Category: Applications

Hemisphere launches 2 GNSS receivers, software and hardware

Hemisphere GNSS has launched two new GNSS receivers to enable better positioning for machine control applications. The new receivers are in addition to products announced earlier this week, including GradeMetrix application software and an array of compatible GNSS hardware components.

Designed for harsh construction environments, both the Vector VR1000 and the C321 base and rover (when combined with the new SiteMatrix software) are system components that empower heavy equipment manufacturers to deliver their own machine control and guidance solutions to their customers. Both also feature a powerful new web user interface.

Hemisphere GNSS made the announcements at Conexpo-Con/Agg 2017, which is taking place March 7-12 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hemisphere GNSS is exhibiting at booth G71925.

Vector VR1000 Rugged GNSS Receiver

Vector VR1000 rugged GNSS receiver by Hemisphere GNSS. Photo: Hemisphere

Designed specifically for harsh machine-control environments, the Vector VR1000 multi-frequency, multi-GNSS receiver offers real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning and high-precision heading.

“The Vector VR1000 is our most robust GNSS receiver yet,” said Lyle Geck, product manager at Hemisphere. “The receiver offers a feature- and performance-packed combination of Athena RTK engine, Atlas L-band corrections, and excellent connectivity. With a baseline separation up to 10 meters, users can achieve heading accuracies of up to 0.01 degrees.”

The 744-channel VR1000 excels in difficult environments, tracking GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS and IRNSS. Its connectivity features support Ethernet, CAN, internal 400 MHz/900 MHz radio, serial, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It also has 12 multi-color LED indicators.

Powered by Athena GNSS engine, VR1000 provides centimeter-level RTK. Athena excels in environments where high-accuracy GNSS receivers can be used.

Integrated L-band adds support for Atlas GNSS global corrections for meter- to sub-decimeter-level accuracy while new Tracer technology helps maintain position during correction signal outages.

VR1000 also uses Hemisphere’s aRTK technology, powered by Atlas. This feature allows the receiver to operate with RTK accuracies when RTK corrections fail. If the VR1000 is Atlas-subscribed, it will continue to operate at the subscribed service level until RTK is restored.

C321 RTK Base and Rover

C321 RTK base and rover by Hemisphere GNSS. Photo: Hemisphere

Hemisphere GNSS also debuted the C321 GNSS Smart Antenna for heavy highway and site construction. When paired with the company’s SiteMetrix Site Management software, the multi-frequency, multi-GNSS C321 antenna can be used as an all-in-one construction base and rover site controller.

The C321 combines Hemisphere’s Athena GNSS engine and Atlas L-band correction technologies. The ruggedized antenna is designed for the most challenging environments and meets IP67-standard requirements.

Powered by Athena GNSS engine, the C321 provides best-in-class, centimeter-level RTK. Athena excels in virtually every environment where high-accuracy GNSS receivers can be used. Tested and proven, Athena performs with long baselines in open-sky environments, under heavy canopy, and in geographic locations experiencing significant scintillation.

Atlas GNSS Global Corrections. The C321 ships pre-configured to test-drive corrections from Hemisphere’s Atlas L-band corrections service. The bundled solution provides users worldwide with an easy way to utilize Atlas, including the worldwide H10 service offering 8 cm 95% accuracy (4 cm RMS). C321 also uses Hemisphere’s aRTK technology, powered by Atlas. This feature allows the receiver to operate with RTK accuracies when RTK corrections fail. If the C321 is Atlas-subscribed, it will continue to operate at the subscribed service level until RTK is restored.

SiteMetrix Site Management Software

Hemisphere’s SiteMetrix is a complete 3D/GNSS site management and inspection tool, implementing most grading, mining and landfill applications. SiteMetrix provides cut-and-fill information across the job site in real time, moving easily between a vehicle to a man-rover pole. SiteMetrix supports most GNSS receivers by offering a large GNSS library.

