations.
The 10-centimeter-wide Geoscan Salute drones were designed for use in group flights and drone shows. The drones use u-blox NEO-M8P high-precision GNSS modules to provide the positioning data to create a fluid drone show. Salute drones return to their base stations automatically at the end of a show.
The NEO-M8P module implements a real-time kinematic (RTK) approach that improves positional accuracy by comparing the phase of a signal being broadcast from a positioning satellite with that of the same signal that has been received and rebroadcast from a fixed base station. The accuracy gained in this way enables drones to calculate their relative positions to within millimeters, and their absolute positions to within 1 centimeter of the intended position.
Geoscan has been producing drone displays for the past two years, starting with 40 drones flying at once. “The u-blox modules in our Geoscan Salute drones have improved our drones’ positioning accuracies to about one centimeter, and have helped reduce pre-launch preparation time,” said Semen Lapko, head of Drone Show Project, Geoscan. “Drones now move more quickly and accurately, while also operating more efficiently.”
A roundup of recent products in the GNSS and inertial positioning industry from the November 2020 issue of GPS World magazine.
OEM
GNSS receiver
Sub-decimeter accuracy without additional service subscription
The AsteRs-m2-Sx. (Photo: Septentrio)
The SECORX-S product line, which first offered GNSS OEM boards, now also includes a compact mosaic-Sx module and ruggedized receiver in an IP68 chassis, the AsteRx SB Sx. The multi-constellation multi-frequency SECORX-S receivers deliver sub-decimeter positioning without the need for additional correction service subscription or maintenance. The PPP-RTK correction service is integrated directly into Septentrio’s core GNSS technology. The addition of modules and boxed receivers to the SECORX-S line providesz accurate positioning to applications such as precision agriculture, UAVs, robotics and construction.
Smart Power GNSS signal splitters improve GNSS service reliability and minimize service interruptions. The professional-grade splitters — TW162 (one antenna/two receivers) and TW164 (one antenna/four receivers) — offer system redundancy and fail-over capability. The splitters are designed to improve GNSS service reliability and reduce signal reception failures. Both splitters offer system redundancy and fail-over capability. They support GPS/QZSS-L1/L2/L5, QZSS-L6, GLONASS-G1/G2/G3, Galileo-E1/E5a/E5b/E6, BeiDou-B1/B2/B2a/B3 and L-band correction services.
The EM919x 5G NR Sub-6 GHz and mmWave embedded modules include an integrated GNSS receiver. Based on the industry-standard M.2 form factor, the modules will enable original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to securely deploy 5G connectivity worldwide at the highest possible speeds with ultra-low latency for routers and gateways. The modules support mmWave, sub-6 GHz and LTE, as defined by the 3GPP Release 15 standard. Applications include private networks, enterprise networking, edge processing, live streaming, video security, e-gaming, smart factories, robotics, drones, virtual reality, machine learning, and new Industrial IoT applications.
Tactical Embedded series of GNSS/IMUs. (Photo: VectorNav)
The Tactical Embedded series of GNSS/IMUs feature a tactical-grade inertial measurement unit (IMU) and a multi-band GNSS receiver. The line delivers milliradian attitude accuracy and centimeter-level positioning capability in a miniature 15-gram package. The small size enables cost reductions for a range of autonomous pointing and geo-referencing applications such as gimballed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR); satellite communication systems; lidar mapping; and photogrammetry. The line supports external SAASM GPS for defense applications in ISR, electronic warfare, munitions and UAV navigation. The line includes the VN-110E IMU/AHRS, the VN-210E GNSS-aided inertial navigation system (INS), and the VN-310E dual-antenna GNSS/INS.
