On Aug. 19, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted a request for authorization from AT&T Services to use Galileo for emergency location purposes.
AT&T plans to use Galileo in conjunction with GPS to improve the accuracy of its E9-1-1 location services on mobile devices, and facilitate faster response from emergency services when wireless callers dial 9-1-1.
The request was approved by the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau .
The FCC found that AT&T had satisfied the conditions for commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) providers to integrate foreign satellite signals into E9-1-1 services.
Under E9-1-1 requirements established in 2015, CMRS providers seeking to use foreign signals for E9-1-1 services must meet several conditions, including ensuring that integrating non-U.S. signals won’t cause interference with the E9-1-1 system.
Carriers also need to submit a signal integration plan including a mechanism to detect, mitigate and disable Galileo signals if they cause harmful interference.
An applications engineer and his sky-jumping bud don wingsuits to test a NovAtel GNSS receiver integrated with an Epson IMU.
In September 2019, a specialized team assembled at an airstrip outside of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Their mission: Put the Hexagon | NovAtel PwrPak7D-E2 enclosed receiver through tricky test procedures that involved jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 feet.
Taking the NovAtel SPAN receiver to the skies was the brainchild of Andrew Levson, who is both a NovAtel engineer and a skydiving aficionado. He proposed using a wingsuit to test the receiver’s positioning accuracy.
The first wingsuit dive took place in 2011, with NovAtel’s OEM615 receiver and ALIGN heading technology.
This time, the engineers aimed to test both NovAtel’s GNSS receiver featuring SPAN tightly coupled GNSS+INS functionality and its new companion, the Epson G370 inertial measurement unit (IMU). Both are packed in the PwrPak7D-E2 to provide uninterrupted positioning even in GNSS-denied environments.
Wingsuit jumpers Andrew Levson (right) and Blair Egan suit up for the NovAtel tests. (Photo: NovAtel)
“We chose to revive the project, given that equipment has evolved with more comprehensive capabilities,” said Patrick Casiano, manager of Product Management and Applied Technology, NovAtel. “Between 2011 and 2019, we could significantly reduce the payload while increasing value in the data.” In 2011, NovAtel was only able to monitor Levson’s heading. In 2019, the team captured heading, azimuth, pitch and roll measurements.
“We wanted to prove that our equipment can work in a high-dynamic environment, which isn’t necessarily ideal conditions for collecting positioning data,” explained Kiera Fulton, associate product manager, Enclosures and Post-Processing Software, NovAtel. “By proving our products work in a less-than-ideal environment, we exemplify how robust our solutions are.”
Photo: NovAtel
Test Preparation
For the 2019 test, the team chose to gather attitude data. The team also asked Levson to perform specific skydiving maneuvers to rigorously test the positioning solution. “Rather than performing just a simple flight to the ground, we wanted to challenge the solution to reveal more,” Casiano said.
The test was not easy to implement. A lot of behind-the-scenes planning and preparation went into the project. Plus, unforeseen factors made the test more challenging, Fulton said, such as logistics and weather.
“The skydivers require specific weather conditions in order to jump safely,” Fulton said. “Considering how quickly the weather can change here in Alberta, the time windows in which the skydivers could safely jump were few and far between. We pulled through regardless of these adversities.”
When the day of the jump came, the skydivers jumped five times — as many jumps as the weather would permit. “Theoretically, one jump is enough,” Casiano explained. “But as engineers, we always want to have more data to work with.”
2011 wingsuit jump setup. (Image: NovAtel)Wingsuit Jumps Compared: Because of the PwrPak7D-E2’s small size yet strong processing power, Levson required fewer devices in 2019 than in 2011, when he was equipped with two receivers, two antennas, a laptop and a battery. The amount of positioning data also increased. (Image: NovAtel)
High-Flying Maneuvers
The skydivers executed four maneuvers during their jumps.
DART: This simple jump established a baseline for more complex maneuvers to follow. (Photo: NovAtel)
Dart. The skydivers first performed a straight jump, which the team called the Dart. The data from this jump provided a baseline for analyzing the positioning and attitude data.
“This was more important for the attitude analysis, as we have never collected inertial data in a skydiving jump before,” Fulton said.
S-Turn: One of three completed maneuvers. (Image: NovAtel)
S-Turn. Next came the S-Turn. In this maneuver, Levson weaved from side-to-side to test how the equipment handles agile movements.
For the S-Turn, the engineers anticipated seeing the biggest changes in roll. “We were pleasantly surprised to see that the S-Turn is detectable in the azimuth data as well, indicating high correlation between roll and azimuth in a skydiver’s movements,” Fulton said.
The maneuver revealed that when Levson rolls, his body is using less surface area for wind resistance. As a result, he was falling to the ground faster, which then meant the dataset is shorter.
“This became another challenge during data processing, as the free-fall portion of the datasets were now becoming less than 3 minutes in duration,” Fulton said.
Data from the S-Turn also revealed the effect of crosswinds, which is detectable in the data.
