In January, BAE Systems announced its intent to buy the Collins Aerospace Military GPS division. In April, Raytheon finalized its merger with United Technologies Corp. (UTC) to officially form Raytheon Technologies Corp. The U.S. Department of Justice approved the Raytheon/UTC merger in March, but only on the condition the companies divest UTC’s military GPS and large space-based optical systems businesses, as well as Raytheon’s military airborne radios business.
Collins Aerospace’s military GPS business will be integrated into BAE Systems’ Electronic Systems sector.
“This partnership will enable us to build on our market leadership and bring new discriminating capabilities to our customers, including the U.S. Department of Defense and its allies,” said Greg Wild, director of Military GPS. “We’re excited to be joining the BAE Systems family. They appreciate our legacy of innovation and will provide opportunities for continued business growth and success.”
Based in Cedar Rapids and Coralville, Iowa, the military GPS business has a workforce of approximately 700 employees. The business designs and produces advanced, hardened and secure GPS products with a range of form factors, including products designed for space-constrained and harsh environments.
InfiniDome has released its GPSdome OEM board, which delivers GPS signal protection for UAV/UAS, fleet management and critical infrastructure.
According to the company, the GPSdome OEM board is designed for OEMs to fully integrate anti-jamming technology and deliver unmatched power and weight differentiation.
The GPSdome OEM board also is offered as a PCB solution. When integrated into a GNSS receiver, GPSdome OEM board not only detects the attack, but also shields the received signals from being overpowered by jammers, the company said.
When triggered, GPSdome OEM board sends an alert and notifies operators of the earliest possible detection of GPS/GNSS interferences. When infiniDome’s CommModule is integrated alongside GPSdome, the alert is sent to infiniCloud, infiniDome’s GPS Security Cloud, where users have access to real-time and statistical data on GPS attacks.
According to infiniDome, the GPSdome OEM board is ideal for several applications and can be integrated into the flight controller of drones, telematics unit for fleets and inside the time server for critical infrastructure.
“After learning from multiple customers that system size, weight and power limitations are getting more stringent, we addressed these market requirements with the smallest, lightest solution which will have minimal negative impact on system performance,” said Omer Sharar, CEO at infiniDome. “Our matchbook-sized GPSdome OEM board integrates into the flight controller of drones, the telematics unit for fleets, and inside the time server for critical infrastructure where it delivers signal protection for continuous operation of these mission-critical assets.”
For users seeking to retrofit their existing larger drones and realize quick time-to-market, infiniDome also offers the solution in an IP-67 housing. The GPSdome OEM board is compatible with any GNSS receiver on the market and compatible with any off-the-shelf GNSS antennas with minor integration efforts, infiniDome added.
As the world goes in quarantine and social-distancing has become a necessity with COVID-19 pandemic, various measures have been taken to fulfill basic needs of humans. The medical sector is facing a lot of troubles as the number of cases has been increasing day by day and keeping up with the enough supply of necessary equipment and medicines is becoming difficult. Among various measures taken by hospitals and government, utilizing drone payloads for supplying medicines, transferring tests and specimens, and spreading disinfectants has become a new way to facilitate operations. From India to Canada and the U.S., the governments and tech firms have been developing drones that can carry loads and travel up to certain distance to speed up medical and healthcare processes. The market for drone payload is gaining momentum. According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the global drone payload market is expected to generate $7.01 billion by 2022. Following are some of the activities taking place across the world.
On the verge of COVID-19 outbreak, various measures have been taken by governments to control the spread and eliminate completely. Among the measures taken by various governments is disinfecting the cities. Bengaluru, a city from Karnataka, India has been disinfected with the help of drones. Six hexacopter drones have been deployed. They are equipped with 15 liters of disinfectants for various localities of the city. These drones have been developed by startups Alpha drones and Multiplex. It has five kilometer range and has ability to fly for 25–30 minutes based on the payload. The pre-set speed of drones is at 6 meters per second. Nearly 10–15 meters of area is covered based on the altitude. The cetrifuger automiser pump technology is utilized for spreading the disinfectant in air and on lands. Highly crowded areas such as markets, bus stops, railway stations, and others will be covered and drones will be operated for 6–7 hours each day.
Along with spreading disinfectants, there have been another medical uses. Urban drone stations have been utilized for logistic medical payload exchange in hospitals. The Matternet Station at Mountain View, California, is a structure that can be mounted on ground or rooftops. It is three meters in height and offers personal safety. Hospitals can utilize the stations for transferring pathology specimens, blood diagnostics, and medicines to other facilities and suppliers. It also offers fast, secure, and predictable aerial delivery.