VectorNav Technologies, vectornav.com
GNSS/INS Sensor
Designed for dynamic environments
Photo: CHCNAV
The CGI-610 GNSS/INS high-precision dual-antenna receiver offers reliable and accurate navigation and positioning for demanding land, marine and aerial applications. The tight fusion of the latest GNSS technology with an industrial-grade MEMS IMU is powered by CHCNAV’s algorithms to deliver accurate hybrid position, attitude and velocity data, even in complex and obstructed environments where GNSS outages can occur. The CGI-610 supports data output up to 100 Hz to meet the requirements of highly dynamic applications such as airplane, train and automobile. An optional external odometer sensor for ground vehicles can provide an additional measurement of displacement and speed, which is fused with the GNSS/INS navigation solution.
Bad Elf Flex is a scalable-accuracy GNSS receiver with a daily option to choose between L-band and real-time kinematic (RTK). In standard configuration, it achieves 30-60 cm accuracy in real time for GIS use. Consuming a Bad Elf Flex Token unlocks a full RTK workflow for a 24-hour period to deliver 1-cm horizontal accuracy. Bad Elf Flex stores the tokens directly on the receiver, making them available for use anytime. Customers requiring high accuracy at all times can purchase the Bad Elf Flex Extreme bundle, with RTK capabilities permanently unlocked, for a one-time upgrade fee.
The R550 data collector features an industrial-level design and new hardware platform to ensure efficiency and productivity in the field. The IP67 dust-and-waterproof rating protects the R550 from most harsh environments. Equipping it with a 7,000 mA Li-ion battery allows more than 14 hours of continuous operation, while fast-charging technology means four hours for a full charge. The 5-inch-wide sunlight-readable, high-resolution screen provides a smooth experience for any operation. The integrated autofocusing camera helps enhance job documentation by taking photos on site and sharing job information with colleagues. Survey Master field software available on the R550 controller ensures efficient surveys in the field, including topographic surveys, stakeouts, coordinate geometry (COGO) and more. Powered by the Android 8.1 operating system and designed with 4G RAM, 64GB ROM and 4G/BT/Wi-Fi on board, users can run other third-party apps based on their specific requirements.
The Trimble AP+ Air OEM solution provides direct georeferencing of airborne sensor data and enables users to accurately and efficiently produce maps and 3D models without the use of ground control points. It is designed for manned platforms, yet small enough for use on UAVs. It is also compatible with airborne remote sensors, including photogrammetric cameras, lidar, hyper- and multi-spectral cameras, and synthetic aperture radar. The Trimble AP+ Air features dual embedded survey-grade GNSS chipsets, an onboard inertial measurement unit (IMU), an external IMU, and the new Applanix IN-Fusion+ GNSS-aided inertial firmware. It is configurable to support the direct georeferencing accuracy demands of low-flying UAVs and high-altitude manned platforms. Trimble AP+ Air is supported by Applanix POSPac MMS post-processing software with CenterPoint RTX post-processing for centimeter-level positioning anywhere in the world without the need for base stations.
American-made drone aimed at government agencies and military
Photo: Teal
The Teal Golden Eagle drone is designed for short-range surveillance and reconnaissance missions. It features a FLIR Handron dual-camera sensor on a two-axis stabilizer, giving it color vision at 4K 60 fps and thermal vision for extended operations. The payload is hot-swappable. It has a flight time of up to 50 minutes and can fly at speeds of 50 mph with a range of 2 miles. It is able to fly in wind speeds of up to 30 mph and can operate between –32° and 110° Fahrenheit. Forward-facing obstacle avoidance and rear-facing visual-inertial odometry estimates location without the need for GPS. The platform has received approval from the Department of Defense.
A new line of AccuAuto triple-band antennas are designed to provide strong clean code and phase signals to enable high-precision real-time kinematic (RTK) and precise point positioning (PPP) navigation. Model TWA928 supports GPS/QZSS-L1/L2/L5, GLONASS-G1/G2/G3, Galileo-E1/E5a/E5b, BeiDou-B1/B2/B2a and NavIC-L5 signals and frequency bands (the TWA928L includes support for L-band correction services). The AccuAuto line features patented Accutenna technology multi-constellation and multi-frequency antenna elements as well as an integrated ground plane, a radome and an underside cover that provides mist and condensation protection. A deep pre-filter minimizes out-of-band noise and maximizes in-band reception. All AccuAuto components are certified and designed to perform under challenging environmental conditions, such as extreme temperatures (–40° C to +125° C), shock and vibration.
