Category: Applications

Intel’s Mini-PC: A Cheap Server for an RTK Base

I’ve written this many, many times in the past eight years that I’ve written for GPS World magazine, but I have to write it again — this is an exciting time for GNSS!

For me, high-precision GNSS is particularly exciting. I’ve been traveling like crazy, and involved in a number of really fun projects that incorporate high-precision GNSS. Of course, on these various projects I usually incorporate many types of technologies that support GNSS, such as computing, communications, power, and mechanical.

Along those lines, I find myself more and more frequently setting up custom RTK bases for companies because they’re getting cheaper and cheaper, regardless of the fact that there are an increasing number of publicly available real-time kinematic (RTK) base stations. Setting one up doesn’t just involve plugging power into a RTK base receiver and hitting the on/off switch. As I mentioned above, setting up an RTK base involves several different types of technologies. Sometimes, I set up a desktop computer next to the RTK base to act as a server to manage the RTK GNSS base and communications (both network and RTK communications) equipment.

In your mind, when you think of a desktop computer, you probably envision something that occupies 2-3 square feet (~one square meter) of desktop space, along with a keyboard and monitor. So, a consideration when deploying an RTK base is finding desk space somewhere in the user’s office to accommodate the desktop PC and other equipment.

Recently, I took a different approach. I found (actually, my client found) an incredibly small computer to be our server. Just as high-precision GNSS receivers are getting smaller and smaller, so are computers. The Intel Mini-PC measures 4 inches x 4 inches (10.16 x 10.16 centimeters) and has no hard disk. It uses solid-state drive (SSD) memory for storage. SSD technology is still somewhat expensive ($1+ per gigabyte), but it is small compared to a classical disk drive, and doesn’t have any moving parts. Furthermore, the Mini-PC has ethernet ports: when we connect a network cable to it, we could access the Mini-PC via Remote Desktop. That meant we didn’t need a keyboard or monitor. The Mini-PC had all the power we needed, and we could load any sort of control software on it because it runs the standard Windows 7 (or 8) operating system. Last but not least, the Mini-PC costs only $149. However, you need to add memory, SSD, and so on, so the real cost is ~$400 depending on your configuration. While not cheaper than similarly performing “boxes” available, it’s certainly one of the smallest.

Intel Mini-PC Measuring 4″ x 4″

In fact, it’s so small that we stuffed it inside a 14” x 12” electronics enclosure box along with the RTK GNSS base and other network equipment, and hung it out of sight on a closet wall. No desktop space required. Without stretching your mind much, you can see where desktop computing is headed; very small and inexpensive enough to be dedicated to specific tasks. Think about this and then consider the Internet of Things concept. It’s very exciting.

More RTK on Mobile Devices

Later this week I’ll be experimenting with RTK on mobile devices with the CRTN (California Real Time Network), a collection of 330 RTK bases located throughout California. I’ll be using a Panasonic ToughPad running ArcGIS Mobile (and maybe ArcPad) and an iPad using a cloud-based mapping service. The latter is particularly interesting because there are lots of cloud-based GIS data collection apps on the market and under development. Specifically, there’s a lot of subscription-based, cloud-based software. The challenge is that they are even less geodesy-intelligent than the “professional grade” GIS data collection software on the market. In other words, they read coordinates (NMEA format) from GNSS receivers and feed them directly into their app. No datum transformations are provided, neither horizontal nor vertical. That’s going to be a problem.

FCC Levies Record Fine Against Chinese Supplier of GPS and Mobile Phone Jammers

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that it plans to issue the largest fine in its history against C.T.S. Technology Co., Limited, a Chinese electronics manufacturer and online retailer, for allegedly marketing 285 models of signal jamming devices to U.S. consumers for more than two years. The FCC plans to levy a $34.9 million fine against CTS. The FCC reported that CTS sold 10 high-powered signal jammers to undercover FCC personnel.