Using SiteMetrix offers easy-to-use stakeout, collection, volume computations and reporting, and as-built points. Developed as versatile software, SiteMetrix provides an incredible amount of direct import files, including DWG, DXF, TN3, GC3, LN3, TIN and GRD. With a customizable user interface, SiteMetrix can be as easy or advanced as necessary.

March 9, 2017
Bluesky granted funding for mobile phone mapping project

Geographic data specialist Bluesky has secured funding from the United Kingdom’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, to investigate the potential of mobile phones for capturing accurate 3D spatial information.

Designed to reduce the costs of monitoring and managing essential infrastructure, such as overhead electricity cables, and mitigate the effects of potentially damaging vegetation, the Bluesky-led study will assess the feasibility of extracting 3D measurements from standard smartphone video footage.

Using specialist software and specially developed photogrammetric algorithms, it is possible to compute depth values for individual pixels within overlapping images taken from video to create dense 3D point clouds of an object or scene, Bluesky said.

Working in partnership with ADAS, an environmental consultancy, Bluesky will provide experience gained through previous data capture and management projects with electricity distribution network operator (DNO) companies in the UK and overseas.

The initial application of this innovative use of mainstream technology would be the accurate measurement of vegetation encroachment in the field for maintenance purposes. The company will also explore other applications of the solution in sectors such as forensics, insurance and emergency response.

World Market

DNO companies spend millions monitoring and maintaining clearance between trees and power lines, with the market potential in Europe alone estimated at £10 million per annum.

By using readily available mobile phone technology, Bluesky hopes to reduce this cost of overhead networks, both power and telecommunications, across the world, and provide managers with an easy-to-use and easy-to-update efficient audit trail.

March 9, 2017
L1 receiver, UAV help discreet survey of private island

Images courtesy of Luke Wijnberg.

3DroneMapping completed a project under tight time and space constraints — surveying a tiny tropical island without disturbing guests.

The 15-hectare island three kilometers from the Zanzibar coast is isolated from the rest of the world. Surrounded by coral reefs and sandbars, the island is home to an exclusive resort, but its limited space is threatened by erosion from changing currents.

Developers are concerned that proposed structures will be washed out to sea in a few years. Because no plans or maps of the island have ever been drawn or surveyed, they felt it was important to provide scale and dimension to architects for a master plan.

Images courtesy of Luke Wijnberg.

The survey needed to include existing structures, pathways, major trees, visible services, high-tide marks, levels and contours. It needed to be done in a tight timespan, before the island closed for renovations in three months. Also, the survey could not disturb any guests.

Using a custom-built multi-rotor drone with a high-resolution camera allowed 3DroneMapping to obtain images with good detail but taken far enough from guests to not bother them. Control points were located strategically, in places not visible to the public.

Images courtesy of Luke Wijnberg.

Luke Wijnberg, CEO of 3DroneMapping, conducted the survey with the L1 Reach by Emlid. “Such a survey could not have been possible without drones and Reach kit,” Wijnberg wrote in a blog. “Using this technology kept the pricing low for the customer, kept time on the ground and disturbance to guests to a minimum and provided a very quick turnabout time.”

Images courtesy of Luke Wijnberg.

After fieldwork was completed, the photogrammetric process was a fairly simple affair with 600 images collected and control added to the model. A high over and sidelap was required to obtain ground strikes between the vegetation.

The ground strikes were then extracted from the dense point cloud using specialized 3D point cloud editing and classification software. Other features were exported to a CAD program.

All files were handed to the client via an online GIS platform with AutoCAD files for the master planners.

Learn more about the project on the 3DroneMapping website.

Images courtesy of Luke Wijnberg.

March 8, 2017
Hemisphere GNSS launches smart antenna, machine control software
Hemisphere GNSS has launched three new products:
- The Vector VR500 rugged all-in-one smart antenna
- GradeMetrix software for machine control and guidance applications
- The IronOne rugged display and computer
Hemisphere GNSS made the announcements at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2017, being held this week in Las Vegas. Hemisphere GNSS is exhibiting at booth G71925.