The CheetahNAV provides situational awareness for harsh environments and battlefield conditions, providing the crew of a light military vehicle with highly accurate position information through an advanced inertial measurement system (IMS) comprising several aids, including a gyro-compensated compass and an advanced Kalman-filter-based algorithm. The system provides dead-reckoning horizontal position accuracy of 0.2% of distance traveled in a GNSS-denied situation — accuracy of 200 meters over 100 kilometers. It can integrate with inertial navigation systems (INS). Combined with GNSS and compass information, the system enables dead-reckoning and accurate positioning of the vehicle in tactical situations. The tactical-grade integral inertial measurement unit (IMU) ensures jam-free operation.
The first drone of Europe’s U-space TRACE project took its maiden flight Sept. 23. It carried an EGNOS-enabled beacon that allows the identification of the aircraft while guaranteeing accurate, robust positioning.
The drone lifted off at the ATLAS experimental flight center in Jaén, Spain, an aerodrome equipped for flight tests with unmanned aircraft systems.
The Regional Minister for Economic Transformation, Industry, Knowledge and Universities, Rogelio Velasco said, “This event shows Andalusia’s commitment to hosting initiatives that promote innovation in the region.”
Using enhanced EGNOS signals, the EU’s regional satellite-based augmentation system, TRACE supports the safe and effective integration of drones into U-space by providing essential services such as e-registration, e-identification and pre-tactical geofencing.
The smart beacon allows for remote identification of drones flying at a very low altitude, enabling safer integration of drones into airspace through the use of U-Space. This makes it easier for traditional aviation pilots to know the position of drones. The smart beacon also enables better traffic separation when integrated with U-space services, thanks to EGNOS.
“TRACE is a pioneering project in Europe that will allow us to demonstrate the advantages of EGNOS, particularly in terms of greater precision in locating drones,” said Luis Gómez, CEO of Alter Technology.
The TRACE project is funded by a GSA EGNOS Adoption in Aviation grant. It designed and developed a smart beacon that leverages the robust signal corrections of EGNOS to improve positioning accuracy, and thus the safety of drone operations at very low altitudes.
Carolina Jiménez, TRACE project manager at Alter Technology added, “TRACE will demonstrate compliance with the European Drone Regulation, an important aspect within the Alter business line, since one of the fundamental requirements in this new regulatory framework is that each system has the capacity for remote identification for future secure integration within the air space for these systems (U-Space).
The TRACE project is led by Alter Technology, and is a result of collaboration among European companies such as Unifly (Belgium), Pildo Labs and FADA-CATEC (Spain).
Vodafone, together with CATEC, presented the 5G Lab of ATLAS within the 5G initiative of RED.ES. A use case of 5G with drones for urgent defibrillator delivery was demonstrated with the participation of Fundación SSG, Vodafone and the technological support of CATEC.
TRACE project partners include:
Alter Technology provides engineering and test services for electronic systems and E.E.E. components within the space and harsh environment markets.
FADA-CATEC, the Advanced Aerospace Technologies Center, promotes and develops creation of technological knowledge and its transfer to the productive aerospace industry.
Pildo Labs is an engineering company that specializes in aeronautics and aerospace technology and services.
Unifly is a software company with a platform for the safe integration of drones into the airspace.
The European GNSS Agency (GSA) manages operations, security and service provisions for Europe’s Galileo and EGNOS.
The drone market is expected to outstrip any other user base in the aviation market. According to estimations, revenues from drone-based services are expected to exceed 150 million euros by 2023. GNSS is a key enabling technology for drones and it is expected that its role will continue to grow. Solutions like TRACE that use European GNSS (EGNOS and Galileo) are differentiators that can be leveraged to safely integrate drones into non-segregated airspace and into the U-Space.