The FCC is asking people to report the sale or use of an illegal jammer by contacting the FCC Enforcement Bureau through the FCC online complaint portal, or by calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (or 1-888-225-5322). To voluntarily relinquish a signal jammer, e-mail [email protected]. Additional information, including the FCC Consumer Alert on the jamming prohibitions and the FCC Enforcement Advisory to retailers regarding the marketing of illegal signal jammers, is available at www.fcc.gov/jammers.

You can view the FCC enforcement action against C.T.S. here.

Satellite Launch Pads are Warming Up

Two GPS Block IIF satellites, one launched in February and one launched in May, were set healthy in the past three weeks, making a total of six IIF GPS satellites in orbit broadcasting on three civil frequencies; L1, L2C, L5.

On July 31, the seventh GPS IIF satellite is scheduled for launch, followed by an October 2014 scheduled launch of the eighth GPS IIF satellite.

On June 14, Russia launched a GLONASS-M satellite. It has not been set healthy yet. There are a total of 24 healthy GLONASS satellites in orbit. You can check the current status of GLONASS satellites here.

On August 22, Europe is scheduled to launch the first two Galileo FOC (Full Operational Capability) satellites to add to the four test satellites in orbit that will be integrated into the final operational constellation. A second pair of Galileo satellites is scheduled for launch in November 2014. These are projected dates and subject to slippage.

Galileo Satellites in the Clean Room

Live Webinar from the Esri International User Conference on July 17

In a GPS World first, we’ll be producing a live Webinar from the Esri International User Conference next month on Thursday, July 17 @ 10 am Pacific Time in the exhibit hall at the San Diego Convention Center. Of course, the webinar will be focus on one of the hottest topics, high-precision GNSS on mobile devices; from iPads to Android tablets to smartphones.

Tune in or join us live from the exhibit hall floor! Register here.

Thanks, and see you next month.

Follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GPSGIS_Eric

June 23, 2014
EuroGeographics to Create Expert Group in GNSS Positioning
Members of EuroGeographics are creating a European platform for networking, sharing best practices, and exchanging expertise on GNSS positioning.

Plans for the new Positioning Knowledge Exchange Network (KEN) were revealed at the association’s recent Extraordinary General Assembly following a proposal by the Head Office for Geodesy and Cartography, Poland. Its focus will include:
- maintaining a network of experts in satellite positioning and navigation
- following the development of relevant technologies and practices
- working on the most effective utilization of Galileo services, and
- developing common standards, policies and guidelines for best practice.
Now EuroGeographics members will work to agree on roles and joint actions through a cooperation agreement with the European Position Determination System (EUPOS), the Reference Frame Sub Committee for Europe (Euref), and the Council of European Geodetic Surveyors (CLGE). The new Positioning KEN will incorporate experts from all four organizations and will also invite other key players to participate.

“This is a really exciting addition to our range of benefits for members,” said EuroGeographics Executive Director and Secretary General Dave Lovell OBE. “It demonstrates how they are driving the association’s development to ensure its activities continue to meet their needs by reflecting emerging trends and the relevant interests of the European Institutions. We look forward to strengthening our relationships with EUPOS, Euref and CLGE as we work together to create the uniform GNSS service for Europe.”

EuroGeographics KENs provide an open forum for members and invited experts. Each focuses on an area of particular interest for national mapping, land registry and cadastral authorities. These include Business Interoperability, Quality and Emergency Mapping.
June 20, 2014
FCC to Fine Chinese Jammer Retailer $34.9M for Online U.S. Sales

The Federal Communications Commission plans to issue the largest fine in its history against C.T.S. Technology Co., Limited, a Chinese electronics manufacturer and online retailer, for allegedly marketing 285 models of signal jamming devices to U.S. consumers for more than two years.

The FCC applied the maximum fine allowed to each jammer model allegedly marketed by C.T.S., resulting in a planned fine of $34,912,500.