Vector VR500 Smart Antenna

The Hemisphere GNSS VR500 smart antenna. Photo: Hemisphere

The Vector VR500 is designed specifically for harsh machine control environments, the multi-frequency, multi-GNSS smart antenna offers precise heading, RTK positioning, and easy installation. VR500 adds another system component and empowers heavy equipment manufacturers to deliver their own machine control and guidance solutions to their customers.

“The Vector VR500 is our all-in-one smart antenna OEM entry into the machine control market,” said Jennifer Keenan, product manager at Hemisphere. “The receiver is designed from the ground up, specifically for rugged machine control environments and offers a feature- and performance-rich combination of Athena RTK engine, Atlas L-band corrections, heading accuracy up to 0.2 degrees, integrated UHF radio, updates up to 50Hz, and excellent connectivity.”

VR500 excels in the toughest machine control environments, meeting stringent IP ingress and MIL-STD202G shock and vibration requirements. A fully scalable solution, the VR500 tracks GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, and IRNSS, and is also Atlas L-band and SBAS capable.

Designed for ease-of-installation, the all-in-one unit connects with just one cable supporting unprecedented integration of CANbus and UHF RTK radio with position and heading messages. The powerful and easy-to-use webUI allows the user to control, manage, and upgrade firmware and activations using Wi-Fi. VR500 offers a robust set of connectivity options allowing corrections to be received via radio, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Serial.

Powered by Athena GNSS engine, VR500 provides centimeter-level RTK. Athena excels in virtually every environment where high-accuracy GNSS receivers can be used. Tested and proven, Athena performs with long baselines, in open-sky environments, under heavy canopy, and in geographic locations experiencing significant scintillation.

Integrated L-band adds support for Atlas GNSS global corrections for meter to sub-decimeter level accuracy while new Tracer technology helps maintain position during correction signal outages. VR500 also uses Hemisphere’s aRTK technology, powered by Atlas. This feature allows the receiver to operate with RTK accuracies when RTK corrections fail. If the VR500 is Atlas-subscribed, it will continue to operate at the subscribed service level until RTK is restored.

GradeMetrix Software

GradeMetrix is next-generation, core software (optional Windows 10 and Android) designed to empower heavy equipment manufacturers to deliver their own branded machine control and guidance solutions to their customers.

Hemisphere GNSS’ IronOne tablet running GradeMetrix software. Photo: Hemisphere

Heavy equipment manufacturers, in large part, have had to rely on after-market systems to provide their machine control positioning technology. After-market systems also compete with OEMs creating a lack of brand identity, customizable solutions and integration tools, all of which are essential to facilitating superior system performance, the company said.

“For the first time in our industry, Hemisphere is announcing an OEM toolkit that includes GradeMetrix software for developing and delivering scalable machine control systems,” said Randy Noland, vice president of global sales and marketing with Hemisphere.

“These new products and design services empower OEM customers with unprecedented flexibility and price points for designing, complementing, and delivering their own scalable solutions,” Noland added. “GradeMetrix is the catalyst for delivering a new generation of positioning systems by removing multiple barriers to higher adoption, especially to smaller machines and markets.”

IronOne Display and Computer

The IronOne Rugged Display and Computer is purpose-built for harsh machine control environments, meeting IP67-standard certification and using an 8-inch sunlight-readable LCD display. IronOne adds another system component and empowers heavy equipment manufacturers to deliver their own machine control and guidance solutions to their customers.

“IronOne is a rugged display that can easily be adapted to any customer’s requirements,” said Matt Steele, product manager at Hemisphere. “With an IP67 rating, high-end processor, and top-of-the-line embedded Windows 10 operating system, IronOne will withstand and exceed expectations in some of the most challenging environments in the machine control landscape.”