U-space
The progressive deployment of U-space is linked to the increasing availability of services and enabling technologies. Over time, U-space services will evolve as the level of automation of the drone increases, and advanced forms of interaction with the environment are enabled (including manned and unmanned aircraft).
These U-space services have been identified and gathered in four different phases, increasing the drone level of integration. Learn more in the U-space Blueprint.
Partnering with the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center (NAVCEN), U.S. Space Force and Lockheed Martin Space have released the GPS IIR/IIR-M satellite antenna patterns for worldwide public use.
Additionally, the Institute of Navigation has offered a related ION journal article free to the public to accompany the antenna patterns.
The GPS Block II Replenishment (IIR) space vehicle (SV) began improving upon its baseline design in 2003 with the launch of the first Block IIR SV retrofitted with a redesigned antenna panel. This is the Earth-facing panel providing the GPS L-band broadcast signal. The improved antenna panel includes redesigned L-band elements mounted on the SV Earth-facing structure in the same manner as the original antenna panel.
The Earth Terrestrial Service Volume is the near-Earth region up to 3,000 km altitude. (Diagram: NAVCEN/Lockheed Martin)
Spacecraft Navigation
The use of GPS signals for spacecraft navigation has increased in general over the last few decades. Navigation employing GPS observations for spacecraft in low-Earth orbit is now considered routine.
However, the situation is quite different for spacecraft that fly in the Space Service Volume above the GPS constellation, including medium-Earth orbit (MEO), geostationary orbit (GEO) and high-Earth orbit (HEO) satellites, as well as missions to the Moon and beyond.
For these spacecraft, reception of GPS transmit antenna side lobe signals is essential to improve availability and performance of on-board navigation and timing. In this context, the knowledge of the full antenna pattern (main lobe and side lobes) from the transmitting antennas of each of the GPS satellites is essential.
These published antenna patterns and associated ION citation describe both IIR and IIR-M antenna panel versions, their broadcast signal patterns, the performance observed in factory testing, and their on-orbit performance.
Chart: NAVCEN/Lockheed MartinChart: NAVCEN/Lockheed MartinChart: NAVCEN/Lockheed Martin
These patterns represent the current capability of the GPS IIR/IIR-M Space Vehicles. Receiver designers should consult the IS-GPS-200 specifications for use in receiver design and not base design on current signal performance.
GPS technical documents are also available at the NAVCEN website and linked from the GPS.gov website.
Legacy antenna panel on the GPS IIR satellite. (Photo: NAVCEN/Lockheed Martin)
The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded a contract to London-based CGI to develop a GNSS Event Notification Service (GENS) capable of monitoring the United Kingdom (U.K.) GNSS spectrum to enable effective alerting and reporting of position, navigation and time (PNT) disruption.
GENS will integrate CGI’s PNT Incident Event Monitoring (PNTIEM) system with existing U.K.-developed sensors from Ordnance Survey’s network (OS NET) of GNSS receivers and GMV NSL’s Detector, GISMO and Strike 3 interface technologies.
Bringing together existing systems will build on proven technologies, reducing the cost of development of a large-scale monitoring network while providing the ability to introduce new services for detecting GNSS events and disruption, according to a CSI press release.
Supported by the OS and GMV NSL, CGI will lead the delivery of GENS using an agile software delivery experience, supported by system design and DevSecOps development and integration skills. An open interface will be offered for future providers of GNSS measurements or spectrum event data.
Alongside the GENS system technical delivery, the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) will develop a GNSS guidance document in partnership with U.K. government departments, agencies, CNI operators, professional institutes, academic institutes and commercial organizations to enable informed requirements development, procurement, deployment and support of HMG GNSS-reliant services.
Reviewed alongside events identified by GENS, the combined offering will highlight and inform stakeholders on risks posed by the loss of PNT services as identified by the PNT Strategy Group Interim Report in April 2020.
GENS will also respond to HMG’s “Satellite-derived time and position: a study of critical dependencies” report which identified the need for mitigation to GNSS disruption and estimated the economic impact to the U.K. economy of a five-day disruption to GNSS at £5.2 billion.
