Author: Tracy Cozzens

Orolia Defense & Security completes acquisition of Talen-X

Talen-X has joined Orolia Defense & Security to expand its capabilities and resources, enabling the development of more advanced position, navigation and timing (PNT) solutions and to offer more robust customer support.

Orolia Defense & Security has completed the acquisition of Talen-X, a U.S. company specializing in advanced GNSS solutions and interference, detection and mitigation (IDM) technologies.

“Orolia Defense & Security is excited to bring on Talen-X as they offer a complementary portfolio of solutions and bring many years of advanced PNT experience to the team. We look forward to continuing their growth by providing additional resources and capabilities, while ensuring the growth and success of their current customers,” said Hironori Sasaki, president of Orolia Defense & Security.

In early 2019, Orolia Defense & Security spun off as a separate entity from its parent company Orolia, with the mission of providing resilient PNT solutions and custom engineering services to U.S. government agencies, U.S. defense organizations, and their contractors.

Orolia Defense & Security operates as a proxy-regulated company, free of foreign ownership, control or influence (FOCI). As such, Orolia Defense & Security is approved to work on the full spectrum of U.S. government classified and unclassified projects and is positioned to support strategic partnerships in the development of key PNT technologies for the defense market.

“Our culture of innovation, together with our demonstrated testing capabilities, will complement Orolia’s technology expertise and significantly enhance the reliability, performance and safety of military operations,” said Tim Erbes, Orolia Defense & Security’s Director of Engineering. The acquisition also enables Talen-X’s existing resources, operations and capabilities to be scaled and accelerated to better support the warfighter.

At the Modern Day Marine and Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) exhibitions, Orolia Defense & Security is showcasing its latest technologies such as the BroadSim Wavefront GNSS simulator, ThreatBlocker jamming/spoofing detection and protection device and BroadShield threat detection software.

Authorized for use with U.S. military signals such as GPS L1/L2, P, Y, and M-Code, Orolia’s simulation and IDM solutions serve unique and challenging program requirements.

September 18, 2019
Trimble Pivot, Alloy GNSS receiver now support BDS-3 signals

Photo: Trimble

Trimble has added capabilities to its real-time network (RTN) portfolio, including the Trimble Pivot Platform and the Trimble Alloy GNSS reference receiver.

The new capabilities will enable operators to continue to meet the ongoing demand from surveyors, mapping professionals and precision farmers for accurate, reliable corrections derived from real-time networks.

The announcement was made at Intergeo 2019, the world’s largest conference on geodesy, geoinformatics and land management, taking place Sept. 17-19 in Stuttgart, Germany.

Boosting RTN performance. A well-established network software, the Pivot Platform manages and controls small, mid-size and countrywide GNSS networks. By applying sophisticated atmospheric models to reduce systematic errors, highly accurate GNSS corrections are generated and made available for a wide range of field applications.

BDS-3 now supported

Both Pivot and Alloy now access BeiDou Generation III (BDS-3) signals.
Trimble Pivot version 4.3 has been enhanced to track and store BDS-3 — RTN operators worldwide now have the ability to provide their customers with additional satellite signals to offer even more robust and reliable positioning for their applications. This update also includes a simplified Chinese user interface, providing easy-to-use software operations for Chinese RTN operators.

Released in 2018, the Alloy GNSS reference receiver was designed with the processing power needed to deliver high-quality data from multiple GNSS constellations. Alloy version 5.42 firmware tracks all available and planned GPS Block IIIA L1C and BDS-3 signals, empowering operators with a full GNSS constellation dataset.

“These updates keep the Trimble Pivot Platform and Alloy on a future driven path,” said Mark Richter, strategic marketing director, Real-Time Networks and Services portfolio for Trimble’s Advanced Positioning Division. “Our focus is to continue to deliver enhancements influenced by market demands and advancements in technology, which deliver next-generation RTN hardware and software to our customers.”

The Trimble Pivot Platform and Trimble Alloy GNSS reference receiver updates work in conjunction to provide quality GNSS corrections to network operators and end users.