“All companies, whether domestic or foreign, are banned from marketing illegal jammers in the U.S.,” said Travis LeBlanc, Acting Chief of the Enforcement Bureau. “Signal jammers present a direct danger to public safety, potentially blocking the communications of first responders. Operating a jammer is also illegal, and consumers who do so face significant civil and criminal penalties.”

C.T.S. operates a website that markets consumer electronics to individuals in the United States, where it allegedly misled U.S. consumers by falsely claiming that certain signal jammers were approved by the FCC. In fact, the use of such devices by U.S. consumers is illegal under any circumstance. C.T.S. also sold 10 high-powered signal jammers to undercover FCC personnel.

The FCC also is ordering C.T.S. to cease marketing illegal signal jammers to U.S. consumers and provide information to the FCC about any persons and entities in the United Sates that purchased its devices.

Signal jammers are radio frequency transmitters that intentionally block, jam, or interfere with authorized communications, such as cellphone calls, GPS systems, Wi-Fi networks, and first responder communications. It is a violation of federal law to market, sell, import, or use a signal jammer in the United States and its territories, except in very limited circumstances involving federal law enforcement.

The FCC is asking people to report the sale or use of an illegal jammer by contacting the FCC Enforcement Bureau through the FCC online complaint portal, or by calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (or 1-888-225-5322). To voluntarily relinquish a signal jammer, e-mail [email protected]. Additional information, including the FCC Consumer Alert on the jamming prohibitions and the FCC Enforcement Advisory to retailers regarding the marketing of illegal signal jammers, is available at www.fcc.gov/jammers.

The FCC enforcement action against C.T.S. is available at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-14-92A1.pdf.

June 20, 2014
Rugged IP68 GPS Handhelds and Field Computers Launched
The GAGAN-enabled SXtreo GN11.

Stesalit today announced the availability of the SXtreo range of rugged GPS handhelds for survey, industrial use, and field work under extreme conditions such as agriculture, forestry, roads, security and construction.

The SXtreo series of mobile devices are rated IP-68, meaning they are waterproof, dust proof, shockproof, and are coupled with built-in mobile GIS applications. Long battery life allows GPS data collection for a full work day, without the need for recharging. The GNSS devices come with full-size USB port for connecting devices.

Stesalit is based in India, and the SXtreo gives that country an affordable option to take geotagged photos and conduct waypoint surveys. The design and conceptualization of SXtreo is a result of the in-house R&D effort of Stesalit. The road towards the birth of SXtreo is presented in the video:

The GAGAN-enabled SXtreo GN series of rugged GNSS field computers and PDAs comes with a full keypad and large five-inch sunlight-readable screen for field data entry in large forms. These models are designed for GPS data collection and asset management, socioeconomic surveys, mapping, agriculture, logistics, forestry, public transportation, construction and security.

The SXtreo WP 60 and WP61 devices have all the features of a smartphone.

The SXtreo WP 61 rugged smartphone.

SXtreo handheld’s Android and embedded Linux-based open-source secured operating systems are compatible with a range of sector-specific applications designed by Stesalit.
- SXgeo is specially designed for waypoint, routes, and track surveys. The added advantage from the similar existing applications is that one can capture geotagged photos and transfer the survey data through GPRS.
- SXsurvey is a complete suite for comprehensive survey management. With the features of SXgeo, one can also create large forms dynamically in the devices for survey data collection.
- SXfield is specifically built for the field workers and employees working away from office like road construction, oil, gas and other utility services, logistics and distribution chains, FMCG, consumer and white good companies with large sales networks, operations and maintenance organizations with large service networks, and security organizations including police.
- The integrated application SXagro is a geospatial agriculture decision-support system in use by agriculture universities and state agriculture departments.
In addition, the SXtreo range of IP68 rugged smartphones is compatible with most of the off-the-shelf mobile software applications.
June 17, 2014
KVH Launches TACNAV 3D Inertial Nav System with Embedded GPS/GNSS

KVH Industries has introduced TACNAV 3D, a highly accurate inertial navigation system designed for battlefield vehicles, at Eurosatory 2014, an international defense and security industry trade show in Paris, France.