Connectivity features on the IronOne include Ethernet, CANbus, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth and offers optional cellular modem for maximum connectivity in the field. The easy-to-read 8-inch TFT-LCD capacitive touchscreen display is ideal while inside heavy machinery where different viewing angles are required.

IronOne is agnostic and can support site-specific management tools or grading-specific software that requires high-processing speeds and fast update rates. The computer contains an Intel Atom dual-core processor designed for heavy processing requirements. With expandable memory and industry standard connectivity, the IronOne provides a customizable solution.
March 7, 2017
Dragonfly narrowband IoT unveiled with GNSS option
CEVA Inc., licensor of signal processing IP forconnected devices, and Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited (ASTRI) have introduced Dragonfly NB1, a comprehensive cost- and power-optimized NB-IoT solution aimed at streamlining the development of LTE IoT devices.

Dragonfly NB1 leverages CEVA’s heritage of low-power DSPs and modem design and ASTRI’s experience in RF and IC Design technologies. Together, the companies have collaborated to produce a complete machine-to-machine (M2M) endpoint solution that offers best-in-class performance and power consumption, that is easily integrated into a system on chip (SoC).

GMV Add-On for GNSS. CEVA and ASTRI have teamed up with GMV, a navigation system and solutions company, to offer an integrated GNSS solution for smart devices with location tracking of logistics, assets, wearables and more. The GNSS IP is available as an add-on software that runs on the CEVA-X1 together with NB-IoT and leverages ASTRI’s GNSS RF IP that is embedded into the solution.

GMV’s software IP supports all four GNSS constellations: GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS and Galileo. The flexibility enabled by running the GNSS constellations fully in software on Dragonfly NB1 allows seamless switching between constellations when required or to run multiple constellations concurrently in order to improve resolution further and offer a truly global asset tracking solution.

“Dragonfly NB1 with its multi-mode RF and dedicated IoT processor is a perfect match with GMV’s software GNSS product,” said Miguel Manuel Romay Merino, executive director of GNSS at GMV. “It provides full flexibility in using multiple constellations, either separately or concurrently to serve the various requirements specific to asset trackers, wearables and other IoT endpoint devices.”

Dragonfly Features

Dragonfly NB1 not only reduces the time taken to get NB-IoT products certified, but also provides low-power wide-area (LPWA) SoC designers with a flexible, software-upgradeable platform with key benefits in terms of die size and power consumption:
- The Dragonfly NB1 solution is enabled by a single CEVA-X1 IoT processor, capable of running the complete PHY and protocol stack software for NB-IoT in addition to other associated workloads such as GNSS and sensing. It eliminates the need for additional processors and hardware accelerators in the SoC and allows in-the-field upgrades to Release 14 eNB-IoT and other future releases.
- The CEVA-X1 IoT processor architecture includes specialized NB-IoT instructions and mechanisms to speed up PHY, MAC and encryption execution, further reducing clock speed and power consumption. It can also support other LPWA standards and workloads such as Cat-M1, LoRa, SigFox and voice.
- The Dragonfly NB1 solution incorporates highly power-efficient multi-standard RF with embedded PA, LNA, DC-DC and DCXO technology for NB-IoT and GNSS (GPS and BeiDou), shortening development time and reducing the overall module bill of materials.
Memory is a critical consideration for NB-IoT, as it directly influences the cost, silicon area and overall form factor of the module. Dragonfly NB1 is specifically designed to operate with embedded flash by incorporating an optimized low latency memory subsystem with a dedicated cache controller. The solution also includes a specialized security unit for a fully-trusted system.

“In the coming years, NB-IoT will become the dominant technology for low power wide area connectivity. For most companies, understanding how to develop this technology is a daunting task,” said Michael Boukaya, Vice President and General Manager, Wireless Business Unit at CEVA. “To overcome this, we have worked relentlessly with ASTRI to develop a complete solution from the ground up, that removes the design burden and allows SoC designers to add NB-IoT connectivity to their product designs. We’re extremely excited to announce this solution and demonstrate our leadership in IP for NB-IoT.”