Trimble real-time networks and services

Trimble RTN networks and services are a widely used GNSS infrastructure solution. Spanning a variety of applications and industries worldwide, Trimble’s hardware is specifically developed for RTN real-world environments while the software integrates seamlessly into the RTN solution for exceptional real-time performance.

The flexibility of Trimble’s solution enables users to collect, manage and analyze complex information faster and easier, improving productivity and efficiency.

September 17, 2019
GPS Innovation Alliance adds 4 affiliates
Four national organizations join alliance dedicated to furthering GPS innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship

The GPS Innovation Alliance (GPSIA) has added four national organizations representing a variety of sectors. The organizations join GPSIA’s affiliates program by supporting the alliance’s goal of protecting, promoting and further enhancing GPS — one of the world’s most important enabling technologies.

The new affiliates are:
- American Council of the Blind (ACB)
- U.S. Geospatial Executives Organization (U.S. GEO)
- NENA: The 9-1-1 Association
- Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) Association
“The Alliance has grown in both size and ambition since its inception over six years ago and with increased adoption of GPS-enabled technologies, our dependence on GPS will only continue to grow,” said GPS Innovation Alliance Executive Director J. David Grossman. “Building on the launch of the bipartisan and bicameral GPS Caucus this past March, we look forward to working with these new affiliates in bringing heightened awareness to the critical importance of GPS to our nation’s economy.”

These organizations join GPSIA’s existing affiliates including:
- Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM)
- American Trucking Associations (ATA)
- Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI)
- Boat Owner’s Association of the United States (BoatUS)
- General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA)
- National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)
- National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS)
The following are comments from representatives of the newly announced affiliates:

Clark Rachfal, Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs, American Council of the Blind (ACB)

“Precise GPS technology is enabling a world where people who are blind may navigate their surroundings with greater confidence and live more independently. The American Council of the Blind is pleased to partner with the GPS Innovation Alliance to ensure this vital technology is available and accessible to all people who are blind in order to increase their economic opportunity and quality of life.”

John M. Palatiello, Founder and President, U.S. Geospatial Executives Organization (U.S. GEO)

“The acquisition, processing, analysis, and application of geospatial data, and its use in geographic information systems (GIS) and other platforms, is greatly dependent on GPS and GNSS. U.S. GEO, representing executives of the nation’s geospatial firms, strongly supports our GPS system and is honored to be part of the GPS Innovation Alliance to assure its continued benefit to the U.S. economy and our quality of life.”

Dan Henry, Director of Government Affairs, NENA: The 9-1-1 Association:

“Locating a 9-1-1 caller used to be as simple as searching a database for the street address associated with the caller’s phone number, but with over 80% of all 9-1-1 calls now coming from mobile phones, tracking down a caller’s location is no longer so easy. When callers are unable to convey their location to 9-1-1, public safety telecommunicators turn to mobile phones’ sophisticated location-finding system; GPS is the foundation of this system. 9-1-1 saves millions of lives every year — many of these lives would not have been saved if not for GPS.”

John Berrettini, President, Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) Association

“The SUE Association is comprised of firms, organizations and individuals engaged in the provision of subsurface utility engineering (SUE) services where the role of GPS/GNSS availability and utilization is vital to field data collection, analysis, and processing. Partnering with the GPS Innovation Alliance helps to meet our organizational charge to promote knowledge, best practices, and the exchange of information in the profession; ensure the protection of public health, welfare and safety; and educate clients and other stakeholders of the value and benefits of subsurface utility engineering services.”

The GPS Innovation Alliance was founded by Deere & Company, Garmin International, Inc. and Trimble Inc. The alliance recognizes the ever increasing importance of GPS and other GNSS technologies to the global economy and infrastructure and is firmly committed to furthering GPS innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship by seeking to protect, promote and enhance the use of GPS.
September 17, 2019
Trimble handheld AR SiteVision takes data visualization outdoors
Photo: Trimble

Trimble has introduced its Trimble SiteVision system, an outdoor augmented reality (AR) solution that enables users to visualize 2D and 3D data on virtually any project site with cellular or internet connectivity for easier and more efficient planning, collaboration and reporting.