The TACNAV 3D system is the latest product in KVH’s TACNAV line of tactical navigation systems, and will be on display in the KVH booth (Stand J531, Hall 6) at Eurosatory through June 20.

The fiber-optic gyro-based TACNAV 3D inertial navigation system provides full three-dimensional navigation and an embedded GNSS. Its modular tactical design and flexible architecture allow it to function as either a standalone inertial navigation solution or as the core of an expandable, multi-functional battlefield management system. It is designed to provide navigation for light armored vehicles, both wheeled and tracked, medium and heavy combat vehicles, and main battle tanks.

The TACNAV 3D system is fitted with an Iridium transceiver to transmit and receive vehicle position, waypoint, and target location to or from a command center or other vehicles, and can receive messages from the battlefield management system to pass on to the command center via the Iridium short duration burst message function. TACNAV 3D can also receive and transmit Ethernet and CANbus signals, and RS-422.

“For military vehicles operating on the modern digital battlefield, this completely modular package is a vital component for effective battlefield management,” said Dan Conway, KVH executive vice president for Guidance & Stabilization sales. “It is affordable, lightweight, and easy to integrate with any number of existing vehicles, both turreted and non-turreted. With a built-in communications option, TACNAV 3D is designed for short duration burst messaging, which can make a life or death difference to a soldier.”

TACNAV 3D builds upon the success of KVH’s TACNAV family of products, and incorporates the 1750 IMU, which combines 3 axes of KVH’s compact high accuracy DSP-1750 fiber optic gyro (FOG), with three axes of high-performance MEMS accelerometers. The TACNAV 3D system is designed to provide extremely accurate heading, dead reckoning, navigation, orientation, and 100% situational awareness in GNSS-denied environments.

June 16, 2014
Proteus Completes Satellite-Derived Forest Inventory Pilot in Abu Dhabi

Tree crowns above 1m² are extracted, then a Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) is applied to provide an indication of tree health. Green indicates a healthy tree, red indicates a less healthy tree (within the Abu Dhabi forest plantations). So far this process has been applied to over 4,000,000 trees in Abu Dhabi.

Proteus FZC, a provider of satellite-derived mapping and classification services, has completed a demonstration project using satellite imagery to inventory tree plantations in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The tree mapping pilot is a spin-off of a larger Emirate-wide habitat and land use/land cover (LULC) project now being spearheaded by Proteus.

In the pilot, the Proteus team processed multispectral data collected by DigitalGlobe’s WorldView-2 commercial imaging satellite to identify the species and conditions of individual trees within the pilot area. Proteus managed the project, in which GMV of Spain performed image processing and automatic tree extraction with local ground-truthing support from Nautica Environmental Associates in Abu Dhabi.

“This pilot demonstrates the viability of using very high-resolution multispectral data to establish a baseline inventory of tree type and health within diverse forest plantations,” said Proteus Project Manager, Richard Flemmings. “We mapped every tree crown larger than one meter in diameter in the pilot area with minimal ground truthing and delivered the results in an Esri geodatabase.”

Abu Dhabi has planted forest plantations totaling nearly 20 million trees that provide aesthetic and environmental benefits throughout the Emirate. Comprised of gaff, acacia, mesquite and other species, these plantations require continuous irrigation with desalinated water at considerable expense. The Environment Agency — Abu Dhabi (EAD) — requested the pilot as it seeks to find an efficient and cost-effective way to monitor the forest stands.

“These forest plantations are valuable resources for Abu Dhabi,” said Flemmings. “EAD envisions a monitoring program that identifies isolated health problems so they can be remediated.”

Proteus applied image processing techniques using all eight WorldView-2 multispectral bands plus one panchromatic band, with an emphasis on the mid-infrared spectra. This multi-step processing distinguished several tree species by their individual canopies and detected stress, possibly related to irrigation, salinity or infestation issues, in some of the trees.

Compared to the traditional ways of monitoring forestry plantations in the area, which implies walking along the tree lines to detect damaged/dead trees, remote sensing offers a cost-effective alternative.