Reverse Immelmann: How the intricate maneuver works. (Image: NovAtel)
Reverse Immelmann. The third maneuver was the Reverse Immelmann. Levson flipped onto his back, began a downward turn until perpendicular to the ground, then leveled off, traveling in the opposite direction from where he began.
This complicated exercise provided data for all aspects of an attitude solution — roll, pitch and azimuth. By comparing the expected and real data, the team found several places where the maneuver wasn’t performed perfectly.
“There are many challenges once in the air that would have caused Levson to deviate from the trends in the data that we expected,” explained Fulton. “This is where we realized that our solution was working much more to evaluate the skydiver, rather than using the wingsuit to evaluate our product.”
Casiano agreed. “As a whole, the PwrPak7D-E2 was telling a story about Andrew’s flight,” he said.
The team also wanted to have the skydivers try a Cobra — a maneuver from aerobatics where an airplane momentarily lifts it nose and stalls — but time constraints prohibited it.
“If we had gotten this [a Cobra] recorded, it would have been detectable in the pitch and horizontal velocity data,” Fulton said. “Who knows what other findings we would have come across in this data!”
Measurement matrix: The asterisks (*) denote data values that can only be measured with an IMU. (Chart: NovAtel)
Applications
All these tests, of course, are designed to apply to real-world applications where the PwrPak7D-E2’s capabilities are used in dynamic environments.
For instance, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) needs a feedback mechanism that tells the user whether it is moving or hovering. “In the wingsuit project, we proved that crosswind can be detected,” said Casiano. “This is an important finding for UAV applications, since a feedback loop from the PwrPak7 and the SPAN system can help rectify movement from external forces with counter propulsion to stay still. The PwrPak7D-E2 enclosures allow a data rate of up to 200 Hz, meaning you can capture motion with more detail.”
The PwrPak7D-E2 also works well for any black-box application where users want to record with the push of a button.
Inside the PwrPak7D-E2
Photo: NovAtel
The PwrPak7D-E2 is an all-in-one product. Its components are designed to work together seamlessly to provide positioning data, housed in NovAtel’s OEM7 firmware.
GNSS receiver card used to capture positioning data
Dual-antenna capability to provide accurate heading
Epson IMU to record attitude and motion
On-board logging to eliminate the need for constant monitoring on a PC
Post-Processing
Preparation enabled the team to process the data on site. The on-board logging feature on the PwrPak7D-E2 eliminated the need for constant monitoring during data collection. The unit is pre-configured so that at the time of the jump, Levson only needed to push a button for the unit to start collecting data.
Once the pair of skydivers landed, the ground team offloaded the data for processing, similar to using a memory stick, and moved it to a laptop computer.
“We pulled raw measurement data from the receiver and processed those measurements into position and attitude information,” Fulton said.
It took about 30 minutes to determine whether the dataset was viable. Later processing back in the office generated the charts such as those below.
Expectation: For both the S-Turn and Reverse Immelman maneuvers, a simulated plot was generated at the office to better understand the inertial data produced from the actual wingsuit jumps. (Chart: NovAtel)Reality: This chart shows the actual data. (Chart: NovAatel)
Dynamic Environments
Photo: NovAtel
The PwrPak7 series can be used in many environments in the automotive, agriculture, marine, defense and UAV fields.
“We are constantly trying to find ways to apply this product to other applications and industries,” Fulton said. “With more testing, we keep finding that the PwrPak7 can be used to solve more challenges.
“We want to push the boundaries of our products. True innovation comes from challenging yourself and hovering outside your comfort zone,” Fulton said. “For this project, we are more than satisfied with the results we found. In order to further challenge ourselves and this product, we look forward to applying the PwrPak7 in more scenarios.”
“The PwrPak7 is a robust unit that sets us up for more exploration,” Casiano said. “We are always looking for more challenges to put this unit through to see how the PwrPak7 can further help solve our customer’s problems.
But will there be more skydiving for NovAtel in Levson’s future?
“We could always revisit the skydiving project in another nine years,” Casiano said. “But who knows how the technology will evolve by then?”
Post flight: Blair Egan (right) and Andrew Levson back on Earth. (Photo: NovAtel)
What it feels like to take the plunge
For those of us who have never jumped out of a plane, engineer and skydiver Andrew Levson provides insight.
“It’s not as scary as people think. Because the plane is moving fast, it’s mostly just windy and loud. You don’t get that roller coaster type feeling; in fact you don’t feel like you are even falling — freefall feels more like floating than falling. You definitely wouldn’t know you are flying at speeds over 100 mph.
“When you are climbing out of a plane, there is nothing else on your mind aside from the jump you are about to do. It is pure freedom, and there is often no stress, just a sense of peace and an intense focus on your plan for the jump. Once you get out of the aircraft, you get to fly your body in the way that you want to — most people only know of the position of falling with your body arched and belly toward the ground, but there are many different ways you can orient your body. Some of the lesser known ways to fly your body include your arms and legs spread out while flying a wingsuit (with your belly or back toward the earth) or flying with your head pointing straight at the ground.