“We’re pleased to partner with CEVA to address the cellular IoT market opportunity,” said Frank Tong, CEO at ASTRI. “Our joint development efforts have resulted in a highly-integrated modem solution with integrated RF that delivers outstanding performance and is power-optimized for the most rigorous NB-IoT use cases. We look forward to continuing our collaboration as we help our mutual customers get to market.”

Reference silicon of the complete modem design — including embedded CMOS RF transceiver, advanced digital front-end, physical layer software and third-party protocol stack (MAC, RLC, PDCP, RRC and NAS) — will be available this June.
March 7, 2017
u-blox and Digicom partner on narrowband IoT products

Chip-maker u-blox is parntering with Digicom, a company that offers a wide range of hardware and software with cellular connectivity, to develop narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) products and solutions. Both companies have carried out a series of innovative and successful field trials of the new NB-IoT technology.

The announcement reflects u-blox’s and Digicom’s eagerness to meet pent-up demand for Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) connectivity, as delivered by NB-IoT technology, standardized by 3GPP in June 2016.

Digicom’s narrowband IoT GPS tracker has u-blox inside. Photo: u-box

The benefits of NB-IoT over other cellular radio technologies include lower device complexity, ultra‑low power operation and support for > 50 k devices per single cellular cell. As NB-IoT operates on networks within the licensed spectrum, it also offers greater security and freedom from interference.

It is therefore suitable for IoT and M2M applications requiring extremely low power consumption and better coverage even in shielded areas.

The collaboration is driven by a complementary business relationship between the two companies. Digicom offers innovative solutions for the industrial markets using NB-IoT, with a particular focus on connectivity solutions for Smart Cities, Smart Buildings, Industry 4.0 in general and the Automotive industry. Digicom platforms are designed for the protection of vehicles, people and pets, offer ultra low power consumption and several years operation in battery mode.

Embedded in Digicom’s products and solutions is for instance the u-blox SARA‑N2 NB-IoT module, which was announced in June 2016 as a cellular radio module compliant with 3GPP Release 13. Release 13 defined the NB-IoT cellular air interface standard, specifically targeting devices that need to communicate small amounts of data over long periods of time in hard-to-reach places.

“We have collaborated with u-blox for a long time and the quality and innovation of their modules enable us to develop cutting-edge products and solutions,” said Stefano Galzignato, business line manager at Digicom.

“We are excited to be part of this partnership, which showcases u‑blox as a global leader in developing NB‑IoT solutions for IoT applications,” said Stefano Moioli, u‑blox director of product management, cellular.

The partnership is expected to grow steadily alongside a rising demand for Digicom solutions for IoT markets.

March 7, 2017
Surveying at the South Pole

Finnegan with the Riegl VZ-1000. (Image courtesy of Adam LeWinter.)

In January, Adam LeWinter and Dave Finnegan, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), traveled to the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station to conduct a terrestrial lidar/thermal infrared survey of the elevated station as part of a National Science Foundation-funded project.

They used a Riegl VZ-1000 with integrated InfraTec VarioCAM high-definition thermal camera to capture a three-dimensional thermal map of the building, to assess the building envelope for thermal efficiency.

Working in temperatures down to –30° C, CRREL designed a heated thermal jacket to keep both scanner and camera warm.

Riegl lidar on a sled. (Image courtesy of Adam LeWinter.)

March 7, 2017
GPS disruption a full-fledged aviation problem

Several jamming incidents in 2016 highlight the increasing reliance on GNSS by commercial aviation and vulnerabilities of PNT-dependent devices and systems to real-world GNSS threats.

Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) and other warnings to pilots and crews reported GPS signal jamming near major international airports. Aircraft approaching or flying over these airports were advised to avoid using RNAV technology to plan their approach or landing, due to the presence of GPS signal jamming.

The NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) database contains records of pilot-reported incidents, which rose from 11 in 2013 to 28 in 2015, and they continued to grow in 2016.

There is also increasing pressure on the GPS spectrum, from Ligado plans to deploy wireless systems in the U.S. that transmit on adjacent frequencies, to Europe’s new Radio Equipment Directive with a GNSS Adjacent Band Compatibility test. The U.S. Department of Transportation recently found that high-precision GPS receivers were more likely to be affected by adjacent-band noise.

Large international airports lie near busy roads and parking lots and are more likely to encounter small in-vehicle personal privacy device jammers used by employees to disrupt tracking systems. These devices are capable of disrupting Area Navigation (RNAV) approaches that rely on GPS.

It is obviously important to test the effects of such interferers on safety-critical devices and systems so that their performance can be evaluated. There are strong guidelines and standards that apply to GNSS receivers designed for use by commercial aviation. This means that it is very rare for onboard GNSS receivers to output hazardously misleading information to other flight-deck control and management systems. But jamming does obviously affect aviation equipment by rendering it inoperative.

Monitoring the RF signal environment around an airport to understand where interference is occurring, and potentially what’s causing it, has become vital. This can be done using one or more interference detectors, and can produce extremely enlightening results. Information on the frequency of events and jammer types can also be collected and used to better protect systems installed at the airport.

The aviation industry has been deliberately cautious in adopting GPS technology, and is well educated about the specific vulnerabilities of GPS. But GPS interference is now widespread, and as the industry is becoming more dependent on GNSS, safety measures should be featured in every airport’s and every airline’s risk assessment framework.

The collection and analysis of statistics quantifying frequency and type of interference in GNSS bands should be an essential part of any mitigation strategy where GNSS is used to provide position or precise timing data critical for business to operate.

A number of systems and products are available to help businesses mitigate against threats to satellite positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) systems. Test instruments including GPS interference detection systems, real-world threat scenarios, and a range of professional services can all help to evaluate the risks and impacts of relevant threats.

For example, in Spirent’s Robust PNT Framework, once risks and threats have been evaluated, algorithms and/or hardware modifications to receivers and/or antennas can be devised. Once implemented, the effectiveness of these mitigation measures can be evaluated using the same Framework, which can generate simulation scenarios using captured interference waveforms.

This use of real-world interference waveforms in a realistic simulator-generated scenario can provide a great deal of information on likely effects of interference on GNSS systems and devices. Further, airports can implement operational measures to mitigate interference.

While the onus seems to fall on receiver manufacturers to mitigate against interference, they can only offer part of the solution. The remainder is institutional. A robust approach to identifying and dealing with threats must be mandated.

Even with robust receivers and a concerted effort to reduce threats, some will persist. Hence, a backup strategy must continue to be explored and funded at an appropriate level.

GUY BUESNEL is market segment manager, GNSS vulnerabilities, and PAUL CRAMPTON is senior systems engineer, both at Spirent Federal Systems.

March 6, 2017
Hexagon and Locata offer solution to the mining puzzle

The Leica Geosystems JPS (Jigsaw Positioning System) uses Locata’s system of positioning. Photo: Locata

Locata Corporation and Hexagon Mining have partnered to bring Locata technology to mines.

The JPS (Jigsaw Positioning System) is a radiolocation technology that replicates a highly accurate positioning network system, augmenting GNSS satellites with a ground-based positioning network.

Created in partnership with Locata, JPS provides the same positioning accuracy of GNSS, but without the signal drop-out in deep pits and against high walls.

LocaLites. Using a combination of fixed-position and movable LocataLites, a high-precision positioning network can be created where needed, complimenting or replacing traditional GPS. The LocataLites are solar-powered and contain an RTK GNSS receiver. They also have TimeLoc synchronization technology. Multiple signals are transmitted for redundancy and to mitigate multipath in the pit.