“We used pan-sharpened imagery to create the baseline plantation map, but less expensive lower-resolution imagery such as Landsat could be used for ongoing periodic monitoring,” said Flemmings. “This individual tree mapping technique can be applied to create forest inventories of other species elsewhere in the world.”

Aside from the tree plantation pilot, Proteus is engaged in a fine-scale satellite-derived terrestrial and marine LULC and habitat mapping project for the entire Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The three-phase, multi-million dollar project will ultimately include 60,000 sq. km. of land area and the coastal marine environment down to the 15-meter contour. Advanced processing algorithms are being used to extract LULC and habitat features from high-resolution multispectral satellite imagery acquired over both land and sea. Tree plantations are one of the LULC types identified by the Proteus team in the larger EAD project.

In the coastal Arabian Gulf, Proteus is delivering seabed classifications to depths of 15-20 meters. Deliverables for each phase of the Abu Dhabi mapping project include bathymetric analysis, orthorectified mosaic, LULC/habitat ecological classifications, geospatial models, printed maps at multiple scales, and knowledge transfer.

Since 2011, Proteus has been delivering solutions for mapping and classification projects using multispectral satellite imagery. These mapping projects have been delivered for environmental, oil & gas, engineering and other coastal zone applications in Europe, the United States, the Middle East, and the Caribbean.

June 16, 2014
Precision Ag Conference Planned for July

Attracting more than 400 precision ag experts from 40 countries, the 12^th International Conference on Precision Agriculture will be held July 20-23 at the Hyatt Regency in Sacramento, California, USA.

In the heart of high-value agriculture, the Sacramento setting is fitting to the high-tech talks on the program. The global scale of the conference is apparent from the list of presenters and exhibitors. ICPA brings together a unique mix of researchers, industry, and practitioners.

ICPA is the premier scientific conference on precision agriculture. “We selected the top research papers from around the world for the conference. With session chairs in precision water management, precision horticulture, unmanned aerial vehicles, precision conservation, precision livestock, remote sensing, and data standards, the oral program reflects the diversity of our members’ interests,” said Dr. John Stafford, President of ISPA. In addition, the program features two poster sessions with over 70 posters on display during the conference.

The program also features talks on practical applications of the latest technology in crop and livestock production. Through the support of our major sponsors, the conference will feature a track for practitioners in addition to the five tracks on precision ag research. “At ICPA we have continued to appeal to the practitioner in addition to the researcher and academic. It is important that the research work finds its way into practical applications in crop production,” said Quentin Rund, Conference Secretary.

The schedule provides plenty of time for interaction among attendees. From the Sunday night welcome reception sponsored by E & J Gallo Wineries, to the dedicated time for exhibits and posters during breaks and evening receptions, the program promotes networking and opportunities for in-depth discussion among attendees, presenters, exhibitors, and sponsors.

For international and domestic visitors to the area the conference has partnered with the University of California-Davis to organize a post-conference tour for Wednesday afternoon after the closing session. The tour will feature area stops on UAVs, high-tech tomato production, precision irrigation, and imaging systems in wine grape production. Other options for exploring the area are available, too.

The conference is organized by the International Society of Precision Agriculture. More information is available online at www.ispag.org/icpa including program, exhibits, tours, and accommodations. Online registration is open

The conference is sponsored by E & J Gallo Wineries, Monsanto, DupontPioneer, and Springer.

June 13, 2014
TireStamp Chooses Telit for Tire Pressure Monitoring with GPS

Telit Wireless Solutions has announced that TireStamp, a TPMS 2.0-certified vendor of Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems, embeds Telit cellular and positioning modules into its product.

For fleet managers, tires represent the second-highest operating cost of running a fleet, second only to fuel. Tire maintenance can significantly impact highway safety, revenue potential, operational efficiency, and maintenance costs.