“When you skydive, you get to explore the sky with your friends, which is an amazing and unique experience. During a skydive, it is common to experience an ultra-focus during the jump — time slows down a bit and you can see and feel things that are seemingly beyond your typical capability.Many people are amazed at how much skydivers are able to do in the short period of time that a single skydive lasts — about a minute for regular skydives and about two or three minutes when flying a wingsuit.”
Sony GNSS receivers. (left) CXD5610GF, (right) CXD5610GG. (Image: Sony)
Sony Corporation plans to release a high-precision GNSS receiver for use in internet of things (IoT) and wearable devices. The new receivers have low power consumption for dual-band positioning operation — as little as 9 mW.
Increasing use of IoT and wearable devices that utilize location information has resulted in growing demand for GNSS receiver large-scale integrated circuits (LSIs). Precise positioning and reliable communications must be ensured to maintain proper operation of IoT and wearable devices, which are being used even in difficult communication environments and unstable conditions, such as multipath propagation situations caused by reflection off the ground or nearby buildings or the effects of the swinging of the arms when attached to a person’s wrist.
Additionally, device size constraints necessitate a compact battery, whereas satellite signal reception and positioning when using GNSS functionality typically consumes a lot of power, resulting in poor battery life.
The new LSIs support not only the conventional L1 band reception, but also L5 band reception, which is currently being expanded across GNSS constellations, thereby making them capable of dual-band positioning. Sony’s original algorithms enable stable, high-precision positioning even under the difficult conditions unique to wearable devices.
Also, the use of Sony’s original high-frequency analog circuit technology and digital processing technology delivers low power consumption during continuous positioning for dual-band reception operation.
The new LSIs will drive greater opportunities to develop new products and services such as smartwatches and other wearable devices that cannot use external power supplies, as well as IoT devices used for applications such as trackers. They also show promise in a wide variety of applications which require precise positioning and stable communications, such as automotive services.
High-precision, stable positioning via dual-band operation
Compared with the L1 band, the new signal method used in the L5 band employs signal units that are 10 times narrower to measure the range between the GNSS satellite and receiver, improving positioning precision and amplifying the transmission power from the satellite, resulting in high-precision, high-sensitivity positioning.
Quick, accurate GNSS signal reception via Sony’s original algorithms enables positioning that is more stable than conventional products even in changing reception environments, such as obstructing from buildings when on the move and acceleration of wearables due to swinging of the arms. This also leads to quick positioning time even from cold starts, which require more time.
Additionally, Sony’s original digital signal processing technology enables countermeasures against the performance degradation caused by radio interference from aircraft communications as well as spoofing attacks and other issues, thereby improving resistance to interference.
Low power consumption and high sensitivity are delivered by Sony’s original analog circuit technology, which enables low-voltage operation, as well as digital circuits and software algorithms that enable software processing via low clock frequencies. This innovative design keeps power consumption to only 9 mW, the lowest in the industry, when simultaneously receiving signals in both the L1 and L5 bands.
Built-in memory
The new LSI’s feature built-in non-volatile memory for storing firmware, etc. This design makes it possible to update the firmware without adding externally mounted memory and contributes to a more compact design for IoT and wearable devices by saving space. It also makes it possible to complete data-processing in the products, resulting in low power consumption and improved access speed.
Key specifications
Power Consumption
1.5 GHz/1.2 GHz simultaneous reception
9 mW
11 mW
1.5 GHz reception
6 mW
7 mW
1.2 GHz reception
7 mW
8 mW
Hot Start Sensitivity: –163dBm
Tracking Sensitivity: –167dBm
Hot Start Initial Positioning Calculation Time: Less than 1 second (at -130dBm)
User Interface: UART, I2C, SPI
Package: XFBGA 54 pin, LFBGA 72 pin
External Dimensions (LWH): 3.2×3.7×0.5 mm; 7.0×8.0×1.4 mm
Huber+Suhner extends its Sencity rail MIMO antenna portfolio with dual-band GNSS services
Huber+Suhner, an international manufacturer of components and systems for optical and electrical connectivity solutions, has extended the capabilities of its rail rooftop antennas with its launch of an embedded dual-band GNSS antenna that meets the railway industries’ stringent requirements.
Adding to its established Sencity rail antenna portfolio, the new multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) rooftop antenna enables railway operators to improve geospatial positioning and time precision of their operations.
Photo: Huber+Suhner
Supporting both the upper and lower GNSS bands, the antenna enables pinpoint location accuracy for the rigorous applications such as autonomous trains. With greater transparency of movement on the tracks, railway operators can improve the operational planning of densely crowded railway tracks and metro lines.
“The GNSS port on the antenna supports a higher number of satellite constellations,” said Daniel Montagnese, Huber+Suhner product manager for railway antennas. “This enables operators to improve signal acquisition time, as well as reducing the impact of obstructions in order to increase efficiency on the tracks.”