Combining hardware and software in an integrated, lightweight handheld or pole-mounted solution, users can view 3D models and assets in a real-world environment at a 1:1 scale, from any angle or position.

The system consists of:
- Hardware: The Trimble SiteVision integrated positioning system integrates the Trimble Catalyst DA1 antenna, electronic distance measurement (EDM) rangefinder and power management into a lightweight, handheld device that connects to a user-supplied Android mobile phone.
- Software Subscription: Available to single users on a monthly or yearly basis. The SiteVision software subscription combines Trimble’s high-accuracy positioning services and cloud-based processing technology to create a centimeter-accurate AR system. The system leverages Trimble cloud-based processing to manage and deliver data and design models.
SiteVision enables users to visualize digital models from a wide range of data collection, design and constructible modeling tools in open industry-standard formats including IFC and LandXML.

For civil projects, SiteVision accurately visualizes data from Trimble’s Quantm, Business Center and Novapoint; design data from Civil 3D and Bentley OpenRoads; and GIS data from Esri ArcGIS software.

Photo: Trimble

SiteVision powers building information modeling (BIM) projects with open data from Trimble’s Constructible BIM solutions including SketchUp and Tekla, and BIM data from Autodesk Revit and AutoCAD software. For utility companies, PLS-CADD power line design, Distribution Design Studio (DDS) and other industry-specific design data is also supported.

Using Trimble Connect cloud-based hosting, SiteVision can access models from all stages of the lifecycle of infrastructure and buildings—from initial concepts of roads or buildings through the operations and maintenance phase of the assets—to increase collaboration, enhance work accuracy and ultimately improve operations and utilization.

SiteVision simplifies complex concepts by allowing users to blend digital content with real-world environments. For example, city planners can visualize a new building design in the exact spot it is to be erected, a work crew could identify the exact position of underground cables or pipes before digging, an electric utility can confirm placement of poles and lines with customers and crews, or a construction supervisor could assess the progress of heavy equipment by visualizing actual work performed against the site plan.

“It’s easier to understand complex ideas when we can see them in a real-world context,” said Mark Nichols, general manager at Trimble. “SiteVision improves our understanding of projects and worksites with a handheld device that is accessible to a wide range of users. Augmented reality is now ready for everyday use in a wide range of applications.”

Trimble SiteVision is available to order now through Trimble’s authorized distribution channels for Civil Engineering and Construction, Geospatial and Buildings.
September 17, 2019
Hemisphere GNSS showcases OEM boards with next-gen ASIC technology

Hemisphere GNSS showcased its next-generation digital ASIC and RF ASIC interference mitigation platforms, and five positioning and heading OEM boards — the first products incorporating these powerful technological advancements.

Hemisphere is showcasing its new boards and technology at the Intergeo expo (hall 3, booth C3.030) and conference in Stuttgart, Germany, and the ION GNSS+ conference (booth 411) in Miami, Florida, both taking place this week.

Hemisphere’s Lyra II digital ASIC and Aquila wideband RF ASIC designs optimize performance and provide the ability to track and process more than 800 channels for position-only (the Phantom series boards) and more than 1,100 channels for position and heading (the Vega series boards), the company said.

Phantom 40. (Photo: Hemisphere GNSS)

This new ASIC technology offers flexible and scalable access to every modern and planned GNSS constellation and signal, including GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS, IRNSS, SBAS and Hemisphere’s Atlas L-band.

Signal support and tracking for AltBOC and BS-ACEBOC, BeiDou phase 2 and phase 3, L5 and QZSS/L6 (L6-D and L6-E) are also available.

The Lyra II and Aquila ASIC technology provides the foundation for a new GNSS receiver chipset architecture that significantly reduces the number of board components, thereby reducing complexity, improving reliability, and dramatically lowering power consumption.