The TireStamp TireVigil solution communicates with tire pressure sensors to provide real-time monitoring of tire pressure and temperature across vehicle types, tire brands, and location. The comprehensive tire data enables fleet managers to schedule maintenance, intervene in the event of an emergency, improve on-time delivery, and enhance regulatory compliance.

Telit’s Jupiter JF2 GPS module.

The TireVigil solution uses Telit’s Jupiter JF2 GPS module, a compact, low-power device that provides enhanced accuracy to help locate vehicles in the event of an emergency or at any time. TireVigil receives tire data from TMPS sensors, then communicates in real-time over the cellular network using the Telit HE910 cellular module. Part of the xE910 module family, the HE910 is pin-to-pin compatible with a suite of modules enabling TireStamp to customize its products to enable connectivity across cellular technologies and geographies.

“Our customers are typically in the maintenance space,” said Scott Feagan, Chairman and CEO of TireStamp. “Reliability and support are extremely important to them – and to me. Pair that with family compatibility for fast time-to-market and global expansion, the opportunity to bundle connectivity with positioning, affordable pricing and on-time availability, and it’s easy to see why we chose to work with Telit.”

“Between fleets and personal vehicles, more than a billion tires are sold around the world each year,” said Mike Ueland, president of Telit Americas. “Telit has a long history of supporting fleet telematics and automotive solutions and we’re pleased to enable the world’s leading tire pressure management system.”

June 13, 2014
ACR Electronics Launches New Locator for Aviation
A new emergency locator transmitter for aviation has received Cospas-Sarsat and FAA approvals and is now available for sale. The ELT 1000 by ACR Electronics, Inc., is designed with multiple installation configurations to reduce overall installation cost, the company said.

The electronics maximize frequency stability and power while incorporating a new, built-in GPS navigational interface, the company said. Including GPS data in the emergency transmission allows search-and-rescue personnel to know the location within 100 meters in less than a minute. Designed to accommodate multiple installation configurations, the new ELT 1000 is a quick retrofit for obsolete 121.5 MHz ELTs.

“We are very excited to announce this new ELT to the general aviation market. This is the first new ELT from the Artex family in many years and the first we have designed and certified at ACR. We feel we are bringing an ELT that offers excellent value, along with the highest quality workmanship available to the market,” said Gerald Angeli, president and general manager.

Built under the exacting standards of AS9100C quality certification, the ELT 1000 exceeds all government and regulatory standards including the latest FAA guidelines with its new robust stainless steel mounting strap.

ELT 1000 features and specifications:
- Quick and easy retrofit for general aviation aircraft
- Single antenna output for emergency transmission on both 406 MHz (Cospas-Sarsat) and 121.5 MHz frequencies (local Search & Rescue)
- Enhanced positional accuracy with a built-in GPS interface that does not require aircraft power
- Encoded digital message broadcasts aircraft identification/registration and owner/emergency contact details
- New stainless steel mounting strap for increased stability that complies with the most current FAA guidelines
- Simple self-testing from the cockpit. When combined with 406Test.com, the self-test will provide SMS/e-mail confirmation within seconds that the ELT signal reached the satellites successfully
- New hermetically sealed G-Switch for increased reliability.
June 13, 2014
Azuga Takes on Distracted Driving for Fleet Managers

To recognize National Safety Month and to highlight the growing dangers of distracted and reckless driving, Azuga has published a Fleet Stats infographic showing the dangers of auto accidents its fleet tracking programs are designed to prevent.

Of the 41,000 Americans killed each year in traffic accidents, nearly 5,000 die as a result of crashes involving large fleet trucks. An additional 13,000 die as a result of a speeding-related accidents. Azuga offers two programs for fleet managers: SpeedSafe and DriveSafe.

The programs combine GPS, a driver behavior and rewards system, vehicle health reports, and plug-and-play installation to combat reckless and distracted driving. DriveSafe prevents talking and texting when the vehicle is in motion. The distracted driving technology locks down a driver’s screen and only allows phone numbers that the employer’s policy allows. Policies can be applied at the individual driver level to allow certain calls and texts (for instance, allow incoming calls from home, the office, and school.)