Module. One JPS receiver module contains two receivers. It has Ethernet and RS232 connections, and support for external GNSS corrections. A co-located antenna receives both GNSS and Locata signals.

Operations. Once the system is set up, users can monitor network health via an in-built web interface or reporting of the LocataNet status in the Jigsaw fleet management software, Jmineops. A web-based diagnostic tool is provided.
JPS can be customized and scaled to be any size needed, with LocataLites added or removed from a network as needed. JPS is interoperable with any Wi-Fi network.

No additional correction network means base stations, atomic clocks, data links, and differential corrections are not needed, reducing errors and infrastructure costs.

March 6, 2017
What is the biggest unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV) challenge?
What is the biggest challenge facing the UAV industry? Go to gpsworld.com/17marpoll to give us your opinion by March 22 and you’ll also be entered in a drawing to receive a $50 gift card.

Here are the possibilities on offer, plus an “other” category for you to specify something bigger if you think we’ve omitted anything.
- Better quality images and video
- Better, smaller, more lightweight sensors (inertial, Lidar, infrared, spectral, etc.)
- Integration of other sensors with GPS/GNSS
- Applications and command-control on mobile devices: smartphones and tablets
- Virtual and augmented reality
- Competition from satellite and aircraft imagery/mapping/other
- Air traffic control and the FAA regulatory environment
- Other (please specify)
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Watch this space for continuing coverage of developments in UAV navigation and related issues, with in-depth reporting from the upcoming AUVSI Xponential conference in May.
March 6, 2017
GNSS plays prominent role at Mobile World Congress
Global navigation satellite system (GNSS) technology found its way into products ranging from autonomous vehicles to wearables at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

One company says it is tailoring a GNSS receiver chip to meet the demands of mobile devices that require high levels of speed and position accuracy. Thalwil, Switzerland-based u-blox said its new low-power UBX-M8230-CT GNSS receiver chip can not only be used for smartwatch development, but for tracking people, animals and assets.

“The highlight of the chip is that it has much better balance, while maintaining the accuracy of a traditional, full-power receiver,” said Florian Bousquet, u-blox market development manager. “It can work in the most difficult urban canyon environments. It works well in sports watches, smartwatches, activity trackers and other wearables — and just about anything portable that has a battery.”

Bousquet said the chip, in what the company calls a Super-E mode, uses GPS with either GLONASS or BeiDou. This mode allows batching location data on the chip, which reduces power consumption, he said.

Bousquet said the chip is available now, in an evaluation kit, for around $120. He said the chip will be manufactured in volume this summer.

It took u-blox a year-and-a-half to develop the GNSS chip, Bousquet said. “It took time for our development team to optimize the system and field test the infrastructure to make sure the product performed in different scenarios and environments.”

Another company, Racelogic, exhibited its LabSat 3 Wideband GNSS simulator, which is used by u-blox and others to help test and develop products. Some applications include drones, autonomous vehicles, survey equipment, personal monitoring devices, aerospace and end-of-the-line product testing, the company said.

The newer L2C, L5 and L1C signals give companies the opportunity to develop products that are compatible with new receivers as they come to market, said Mark Sampson, LabSat product/sales manager.

The company also showed off its SatGen v3 simulator software that allows users to create a data file to be replayed on the LabSat GNSS simulator. The software allows companies to define a complicated route, and then import it into the software.

Company tests eCall and ERA-GLONASS modules

Both the European Union (EU) and Russian Federation are requiring governments to have intelligent telematics-based safety systems. In case of a serious accident, these systems automatically call for local medical services.

Technology to meet the requirements of eCall and ERA-GLONASS include an antenna, GNSS receiver, crash sensors and other components.