The GNSS port is complemented by two broadband cellular and Wi-Fi compatible ports that can be deployed for a variety of different train-to-ground services.
The Sencity MIMO rail antenna supports the GPS, Galileo, BeiDou and GLONASS constellations. Its robust design also meets the stringent EN 50155 railway standard and is fire retardant according to EN 45545-2 and NFPA130.
Huber+Suhner is a global company with headquarters in Switzerland which develops and manufactures components and system solutions for electrical and optical connectivity. With cables, connectors and systems — developed from the three core technologies of radio frequency, fiber optics and low frequency — the company serves customers in the communication, transportation and industrial sectors.
A roundup of recent products in the GNSS and inertial positioning industry from the September 2020 issue of GPS World magazine.
OEM
Inertial sensors
Includes four models
Photo: SGB Systems
The third-generation Ellipse series has a 64-bit architecture, allowing high-precision signal processing. All of the INS/GNSS devices now embed a dual-frequency, quad-constellation GNSS receiver for centimetric position and higher orientation accuracy. The Ellipse-A is a motion sensor; Ellipse-E provides navigation with an external GNSS receiver; Ellipse-N is a single-antenna RTK GNSS/INS; and Ellipse-D is a dual-antenna RTK GNSS/INS. With its new 64-bit architecture, the third-generation Ellipse series enables the use of high-precision algorithms and technology used in high-end inertial systems such as rejection filters and FIR filtering.
The PNT-6220 Assured Reference combines low-Earth-orbit (LEO) signals, GNSS, terrestrial, wireline and atomic clock services in one small solution for critical infrastructure applications. The PNT-6220 seamlessly combines concurrent L1, L2, L3 and L5 GNSS reception with a LEO-based Satellite Time and Location (STL) timing receiver. It also includes terrestrial receivers and PTP/IEEE-1588 edge grandmaster and PTP/IEEE-1588-slave capability. It provides assured PNT for critical infrastructure applications such as those described in the directives of Presidential Executive Order 13905. It can serve as a timing reference for 5G equipment, an ePRTC-capable reference, or a high-performance disciplined reference that supports PTP/IEEE-1588, STL, RF distribution and multi-frequency GNSS capability. The PNT-6220 can automatically select the most optimal UTC reference input and switch over among its numerous reference inputs if one or more are jammed or spoofed, as well as average several references for additional stability and accuracy.
Jackson Labs Technologies, jackson-labs.com
GNSS Receiver
Integrates correction service
Photo: Septentrio
The AsteRx-m2 Sx OEM board provides a GPS/GNSS receiver with always-on sub-decimeter accuracy without the need for additional correction service subscriptions. GNSS corrections are automatically streamed to the receiver. The integration enables plug-and-play positioning with high accuracy available out of the box. The AsteRx-m2 Sx is an efficient positioning solution for small robots, aerial drones and automation applications. Advanced anti-jamming technology AIM+ ensures robust and reliable operation in challenging environments, even in the presence of RF interference.
The xOEM v3 inertial navigation system includes the architecture from the company’s IP65-encased xNAV v3 as well as a full range of software interfaces, providing integrators maximum configuration flexibility, real-time monitoring, post-processing and analysis. Software interfaces can be customized using the OxTS NAVsuite. Plugins can be created using the company’s NAVsdk, allowing the xOEM v3’s software to be easily packaged and included as part of a product.The high-grade MEMS inertial sensors and real-time kinematic (RTK)-capable GNSS receiver within the xOEM v3 board set deliver high performance capabilities. The board set provides 0.1° heading accuracy, 0.05° pitch/roll accuracy and 2 cm global position accuracy. The board set is compact at 150 grams, which enables manufacturers to seamlessly integrate and build a high-performance INS into their products, such as commercial mapping applications on land and in the air. Its light weight means more payload capacity for other critical components. An add-on lidar georeferencing software package is also available with a sophisticated boresight calibration tool.
The M300 Plus GNSS receiver is designed to supplement the company’s M300 Pro, which is aimed at clients who need a more economical version for their CORS networks. The M300 Plus is also designed for monitoring projects and other applications. By using a powerful, adaptive detecting and canceling technology, the M300 Plus provides enhanced anti-jamming capability, which is critical for a reference station providing reliable GNSS data. Its built-in web server provides remote control of receiver configuration, status, firmware update and data download. It uses a 4G module as an internet backup, enhancing the stability of data connections.
The MQ-8 family — 3D lidar sensors and perception software — are part of Quanergy’s Flow Management platform. Designed with a new smart beam configuration, the MQ-8 solution delivers up to 140 meters of continuous tracking range, enabling up to 15,000 m2 of coverage with a single sensor. It is suitable for flow management applications such as security, smart city, social distancing and smart space industries.