With SpeedSafe, a fleet manager controls speeding on residential streets, in school zones, and in adverse weather conditions. Going beyond simple control, a fleet manager also gets reporting and analytical tools to help quickly identify problem areas and track and train drivers over time.

National Safety Month is sponsored by the National Safety Council. According to distraction.gov, using a mobile device while driving causes an estimated 28 percent of traffic accidents. Further, the National Safety Council estimates $40 billion cost to United States citizens each year.

Azuga says its customers have been able to decrease the number of speeding events by 40 percent and decrease overall liability, which translates into an average 15 percent savings on insurance premiums.

June 13, 2014
Trimble CenterPoint RTX Correction Service Available for Heavy Construction

Trimble’s CenterPoint RTX correction service is now available for heavy civil construction applications. Available worldwide as a subscription service, CenterPoint RTX offers construction companies a flexible and easy-to-deploy option for conducting pre-bid reconnaissance and initial site measurements without using a traditional base station, the company said.

“Offering CenterPoint RTX for heavy construction applications further extends the Trimble Connected Site strategy to simplify site operations. CenterPoint RTX will make it easier to collect high-quality data in the early phases of site establishment, improving material estimates and job bids,” said Roz Buick, vice president and general manager of Trimble’s Heavy Civil Construction Division. “With more accurate material estimates and bids, contractors can incur fewer change orders and avoid unnecessary costs and delays.”

Based on Trimble RTX technology, CenterPoint RTX is a satellite-delivered positioning source that streams GNSS corrections to rover systems with the Trimble SPS985 GNSS Smart Antenna, SPS985L GNSS Smart Antenna, or SPS855 GNSS Modular Receiver. There is no need to have an additional data plan or additional hardware.

The CenterPoint RTX service is a correction source for construction sites in the pre-bid and site planning phases. Construction surveyors and estimating teams can use CenterPoint RTX to perform topographic surveys, estimate quantities, and conduct site planning quickly and easily, before a base station is needed on site for machine control and other high-accuracy applications.

“Trimble strives to provide advanced GNSS correction services that fit our customer’s specific needs and applications,” said Patricia Boothe, general manager of Trimble’s Positioning Services Division. “For the heavy civil construction industry, this means a job crew can arrive on a new construction site and begin conducting site measurements and collecting data right away. CenterPoint RTX also makes it easier to work on multiple construction sites with the same rover system. There is no need to pair the rover with an existing base station at each individual site.”

Trimble CenterPoint RTX is a subscription service available through Trimble Positioning Services in North America, South America, most of Europe, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Africa, Asia, and Australasia.

June 13, 2014
Trimble Adds Automated Mapping and Plotting to Office Suite for GIS Professionals

Trimble has introduced a new version of its office software suite used by surveyors and geospatial professionals for processing and analyzing geospatial data. Trimble Business Center Version 3.21 introduces new coordinate reference systems and a specialized Advanced Drafting module, which enables faster project turnaround and better decision making.

The optional Advanced Drafting module adds highly customizable templates and simplified selection tools, which are designed to reduce the time required to generate high-quality deliverables, such as geospatial maps and corridor cross-sections. Now, professionals working on road, pipeline, and railway projects can achieve efficiency gains through the software’s new automated cross-section plotting functionality.

Also included in the new module is the ability to create 3D PDFs so that team members and clients can collaborate from any computer or mobile device using Adobe Reader software.

“Trimble Business Center is the enterprise solution for surveyors and geospatial professionals to produce high-quality deliverables,” said Alain Samaha, business area director of GIS and Software for Trimble’s Geospatial Division. “These new capabilities demonstrate the continued evolution of our software portfolio to provide customers with an end-to-end solution to fulfill their client’s high-end requirements in the most efficient way.”

Trimble Business Center Software version 3.21 and the Advanced Drafting module are now available through Trimble’s Geospatial Distribution Channel.

June 13, 2014