The full GENS system will enable users across both commercial and public sector services to subscribe to be informed of both GNSS quality and interference events for regions of interest. By focusing on these events and the improved understanding of the risk posed by disruption, stakeholders will be better informed to enable them to build system resilience or to respond to the disruption of GNSS within the U.K.
‘‘Detecting and monitoring GNSS is core to better understanding the scale and risk posed by PNT disruption in the U.K. and across all ESA member states,” said Rafael Lucas Rodriguez, technical officer for GENS, European Space Agency. “ESA is supporting CGI to develop effective tools enabling a system to be created utilizing previous ESA and UK HMG work. This will bring direct benefits for U.K. public and private stakeholders.”
“The U.K. is a leading investor in GNSS research,” said Andy Proctor, U.K. lead delegate to the ESA Programme Board for Navigation. “Understanding GNSS spectrum quality is vital for the stability of PNT services in the U.K. This program will help promote and address GNSS disruption affecting PNT services while supporting the U.K.’s thriving space sector and the wider economy.”
“This is an exciting project that brings together CGI’s navigation and spectrum domain expertise supported by scaled agile and DevSecOps delivery experience,” said John Hanley, vice president of secure and assured space solutions at CGI in the U.K. “After talking to both public and private stakeholders for GNSS, it became clear that one of the initial challenges is understanding the scale of PNT disruption. GNSS services touch every part of society across finance, utilities, transport and defense and need to be protected.”
CGI has been delivering complex, mission-critical space software systems for clients across Europe, Asia and North America, supporting satellite navigation, communications, operations and space enabled applications for more than 40 years.
Emcore Corp.’s EN-300 FOG (fiber optic gyro) inertial measurement unit (IMU) is now in high-rate production and is broadly available for purchase with 12-week lead times. The EN-300 was announced in April.
Based in Alhambra, California, Emcore providees advanced mixed-signal products that serve the aerospace, defense and broadband communications markets.
Emcore’s EN-300 offers up to 10 times the bias performance of legacy systems in a form, fit and function compatible package, the company said. This improved performance makes the EN-300 suitable for GPS-denied navigation, precise targeting and line-of-sight stabilization requirements for unmanned aerial vehicles as well as other demanding applications.
Emcore has successfully completed a comprehensive Design Verification Testing (DVT) regimen over tough environmental conditions and has provided numerous proof-of-technology IMUs globally to defense contractor primes and aerospace customers seeking to upgrade their platforms and systems. Emcore is now expanding production of the EN-300 with strict manufacturing process and quality controls in place to enhance on-time delivery and specification compliance.
“Given the strong market interest and demand, we are extremely pleased to announce the production ramp-up and broad availability for purchase of the EN-300,” said David Hoyh, Emcore’s director of sales & marketing for navigation products. “Emcore’s vertical integration creates unique capabilities that enable us to deliver the higher level of performance demanded by the market, coupled with greater precision and lower cost to further benefit our customers.”
According to Emcore, the EN-300 precision FOG IMU is a three-axis, closed-loop design using the Company’s proprietary, solid-state FOG transceiver with advanced integrated optics, offering improved reliability and lower cost than legacy IMUs. It can be ordered with performance options tailored to specific customer requirements.
The COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) EN-300-3 model achieves bias in-run stability as low as 0.04 degree/hr with ARW (Angle Random Walk) of 0.015 degree/rt-hr. The non-ITAR EN-300 is superior in performance to older generation such as the closed-loop LN-200 IMU or open-loop KVH 1750 series IMU units that have higher bias over temperature drift.
The QR100 and QR201 anti-jamming devices. (Photo: Quantum Reversal)
Quantum Reversal has added several new models to its flagship anti-jamming line. The company introduced in February the QR100 L1/L2 GPS anti-jamming unit and the QR101 L1/L2 GPS anti-jamming antenna.