Cesium OSM Buildings expands the company’s suite of Global Base Layers including worldwide terrain, aerial imagery and streetmaps already available. With the new layer, 3D buildings can be visualized, styled and analyzed in an efficient and interoperable manner using 3D Tiles, the open standard developed by Cesium to stream massive 3D geospatial datasets. The layer gives geospatial developers urban context to 3D applications. The buildings are created for efficient visualization and are streamable to any device with 3D Tiles.Cesium OSM Buildings are derived from OpenStreetMap. Buildings are also regularly updated, firmly clamped to terrain, and individually selectable and styleable.
Version 2.1 of Global Mapper Mobile provides updates to both the free and Pro versions. The iOS and Android applications are designed for viewing and collecting GIS data, and provide situational awareness and location intelligence for remote mapping projects. A complement to the desktop version, the mobile app can display all supported vector, raster and elevation data formats. The release improves vector feature styling, terrain layer support and layer transparency setting. In the Pro version, it introduces advanced GPS support, allowing users to connect to external, high-accuracy Bluetooth GPS devices from vendors such as Eos Positioning and Bad Elf. It also allows access to detailed information including the satellite constellation, precise location information and the raw NMEA stream.
The AiRXOS Enterprise Energy Solution provides digital compliance, situational awareness of airspace and assets, inspection, emergency response/disaster recovery capabilities, analytics and asset performance tools in a connected platform. It runs on AiRXOS’ Air Mobility Platform — a secure, cloud-based, extensible platform that enables integration of an energy organization’s current applications and other UAS service suppliers. It brings all UAS lifecycle operations into one view, including infrastructure inspection, asset and crew management, and emergency operations after a natural disaster.
The Xeno FX is a fixed-wing platform optimized for efficient and cost-effective area survey and monitoring missions. Users can program the flight plan before launch to ensure thorough coverage of a target region. The fixed-wing design allows for efficient cruise and maximum time aloft. The Safe Launch protective feature means the propeller starts spinning only after the airframe has been safely hand launched. A quick-change modular payload system allows users to reconfigure their data-acquisition hardware for multiple missions. Constructed of Multiplex’s resilient Elapor foam, the folding wings make for compact storage and easy transport.
Congatec is offering a workload consolidation kit for vision-based situational awareness applications such as machine control and vision-based collaborative robotics.
The kit qualifies as an Intel internet of things (IoT) ready-for-production kit. It offers three virtual machines based on the hypervisor technology from Real-Time Systems.
One runs a vision-based artificial intelligence application based on the Intel OpenVino situational awareness software. The second is real-time capable and operates deterministic control software, and the third acts as an industrial IoT/Industry 4.0 gateway.
With support for mmWave, Sub-6 GHz and LTE, Sierra Wireless modules will enable original equipment manufacturers to securely deploy 5G worldwide
Photo: Sierra Wireless
Sierra Wireless is now offering its EM919x 5G NR Sub-6 GHz and mmWave embedded modules, which include an integrated GNSS receiver.
Based on the industry-standard M.2 form factor, the 5G modules will enable original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to deploy secure connectivity worldwide at the highest possible speeds with ultra-low latency for mobile computing, routers, gateways, industrial automation, and many new Industrial IoT applications.
With support for mmWave, sub-6 GHz and LTE, as defined by the 3GPP Release 15 standard, Sierra Wireless’ 5G modules will power next-generation devices that deliver high-bandwidth, low-latency applications.
Applications for the module include private networks, enterprise networking, edge processing, live streaming, video security, e-gaming, smart factories, robotics, drones, virtual reality and machine learning.
Allied Telesis, Dynabook, LiveU, NEC Personal Computers and Panasonic are among the OEMs designing their 5G platform to launch with Sierra Wireless’ EM919x modules.
Module versions available
The EM9190 5G NR Sub-6 GHz and mmWave embedded module delivers high 5G speeds. Along with the GNSS receiver, the module has automatic 4G and 3G fallback and FCC certification for CBRS networks to provides reliability, security and flexibility for Industrial IoT designs.
The EM9191 5G NR Sub-6 GHz module is also available in M.2 form factor, providing a simple upgrade path to mmWave, as well as the EM7690 LTE Cat-20 module to help facilitate the migration and differentiation between 4G LTE and 5G.
Sierra Wireless’ EM919x modules are built on the Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 5G Modem-RF System.
“5G is the most technically challenging evolution in the history of wireless, particularly because of the introduction of mmWave,” said Larry Zibrik, Vice President, 5G & Embedded Broadband, Sierra Wireless. “Sierra Wireless has delivered industry-leading embedded modules, beginning with the first generation of cellular data technologies, and we’re the only partner with the experience to help our customers navigate the complexities of 5G. Industry leaders trust Sierra Wireless to help them get to market on time with secure 5G connectivity, and to invest in the expertise required to enable future key features, such as dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) and 5G NR standalone mode for even higher performance.”
“Sierra Wireless has been our trusted partner for integrating new mobile broadband technologies for many years. Now working with the EM919x for 5G, our next-generation 5G platform for mobile computing is processing on schedule, and our team can rely on Sierra Wireless’ leading technology and expert support to help manage the challenges that come with new technologies,” said Norimasa Nakamura, Executive Officer Product Development & Engineering, Dynabook Inc.