To reproduce end-to-end and standard-compliant testing of the eCall and ERA-GLONASS modules, Rohde & Schwarz offers two products. One is the CMW-KA094 eCall application software. The other is the CMW-KA095 extension for ERA-GLONASS to simulate a public safety answering point (PSAP) to emulate a cellular network in a lab.

“It’s pretty important testing because of the safety of life. We have set up implementation of it in our labs,” said Christian Hof, Rohde & Schwarz senior product manager for mobile radio testers.

CMW500 simulator by Rohde & Schwarz. Photo: Rohde & Schwarz

During testing, governments and companies can use the CMW500 platform, which identifies Internet of Things (IoT) and mobile communications devices’ IP connection security issues, Hof said.

The company believes, since many IoT platforms are proprietary as standardization is still in progress, security gaps are frequently reported.

Spirent rolls out new simulator

Spirent Communications displayed its Elevate IoT Device Test Solution, a new cellular test designed to support IoT applications. These applications include end-to-end cloud server connectivity, security-vulnerability assessment and battery-life measurement.

The new unit is available through the company’s Spirent Elevate platform, which addresses areas affected when designing 3G, LTE and new narrowband wireless technologies for IoT devices.

Overall, Spirent is finding many use cases and applications in the IoT and mobile industry.

“We are finding that smaller companies developing software and services want to test GNSS, but don’t have the capabilities to do so. These could include small projects such as people and pet trackers,” said Simon Loe, Spirent’s head of marketing solutions and services. “We are trying to democratize the technology. Another trend we are seeing is growing importance on GNSS in network timing.”

Not everything is about drab simulation. Far from it. Spirent last year teamed with Aston Martin Racing to evaluate automotive technologies on the 2016 V8 Vantage GTE race cars.

This includes the accuracy and performance of GPS receivers and interference monitoring, said Julian Kemp, Spirent product manager, custom solutions.

Antenna market for IoT, autonomous vehicles robust

Taoglas is offering GNSS antennas that support IoT products, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and future autonomous vehicles, said Ronan Quinlan, company co-founder.

The company is offering lightweight antennas for mass-market unmanned UAVs, which had a growing presence at Mobile World Congress this year.

The future markets for Taoglas will be in connected and autonomous vehicles, Quinlan said. “We found out years ago that we missed out on the rise of 2G, but we did not miss the rise of 4G. The advent of 5G and GNSS will lead to the development of the autonomous vehicle,” he said.

Antenna costs associated with the rise of autonomous vehicles will have to be reduced, Quinlan said. “Some antennas that were $100 solutions have to go down to $20 solutions once they get into a car,” he said.

In other Mobile World Congress news:
- Fraunhofer IIS displayed its Enhanced Voice Services (EVS), the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) communication protocol designed specifically for voice over LTE (VoLTE) services.
- Telit said it is expanding its relationship with Tele2 on Pan-European long-term evolution (LTE) IoT connectivity services. Telit and Tele2 now offer custom data plans with predictable pricing, no hidden fees or roaming charges for high bandwidth IoT applications, the company said. Services include video monitoring, digital signage or real-time asset tracking.
March 5, 2017
Trump administration proposes slashing NOAA funding

Hurricane Fran at peak intensity on Sept.4, 1996. (Image: NOAA)

The Washington Post reported March 3 that the Trump administration proposes slashing the budget of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) by 17 percent, cutting steeply into climate change research funding and satellite programs.

The Post cited a four-page budget memo it obtained. In the memo, NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research would lose $126 million, or 26 percent, of its funding, while NOAA’s satellite data division would lose $513 million, or 22 percent, of its funding.

The proposed cuts to NOAA would also eliminate funding for f smaller programs, including external research, coastal management, estuary reserves and “coastal resilience,” which seeks to bolster the ability of coastal areas to withstand major storms and rising seas.

NOAA is part of the Commerce Department, which would be hit by an overall 18 percent budget reduction from its current funding level.

March 4, 2017