The current solution consists now of five products designed for the commercial market to solve the issue of unintentional RF interference or jamming:
QR100 – GPS dual frequency L1/L2 anti-jamming unit
QR200 – GPS dual frequency L1/L2 anti-jamming antenna
QR101 – GNSS multi frequency bands anti-jamming unit
QR201 – GNSS multi frequency bands anti-jamming antenna
QR202 – GNSS multi frequency band anti-jamming antenna with additional L-band reception
(1520-1560 MHz)
All models provide robust GPS or GNSS navigation solution, blocking intentional jamming and unintentional RF interference for services such as timing or 3D positioning.
All the products are lightweight (230 grams for QR1xx series and 500 grams for QR2xx series) with low power consumption (1-1.5 Watt typically, depending on the configuration), and can be mounted on any platform (cars, poles, drones, etc.).
Quantum Reversal operates in the information and wireless technology sector, developing innovative wireless and antenna technologies for various commercial markets. The QR team has experience designing products for applications in space, underwater, robotics and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the commercial and user end. Each application requires a specific solution to deal with specific environmental (pressure, temperature, vibration, etc.) and operational conditions.
The company sells stand alone products as well as OEM products that can be integrated within the customer products.
Inertial Labs is offering a new industrial-grade inertial measurement unit (IMU) for aerospace and defense applications, among others.
The Kernel-100 is a compact, self-contained strapdown IMU that measures linear acceleration and angular rates with three-axis MEMS accelerometers and three-axis MEMS gyroscopes.
The Kernel-100 is fully calibrated, temperature compensated, mathematically aligned to an orthogonal coordinate system. It contains up to 2 deg/hr bias in-run stability gyroscopes and 10 μg bias in-run stability accelerometers with extremely low noise and high repeatability.
The Kernel-100 is a fully integrated inertial solution that includes the newest MEMS sensor technologies. With seamless integration, the Kernel-100 inertial system is a cost-effective high performance yet compact and low-power IMU, the company said. The Kernel-100 is easy to integrate in a wide range of higher order systems while consuming very little space and power.
With continuous built-in test (BIT), configurable communications protocols, electromagnetic interference protection, and flexible input power requirements, the Kernel-100 is built to be used in a wide variety of environments and integrated system applications.
Built for air, marine and land environments, the Kernel-100 can be integrated into motion reference units, attitude and heading reference systems, and GPS-aided inertial navigation systems. As a result, the Kernel-100 is suitable for a wide variety of applications such as autonomous vehicles, antenna and line-of-sight stabilizations systems, and buoy or boat motion monitoring.
Inertial Labs provides innovative solutions to commerce, industry and government for defense and aerospace.
Swift Navigation has launched its production-grade SSR (state space representation) service across Swift’s coverage areas.
Swift is a San Francisco-based tech firm offering GNSS and precise positioning technology for mass-market applications in autonomous vehicles, mobile and internet of things (IoT).
SSR is a bandwidth-efficient format to deliver GNSS corrections to mass-market applications, such as for automotive and mobile customers. It is offered through Swift’s Skylark precise positioning service.
As a new option for corrections delivery available as part of Swift’s precise positioning service, SSR delivers seamless and homogeneous accuracy throughout a coverage area. To date, Skylark delivered corrections in OSR (observation state representation) format for compatibility with legacy equipment but with the introduction of SSR, the power of Swift’s cloud error modeling is now available in its native format.
SSR provides users with fine-grained information about GNSS error sources. SSR divides the coverage region into a series of “tiles” which can be broadcast to all users within that tile, enhancing scalability and minimizing bandwidth while maintaining the utmost security and privacy.
With the capacity to reach millions of connected devices in markets such as mobile and automotive, it is critical to provide both a scalable and secure solution. Swift’s Skylark can deliver bulk corrections data to enterprise customers’ backend for distribution, putting the customer in control of their own users’ privacy and security.
Swift’s enterprise-reference architecture code equips customers with the SSR Tile Distribution Server software that provides a seamless integration path to incorporate SSR corrections into their own cloud or on-premise solution.