Cygnus interference mitigation. The powerful technology platform also includes Hemisphere’s new Cygnus interference mitigation technology with built-in digital filtering capabilities and spectrum analysis. The new Cygnus technology provides enhanced anti-jamming, interference detection, and mitigation.

“This new technology platform and OEM boards represent significant improvements upon previous generation technology and hardware,” said Farlin Halsey, president and chief executive officer of Hemisphere. “With these outstanding advancements in our core technology and hardware, our customers and OEM partners are future-proofed and have flexibility and scalability with the highest-value access to all modern and planned signals.”

Vega 28. (Photo: Hemisphere GNSS)

The next-generation Lyra II, Aquila, and Cygnus technologies are available with the new Phantom 20, Phantom 34, Phantom 40, Vega 28, and Vega 40 OEM positioning and heading boards.

The Phantom 20, 34, and 40 positioning boards are the first Lyra II-based offerings in a line of all-new, low-power, high-precision OEM boards. They are multi-frequency, multi-GNSS receivers that boast more than 800 channels including access to Hemisphere’s Atlas GNSS global corrections network and offer serial, USB, Ethernet (Phantom 40-only), and CAN connectivity for ease of use and integration.

The Phantom 20 (41 x 72 mm module with 20-pin header), Phantom 34 (41 x 71 mm module with 34-pin header), and Phantom 40 (60 x 100 mm module with 24-pin and 16-pin headers) are significant upgrades for existing designs using these industry-standard form factors and offer power consumption of less than 1.8 W when tracking all signals, including L-band.

The Vega 40 and 28 are the first introductions in a line of all-new, low-power, high-precision, positioning and heading OEM boards. The multi-frequency, multi-GNSS Vega 40 and 28 GNSS receivers offer access to more than 1,100 channels including Hemisphere’s Atlas GNSS global corrections network.

The Vega 40 is a 60 x 100 mm module with 24-pin and 16-pin headers and is the ideal upgrade for existing designs using this industry-standard form factor. The Vega 28 is a 45 x 71 mm module with 28-pin header and is the smallest GNSS OEM heading module ever offered to the geospatial market by Hemisphere.

More: Hemisphere GNSS launches GNSS receiver, smart antenna at Intergeo 2019

September 17, 2019
Septentrio GNSS receivers to guide train systems for Wabtec

Septentrio is providing GPS/GNSS receivers to Wabtec, a global company specializing in equipment, digital solutions and services for freight and transit rail systems.

Wabtec is implementing Septentrio GNSS receivers in its GoLINC Edge platform, providing positioning, connectivity, data storage and enhancing positive train control (PTC) with the adoption of higher precision positioning technology.

The enhanced navigational reference capability can benefit U.S. railroad operations as Septentrio GNSS receivers are installed on Wabtec’s latest GoLINC mobile data center platform operating onboard freight locomotives. Two GNSS receivers are being installed on each locomotive to provide precise positioning information as part of the GoLINC system.

Septentrio receivers are also being installed as position reference modules along 30,000 miles of track. They will provide GNSS corrections to the rover receivers aboard the locomotives for reliable and accurate positioning, even in difficult environments such as when tracks run alongside mountains, around cliffs or under foliage.

“The Septentrio GNSS receiver was chosen based upon its superior performance and has proven to have the technology advantage that our customers are looking for,” said Michael Miner, GoLINC product manager at Wabtec.

Wabtec’s GoLINC system — comprising networking, communications and applications management platforms — makes trains smarter by collecting numerous parameters about the train and its route.

GoLINC is integrated with Wabtec’s PTC solution, which functions as a safety overlay and is designed to enforce existing railroad signal indications and other operating rules. Moreover, PTC provides critical information about proximity of work zones, movement authorization, switch positions and other operational data.

“For two decades, Septentrio has been delivering GNSS receivers to customers requiring accuracy, reliability and safety,” said Neil Vancans, Septentrio vice president of global sales. “We have pioneered and fine-tuned capabilities such as position reliability and interference robustness driven by our customers in markets such as offshore energy, mining and construction.