“Our latest generation of products has been designed to work with Sierra Wireless’ EM919x to unlock 5G potential and deliver superior video and audio capabilities with mission-critical transmission,” said Yaki Luzon, VP R&D, LiveU. “Sierra Wireless helps us ensure that LiveU is at the forefront of 5G technology for the broadcast and sports industries.”
“Sierra Wireless has been a trusted partner helping NEC bring new broadband technologies to market for many years,” said Yasuhisa Ito, Director of NEC R&D, NEC Personal Computers. “We’re pleased with how our work with Sierra Wireless’ EM9191/Sub-6 GHz is progressing on our next-generation 5G platform for mobile computing and look forward to providing unprecedented performance with our new 5G products.”
“5G is a completely new technology, and it will require a significant amount of effort from all parts of ecosystem to roll out,” said James Brehm, Founder & Chief Technology Evangelist, James Brehm & Associates. “Sierra Wireless’ long-standing position as an industry leader, and its relationships with carriers, infrastructure providers and chipset manufacturers will be an advantage for helping their OEM customers get to market on time and troubleshoot the teething issues we expect with new technologies. Working with Sierra Wireless significantly de-risks the process and speeds time to market for its partners. Sierra Wireless is the go-to partner for complex new technology launches.”
For more information on the modules, Sierra Wireless offers these resources:
“We cannot have GPS signals be a single point of failure for transportation and other critical infrastructure sectors. More safety applications will depend on PNT in the future. Public confidence in these will be critical.
“People will not be comfortable getting into an automated vehicle or with platooning driverless trucks heading down the highway if they think that their invisible hand is not reliable and that their GPS might be spoofed.
“Getting public adoption of other PNT capabilities — space-based, terrestrial, and self-contained — integrated with GPS technology will be critical to the success of any such system.”
— Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, U.S. Department of Transportation, Nov. 20, 2019, Edinburgh, U.K.
A Single Point of Failure
The Department of Transportation (DOT) is responsible for leading civil positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) issues for the United States. At the moment, the U.S. GPS provides the vast majority of PNT services in the U.S. and around the world. Yet, like all space-based systems, its signals are weak and very vulnerable to interference.
A recent example of how dangerous that can be in automated transportation systems was revealed recently in an accident report released by the British government. Interference from an unknown source caused a 15.5 kg drone to get away from its operator and crash. Fortunately, no one was hurt. The report cited analysis showing that such a weight could have easily killed someone on the ground.
Even more concerning, GPS signal characteristics are well known and therefore easy to imitate. Thousands of cases of “spoofing” have been documented with government and malicious actors causing receivers to report they are far from their actual location. In the worst cases, this can cause accidents or enable criminal acts.
One result of all of this is the President of the United States issuing an Executive Order encouraging “responsible use” of PNT systems. It also directs steps to encourage development and adoption of alternative systems. This includes a White House-level plan for research and development of non-Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) PNT.
In Europe the European Union (EU) has warned that space based PNT alone is insufficient for “…critical applications requiring continuous availability and fail-safe operations.” The EU has also established a monitoring system to detect sources of GNSS interference, and the European Space Agency (ESA) has established an on-going program funding study of both space and terrestrial alternate PNT systems.
Multiple Cooperating Systems
The ultimate solution, though, according to senior government officials, will be development and use of many diverse PNT systems working together to ensure users have what they need when and where they need it.
Image: DOT
The National PNT Architecture, jointly developed by the US departments of Defense and Transportation, envisions a multitude of PNT sources ranging from GNSS provided by national governments, to inertial and clock suites acquired by users as needed.
“Many people are fond of talking about a GPS backup,” said one administration official.
“It’s more appropriate to use the plural ‘backups’ since one system isn’t going to meet everyone’s needs. Even GPS doesn’t meet everyone’s needs which is why we require complementary PNT capabilities.”
The idea that multiple redundancies are required for an essential function as long been a core principle of systems engineering. This is clearly foundational in the National PNT Architecture.
It is also a feature in more recent documents.
One example is the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) PNT strategy publicly released in August of last year. It envisions use of a multitude of systems as a way of “Ensuring a U.S. Military PNT Advantage.”
Image: DOD
It categorizes these in three layers. A global layer of GNSS and other satellites, a regional layer that includes STOIC and eLoran, and a local/autonomous layer populated by inertial, clock, lidar, radar, scene matching and beacon-based systems.
Another project taking the architecture approach is described in detail by the recently completed MarRINav report. Sponsored by the European Space Agency, it analyzed the PNT needs of maritime commerce in the United Kingdom.
The project concluded that a “hybrid approach” using GNSS, eLoran, and the short-range R-mode VDES would be the best and least expensive combination for maritime. It also recommended a local navigation system such as Locata for port cargo operations. The study found that such a combination of systems would also benefit other transportation and infrastructure sectors.