Swift’s SSR solution is also based on the open standard from 3GPP. The significance of utilizing the SSR positioning standard from the 3GPP standards body is that it meets the interoperability requirements demanded by mass-market mobile and automotive applications.
“The team at Swift is excited to bring its production-grade, standards-based SSR service to market,” shares Fergus Noble, CTO at Swift Navigation. “The ability to deploy SSR to users in a scalable way, while maintaining privacy, makes it possible for automotive, cellular and IoT mass-market customers to integrate precise positioning into their service offering.”
Skylark is available for integration into wide-area, high-precision positioning applications across the continental United States and Europe and is available in the countries of Japan, South Korea and Australia, with plans to expand globally. Skylark is an ever-expanding service and is scalable to service millions of users. All eligible Skylark subscribers begin with a free trial or pilot program.
U‑blox has launched a commercial internet of things (IoT) Security-as-a-Service offering. Available on both the u‑blox SARA-R4 and SARA-R5 series of LTE-M cellular IoT modules, the service protects data from malicious third parties, both on the device and during transmission from the device to the cloud, u-blox said in a press release.
Both the SARA-R4 and R5 have integrated M8 GNSS receivers.
The IoT Security-as-a-Service provides an out-of-the box onboarding process to cloud IoT platforms to speed up development, shortening time-to-market.
The IoT Security-as-a-Service offering, which is managed via the u‑blox Thingstream service delivery platform, is specifically optimized for low-power, wide-area (LPWA) deployments that use resource-constrained IoT devices. By substantially reducing data overhead and keeping the number of handshakes to a minimum, the service improves power consumption and extends the battery life, a critical metric for most IoT devices.
u-blox acquired Thingstream, an IoT communication-as-a-service provider, in April.
Central to the effectiveness of the solution is a unique symmetric key management system (KMS). Through it, an infinite number of crypto keys can be generated on the fly for each device, rather than having to rely on the storage and management of pre-shared keys (which can add to overall operational complexity and the power budget).
Keys are tied to the hardware and can be triggered from either the module or from the server/cloud, completely eliminating the need to create, deliver, and renew certificates, and bringing significant savings in terms of system cost, operational complexity, and power consumption.
The solution also leverages u‑blox’s Foundation security offering, which comprises fundamental elements that make SARA-R4 and SARA-R5 modules secure by design. These include a unique and immutable device identity that is tied to its root of trust (RoT), which forms the basis for a trusted set of advanced security functionality, including a secure boot mechanism that ensures that the module can only run trusted software. In addition, u‑blox’s proprietary uFOTA feature enables authentication of over-the-air firmware updates.
Among the relevant use cases that u‑blox IoT Security-as-a-Service can support are:
Asset tracking. Data authenticity is essential in such scenarios, as well as secure local storage of collected data and easy secure cloud onboarding. Because tracking devices are usually battery powered, they require extremely energy-efficient secure data transmission.
Connected health/eHealth. In this use case, patient confidentiality is paramount, with only authorized medical staff permitted to access sensitive data. This necessitates a high degree of protection against malware and data tampering.
Industrial monitoring. These solutions need to guarantee the integrity of real-time operational data to increase productivity, avoid downtime, and assure the safety of the workforce.
Building and home automation. Data confidentiality and authenticity need to be maintained, while allowing for data to be shared with trusted stakeholders without compromising customer privacy.
Telematics. In this scenario, the main security risks include denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, device cloning, jamming, etc.
Smart metering. Here, the authenticity of data logged by remote metering units needs to be confirmed to protect billing, and, once trusted communication is established, data transmission needs to be restricted to authorized servers.
“We implemented a true end-to-end concept that protects data from the device to the end user without making it visible to intermediate nodes or platforms, or to service providers. The modules’ symmetric KMS offers engineers a streamlined and scalable alternative to conventional public key infrastructure or pre-shared key arrangements,” says Giovanni Solito, senior product manager, Product Center Services at u‑blox. “And with straightforward onboarding to all the popular cloud IoT platforms, efforts are not taken up by security concerns and operational complexities, but can be focused on speeding up time to market and growing business.”