“Over the last several years, we have been working closely with the transportation and logistics sector as well,” Vancans said. “Cooperation with Wabtec offers an excellent opportunity to further deploy our high-precision positioning technology in the rail industry, where the unique capabilities of our GNSS hardware and software match perfectly with the accuracy and safety demands of positive train control.”

Beyond PTC, the high-precision GPS infrastructure along the track will enable other applications such as drone flights for rail inspection.

Septentrio will be exhibiting its latest GNSS receivers at the Railway Interchange exhibition and technical conference, which runs Sept. 22-25 in Minneapolis, Minn., USA.

Feature photo: Septentrio

September 16, 2019
CHC Navigation’s new i90 GNSS receiver improves RTK

Photo: CHC Navigation

CHC Navigation has released and is immediately shipping its new i90 IMU-RTK GNSS Series receiver. The i90 IMU-RTK GNSS Series is designed to dramatically increase GNSS real-time kinematic (RTK) availability and reliability.

The i90 is powered by the company’s latest inertial measurement unit (IMU) and RTK technology to provide robust and accurate GNSS positioning in any circumstances.

Unlike standard micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS)-based GNSS receivers, the i90 GNSS IMU-RTK combines a high-end calibration and interference-free IMU sensor with a state-of-the-art GNSS RTK engine and advanced GNSS tracking capabilities.

The i90 is designed to increase productivity and reliability of survey projects. No complicated calibration process, rotation, leveling or accessories are necessary with the i90 GNSS Series. Just a few meters’ walk will initialize the i90 internal IMU sensor and enable RTK survey in difficult field environments. The i90 GNSS automatic pole-tilt compensation boosts survey and stakeout speed by up to 20%.

“Our new i90 IMU-RTK GNSS Series is pushing the boundaries of conventional GNSS survey by extending RTK positioning availability and reliability,” said George Zhao, CEO of CHC Navigation. “CHCNAV is the GNSS technology enabler, making high-end GNSS solutions available for every surveyor.”

September 13, 2019
CEA-Leti and Orolia announce FlexFusion positioning and navigation technology

Combining data from GNSS and IMUs ensures accuracy during GNSS outages.

Leti, a research institute of France’s CEA Tech, and Orolia have announced a new sensor-data-fusion engine that ensures resilient positioning and navigation even in cases of GNSS jamming or spoofing.

Orolia is a leader in accuracy and performance for terrestrial, aeronautic and naval transportation positioning, navigation and timing applications.

Called FlexFusion, the algorithm technology processes data from GNSS, inertial management units (IMU) and odometers to provide precise positioning in all conditions.

Orolia will present its latest technological developments at ION GNSS+, booth 311, taking place in Miami, Florida, Sept. 17-19.

FlexFusion’s design relies on a modelization of GNSS and IMU (triple-axis accelerometer, triple-axis gyrometer and triple-axis magnetometer) output for synthetic trajectory generation.

The fusion approach exploits Bayesian estimators, such as Kalman filters. The first algorithm was setup on modeling signals, and its optimization relies on an extensive real-life sample database acquired through field test. This process used CEA-Leti’s HYLOC reference platform, which provides a reference positioning of a few centimeters.

More than 100 trajectory samples were collected in urban, suburban, forest and mountain environments with different GNSS outage conditions.

The new positioning technology supports edge artificial intelligence (AI) because the data-fusion algorithm is performed locally to ensure that positioning and navigation information is available locally and is failsafe even in case of jamming or spoofing of GNSS data.

“Recent events have demonstrated that it is possible to change the course of a ship or force a drone to land in a hostile area by simply spoofing GPS signals,” said CEA-Leti CEO Emmanuel Sabonnadière. “The increasing reliance on a GNSS for the execution of military operations and terrestrial, aeronautic and naval transportation requires using positioning and navigation systems that are able to detect GNSS outages and provide resilient position and navigation features.”

A version of FlexFusion that demands less of the CPU implements a loose coupling algorithm that uses GNSS receiver-output positions as entry of the algorithm. An advanced version implements a tight coupling fusion algorithm of GNSS and IMU data that significantly enhances the resilience of positioning and navigation under real-world conditions.