Implementation
Yet identifying solutions is often much easier than making them happen. Especially for national projects with dozens of stakeholders. Stakeholders who may often have competing interests. And there is always the question of “Who pays?”
In the United States both the Congress and the executive branch of the U.S. government are addressing these issues, and in potentially complementary ways.
Congressional Mandates. With GPS as the cornerstone, both the DoD strategy and the National PNT Architecture show the need for one or more complementary systems to “overcome PNT capability gaps, predominantly resulting from the limitations of GPS.”
According to one senior official close to the issue, these systems need to be, “integrated with GPS and each other” and within the U.S. “serve all parts of the country — urban, rural, wilderness — even coastal maritime areas.” The idea being that they will constantly reinforcing GPS services while also serving as a safety net for users when during GPS disruptions.
The National Timing Resilience and Security Act of 2018 requires DoT to begin filling this layer in the National Architecture by the end of this year. The law, passage of which was overwhelmingly supported by both parties, mandates the department establish a difficult to disrupt, wide area, terrestrial timing system to backup (and complement) GPS timing signals. The system also must be expandable to provide navigation services. Even as a timing service, though, it has the potential to make navigation more reliable. Studies have shown that combining such a timing signal with GPS and other GNSS signals can dramatically decrease users’ vulnerability to jamming and spoofing.
The law also enables the system or systems to be established by leveraging commercial entities and expertise through cooperative agreements, public-private partnerships, and similar arrangements. These tend to be the most expeditious and least costly methods for putting such services in place. As such, they are expected to be very attractive to government program and contracting officials.
On military side, the in-process National Defense Authorization Act for 2021 requires DoD to quickly complete this part of their architecture also. Hinting that the department has failed to respond to combatant commanders “Joint Urgent Operational Needs,” it directs DoD to provide warfighters non-GPS PNT by 2023. It also directs the department to “enable civilian and commercial adoption of [these] technologies and capabilities”.
Presidential Order. The administration’s approach is outlined in a February 2020 presidential Executive Order. The order focuses on commercial entities that contract with the government, critical infrastructure, and research and development.
It calls for, within the next 24 months, agencies to “develop contractual language for inclusion … n the requirements for Federal contracts … with the goal of encouraging the private sector to use additional PNT services and develop new robust and secure PNT services.” The hope is that these new services will be adopted beyond just those companies who routinely serve government needs.
The departments of Energy, Transportation, and Homeland Security are also required to publish plans on how they will engage various critical infrastructure sectors to evaluate the degree of responsible use of PNT by each.
Also, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is tasked to “coordinate the development of a national plan… for the R&D and pilot testing of additional, robust, and secure PNT services that are not dependent on global navigation satellite systems (GNSS).” OSTP has already begun this and is seeking input from the public.
Competition and Many Players
Because PNT user needs are so varied and nuanced, most industry observers see growing opportunities for existing and potentially new providers.
“Systems and equipment that improve GNSS services, or that complement and augment GNSS are likely to find ready markets,” said Andrew Bach, a consultant on financial and other PNT issues. “User demands and needs are only going to become more sophisticated as their economic exposure increases.”
Congressional and administration focus on alternative PNT should enhance and multiply such opportunities. So, while there may be no silver bullet for solving national PNT concerns, the need for a robust and resilient architecture of PNT systems will likely mean abundant opportunities for providers.
When I was a kid in the 1960s, I was entranced by the vision of the future. Decades later, we’re here, with personal jetpacks nowhere in sight. What gives?
Photo: Photo: ridvan_celik/E+/Getty Images
When I was a kid in the 1960s, I was entranced by the vision of the future offered by science fiction books, movies, television shows and comics. Advances in technology would deliver us so many wonders — flying cars, hoverboards, robot servants. Disneyland was in on it, with an entire section of the park named Tomorrowland and its now-quaint “Carousel of Progress” attraction.
But the coolest thing would be that jetpack. You could slap it on your back and take off into the atmosphere, traveling wherever you wished like a bird. Certainly by the distant year 2020, we would all be jetting around the atmosphere from place to place.
(It didn’t occur to me that would mean strapping an actual jet engine to my body, along with highly flammable jet fuel. Where’s the fun in that?)
Decades later, we’ve all arrived in the “future,” with personal jetpacks nowhere in sight. What gives?
Then again, what I didn’t imagine in our future was a system that could pinpoint my exact location anywhere on the globe, estimate my time of arrival, and tell me about the traffic up ahead.
Back in the 1960s, that was seriously science fiction. Nor did we accurately predict the effect that capability would have on our daily lives. GPS along with internet-capable smartphones have thrust us into the Information Age.
The internet is a promise delivered, in its own way. Having a repository for all of the world’s information was another future concept, but usually envisioned with a giant worldwide computer that eventually turned on its makers.
As for flying cars, we are gradually getting there. Drone technology, supported by GNSS technology for its navigation, has led to unmanned craft and is heading toward vehicles capable of transporting people. We just need to be a little more patient.
In the spirit of looking back and ahead, check out our 30th Anniversary Supplement, which arrived with this issue. In it, experts from across the industry share memories and thoughts, and gaze into their crystal balls to predict the future of GNSS.
Tallysman Wireless has added a line of AccuAuto vehicle antennas aimed at the autonomous vehicle market.
The compact and rugged embedded AccuAuto antennas offer key features not available in other embedded autonomous vehicles antennas on the market, the company said.
The automobile industry is transitioning from offering GNSS-assisted navigation where the accuracy requirement is ±3 to 5 meters (low-precision GNSS code positioning) to providing driver assistance (such as lane-keeping) and autonomous vehicle navigation where the accuracy requirement is < 0.1 meters (such as high-precision GNSS phase positioning).
Current roof-mounted GNSS antennas on most vehicles provide the accuracy required for navigation but they lack the precision required for assisted driving or autonomous vehicle operation. Tallysman’s new line of AccuAuto antennas are designed to provide strong clean code and phase signals that enable high-precision real-time kinematic (RTK) and precise point positioning (PPP) navigation.
The Tallysman embedded AccuAuto vehicle antenna features a patented Tallysman Accutenna technology multi-constellation and multi-frequency antenna element, an integrated ground plane, radome and underside cover that provides mist and condensation protection.
The bottom cover also supports the antenna cable and mitigates cable vibration to ensure the antenna has a long service life, while the ground plane improves antenna performance.
All AccuAuto antenna electronic components are Automotive Electronics Council (AEC) certified and are designed to perform under challenging environmental conditions, such as extreme temperatures (–40 °C to +125 °C) and continuous shock and vibration.
Signal quality is improved with a deep pre-filter that minimizes out-of-band noise and maximizes in-band reception. This feature enables reliable GNSS signal reception in challenging urban environments, where inter-modulated signal interference from LTE and other cellular bands is common.
The triple-band 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).
Hexagon AB has introduced the Leica GS18 I, a versatile, survey-grade GNSS RTK rover so powerful it enables surveyors to measure what they see, even structure in difficult-to-reach places, the company said.
It comes equipped with all the innovative functionality of the Leica GS18 T — Hexagon’s calibration-free, tilt-compensating GNSS solution immune to magnetic disturbances, plus the power of survey-grade visual positioning.
Through sensor fusion of GNSS, motion (IMU) and image (camera) technology, the Leica GS18 I enables the measurement of points from images. The ability to capture and measure sites via images goes far beyond the advantages of the GS18 T, which introduced the quick and convenient ability to measure points in spaces that cannot be measured with vertical poles, such as building corners, walls and points underneath obstacles (for instance, cars).
With the Leica GS18 I, professionals can now map areas that are difficult to reach physically, such as trenches, high power lines and busy roads, or blocked from GNSS signals, such as areas underneath bridges or canopies — safely and effortlessly from a distance.
“With the Leica GS18 I, mapping and surveying just got simpler, safer and more productive than ever before,” said Ola Rollén, Hexagon president and CEO. “The ability to quickly document an entire area of interest without the need to switch between tools or manoeuvre through obstacles frees up equipment and crews. Additionally, the simple and intuitive workflow of the Leica GS18 I brings the versatility of visual positioning to new user segments and applications — from utility service providers to crash scene investigators.”
The Leica GS18 I enables users to measure hundreds of points within minutes. Integration with Leica Captivate field software enables intuitive onsite point measurements and quality assurance from the field.
Further measurement of the captured images is supported by integration with Leica Infinity office software, which also enables the creation of automatically registered and referenced 3D point clouds from the images in standard export formats for use in a variety of point cloud software.
provide a better understanding of the activity, uses, users and broader beneficiaries of the National Geodetic Survey’s Aeronautical Survey Program,
help define its socio-economic benefits,
provide preliminary order of magnitude estimates of benefits of the program, and
examine influences on future needs for the program’s services.
The footprint (trade space) analysis presents data on airport improvement grants, activities of the program, airports, aviation and societal beneficiaries. Methods of estimating socio-economic benefits are considered, preliminary estimates of benefits are made and issues that will affect use of the services in the future are discussed. Additional information is included in 10 appendices.
The FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP) provides grants, to public agencies for planning and development of the 3,249 eligible public-use airports and the 72 privately owned civil airports.
The FAA requires that geographic information system (GIS) contractors submit plans and surveys with geodetic control, runway, navigational aid, obstruction and other aeronautical data under its Airports GIS (AGIS) program. These contracted survey plans and surveys are sent to the NGS Aeronautical Survey Program (ASP) for quality assurance review.
The GIS information is used by the FAA in establishing flight rules and other requirements to assure safety.
Irv Leveson is an economist with extensive experience examining GNSS markets, applications, benefits and policies. His public studies include: “The Economic Benefits of GPS.” He recently led a National Geodetic Survey study.
On Aug. 19, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted a request for authorization from AT&T Services to use Galileo for emergency location purposes.