This novel approach enables total control of treatments and filtering applied to raw signals, which increases performance of the fusion. It also improves positioning performance in particular if there are fewer than four GNSS satellites available, or when there are recurrent multi-trajectories, which sometimes occur in urban canyons.

CEA-Leti has licensed the patented FlexFusion algorithm to Orolia.

“Orolia is integrating FlexFusion in a new version of its VersaPNT product, the first compact, all-in-one and resilient positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) system for vehicles and blue force tracking, tactical UAV navigation and marine applications,” said Thierry Delhomme, EMEA general manager, Orolia. “This powerful algorithm helps deliver on the promise of VersaPNT as an always-accurate PNT system that operates in any environment.”

FlexFusion development was supported and partially funded by the Easytech program of IRT Nanoelec, thanks to the French National Program “Programme d’Investissement d’Avenir” ANR-10-AIRT-05.

September 12, 2019
U-blox GNSS modules help UAVs carry out life-saving work

The u-blox ZED-F9P, a high-precision GNSS module that delivers centimeter-level accuracy within seconds, has been incorporated into the latest electric Tron F90+ fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Quantum-Systems, a German company that specializes in electric VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft for civilian use, manufactures the Tron F90+, which is employed in mission-critical logistical activities such transporting emergency blood reserves to remote locations. Other uses include mining and agriculture-related tasks.

Quantum-Systems and u-blox are both exhibiting at Intergeo in Stuttgart, Germany, Sept. 17-20. Quantum-Systems is at booth K1.074, and u-blox at booth L1.025.

The Tron F90+ has a 3.5-meter wingspan and can travel at speeds of up to 160 km/hour with a 100-km flight range. It is the latest addition to the Quantum-Systems eVTOL UAV platform designed for cargo, inspection, survey and mapping, and reconnaissance in adverse conditions. Other models include the Trinity F9, Scorpion and Vector UAVs, all of which feature u-blox F9 high-precision GNSS technology.

In developing the Tron F90+ UAV, the Quantum-Systems engineering team needed accurate enough position data to ensure that VTOL operations would always go smoothly, and the valuable payloads were protected from damage.

Through the multi-band real-time kinematic (RTK) and raw code and carrier-phase data available to the ZED-F9P, the necessary positioning correction is assured and the pilot can complete even difficult maneuvers. Absolute position accuracy can be brought down to 3-5 centimeters.

September 12, 2019
Pointfuse laser scanning software transforms digital construction workflows

A design mesh. (Photo: Pointfuse)

Pointfuse has released the latest version of its advanced point cloud processing software that converts the millions of individual measurements captured by laser scanning and photogrammetry.

Featuring new streamlined classification to ensure maximum efficiency and multicore processing for unlimited conversion power, the new version of Pointfuse is set to transform workflows within digital construction, facilities management and virtual design applications.

“Pointfuse is designed to make the use of point cloud data more accessible by removing many of the traditional barriers to use,” said Mark Senior, regional sales director at Pointfuse. “Obstacles such as processing time and computer power, incompatibility within existing workflows and outputs files that are large and complex; these have all been obliterated with the latest Pointfuse release.”

Pointfuse now includes a new streamlined workflow which makes object classification easy, using templates and shortcuts to ensure maximum efficiency. This ability to classify objects within Pointfuse has had a huge impact on how as-built data is utilized within digital design workflows; being able to quickly compare specific as-built objects with the design enables more accurate clash detection, reducing the number of false clashes being flagged.

IFC (Industry Foundation Classes — an open format data model that is intended to describe architectural, building and construction industry data) templates can also be created and edited for specific applications. With applications including architectural, MEP and HVAC, selected objects can be classified and mapped to ensure compatibility with onward workflows.

Pointfuse also includes a new conversion engine which uses multicore processing to manage and enable unlimited point cloud conversion to provide real scalability. In addition, Pointfuse’s mesh models are intelligently optimized, reducing the working data size by a factor of up to 100, making them easy to share with online 3D collaboration platforms, such as BIM 360, 3D Repo, Revitzo and Trimble Connect.

“Using Pointfuse we can create intelligent 3D mesh models in a fraction of the time,” commented Ben Callan, BIM coordinator in global construction services company ISG’s UK Fit Out business. “This accelerated modelling and reduced risk of error contributes to a direct reduction in costs when compared against traditional methods of modelling and point cloud data analysis. The easy to use, easy to consume outputs are also paving the way for new applications of the data including existing versus design clash avoidance and checks of temporary works against required construction activities.”

September 12, 2019
ViaLite’s latest GPS splitter designed to save rack space

Photo: ViaLite

ViaLite’s new Local Integrated GPS Splitter was designed to minimize rack space. Suitable to applications requiring a fan-out of GPS/GNSS signals within a single local area, the unit can accept optical inputs from up to four antennas.

Though it has a height of only one rack unit, the system is suitable for feeding timing and synchronization signals to single or multiple floors or rooms through 8 to 32 optical fiber links with no system loss.

Available with 1×8, 2×8, 4×8, 1×16 and 2×16 options, the easy-to-install GPS Splitter has a 1000-1800-MHz frequency range. Built-in simple network management protocol (SNMP) control is included as well as dual-redundant power supply units.

Typical application areas include data centers, banking institutions, scientific research establishments, cellular test environments, fixed satcom Earth stations and teleports, oil and gas platforms, and big data.

“Our new GPS Splitter was developed in response to customer demand across a wide range of sectors,” said ViaLite Product Manager John Golding. “We are pleased to have been able to meet their needs by providing a very high-quality product at a reasonable cost.”

September 11, 2019
Septentrio introduces GNSS/INS system in rugged housing

The AsteRX-SBi has a rugged housing, making it suitable for machine control and other outdoor uses. (Photo: Septentrio)

Septentrio has expanded its GNSS/INS portfolio with the AsteRx SBi, a new housed GNSS/INS receiver. The ruggedized AsteRx SBi fuses high-accuracy GPS/GNSS with a high-performance inertial sensor to provide reliable positioning and 3D orientation for machine control and logistic applications.

Within its rugged, waterproof enclosure, a high-performance GPS/GNSS is coupled with an industrial-grade inertial sensor to provide high-accuracy, reliable positioning and 3D orientation (heading, pitch, roll).

Offering the flexibility of either single or dual antenna, AsteRx SBi is designed for quick and easy integration into any machine monitoring or control system. AsteRx SBi packs performance and durability into a single, compact box. Reliable location and 3D orientation data is streamed with a high update rate and constant low latency.

“AsteRx SBi was designed with ease of integration and reliability in mind. Its compact, ruggedized housing is optimized for easy clamping to any machinery,” said Danilo Sabbatini, product manager at Septentrio. “It has all the features and tools needed for straightforward integration into machines or large robotic systems.”

Septentrio reliable centimeter-level positioning is based on true multi-frequency, multi-constellation GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS) technology. AsteRx SBi combines GPS/GNSS and an industry-grade IMU (inertial measurement unit) to deliver precise positioning together with 3D attitude.

The AsteRx SBi is a robust positioning solution for machinery operating in environments challenging for GNSS. (Photo: Septentrio)

Septentrio’s unique GNSS–IMU integration algorithm enables continuous positioning in environments of low satellite visibility where short GNSS outages are possible. This is referred to as coasting or dead reckoning, and can happen near high structures, under bridges or under thick foliage. This makes AsteRx SBi a robust positioning solution for machinery operating in environments challenging for GNSS, such as in container yards, urban canyons or near cliffs.

AsteRx SBi comes with built-in Advanced Interference Mitigation (AIM+) technology. In busy urban environments electromagnetic waves can interfere with GPS and GNSS signals. AIM+ offers protection against such interference resulting in faster set-up times and robust continuous operation. A built-in power spectrum plot allows users to analyze interference, helping locate its source and mitigating it.

September 11, 2019