Each Station is equipped with its own automated aerial deconfliction system for management of drone traffic at the Station. The Station enables Matternet M2 drones to carry out a precision landing. Then the drone is locked in the particular place and executes swapping of payload and battery. There is a Matternet Cloud that directs flight directors an ability to control and track operations. Moreover, an integrated authentication system enables only authorized personnel to insert or take out payload through scanning of hospital identification badge. Then there is a tracking of payload at each touch point for maintenance of strong custody. Ideally, it can hold four boxes of payloads that are held at the controlled temperature for maintaining integrity of specimen. Andreas Raptopoulos, CEO of Matternet, outlined that the technology platform will be utilized for rapid, point-to-point, and urban medical deliveries. This way, hospital systems are able to reduce patient waiting times and carry out savings of millions of dollars each year.
Another company has taken measures to contribute to countering the outbreak of COVID-19. Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) would bring its own drone delivery system by the mid April for delivery of blood test, blood samples, and medicines. Michael Zahra, president and CEO of DDC, outlined that it is a necessity to bring an automated and unmanned delivery system of drones to supply medical necessities to the right people at rapid pace. The company possesses the drone that can take off from the starting point, reach destination, drop the cargo and return.
Zahra have been encouraging hospitals, communities, pharmacies, healthcare centers, and others to build a case for the support from government. He added that logistics differ in each scenario, however, the basic setup can be achieved. There is a minimum required infrastructure available at the starting point. On the other hand, there is no infrastructure at the destination point.
Its Sparrow drone can carry nearly 10 pounds of payload in a single trip and can travel up to 30 kilometers. The company has a portfolio of two drones. First is Robin, which carries the payload of 25 pounds with a travelling distance capability of 35 kilometers. Another is Condor, which have capability to carry 400 pounds and go up to 200 kilometers. With the Special Flight Operations Certificate, the company’s drones can navigate throughout Canada without the need to outline flight plans regarding routes prior to trips. Once it obtains the permission and support from government to implement drones for medical purposes, it would implement its model and accelerate the supply in this grave situation the world has been facing.
Pratik Kirve holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering. He is currently a senior specialist — content writer at Allied Analytics LLP. He has avid interest in writing news articles across different verticals.
In many ways, 2020 would be another big year for commercial drones. The market has witnessed slow and steady growth over the years, and according to Allied Market Research, the global commercial drone market is expected to reach $10.73 million by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 26.2% from 2016 to 2022. This exponential growth is due to the high demand for cost-effective, energy-saving and eco-friendly OLED lighting coupled with growth in display and large screen backlit market. On the other hand, the outbreak of COVID-19 has reshaped every other industry and business function in the world and the commercial drone industry is no exception.
Use of commercial drones during COVID-19 pandemic
Even though complete ramifications of COVID-19 are not clear, some impacts of the standstill of the global economy beginning to be felt. Needless to say, the drastic changes in the drone industry are imminent and the market players would feel them over the coming years.
Search & rescue mission
Initially, several countries used commercial drones for search and rescue missions. Moreover, some countries used them spanning deserts and high population areas. As drones have the potential to visualize and communicate with complicated areas, the demand for them increased to supervise the dense and urban areas during the initial stages of the COVID-19 outbreak when panic was taking its root. Thanks to drone technology, officers could easily scan an area and broadcast necessary instruction if the area is infected while maintaining the safety of the officials.
Delivery of essentials
Since the declaration of a pandemic, the local governments have asked citizens to maintain a safe distance and limit the exposure to the virus. This greatly affected the food and package delivery systems, as it may be a potential factor of contamination. Although drone package deliveries are not used across the globe, few tests in the U.S. and the Dominican Republic have proven to effective. The use of commercial drones is encouraging as most of the commercial drones can be modified with payload drop mechanism and used for package deliveries without risking both parties. The package delivery system by drones is particularly important in areas where the presence of the virus is imminent such as hospitals that actively treat the virus.
Disinfection of public areas
The use of commercial drones is effective in disinfecting area. Even though more information about the virus is being discovered, the officials have declared that it can survive on hard surfaces such as chairs and buses. Thus, public places pose a huge risk of infection. To prevent further spread and disinfect public areas, some countries have deployed agriculture spraying drones filled with disinfectant instead of pesticides.
Apart from this, the entire country of China has implemented commercial drones to perform simple temperature check processes before admitting visitors into the building. As the major symptom of the virus is fever, the use of commercial drones to spot potential patients without compromising the safety of anyone.
Major trends in the commercial drone industry
The increase in counter-drone solutions has almost doubled in the past year and its market is expected to grow rapidly in 2020. Urban air mobility has been a buzzword since the rise of the commercial drone market. In addition, drone deliveries have already started in the U.S., Ghana and Australia. Developing countries such as China and India have actively used drones for drugs and food delivery. In the future, the development of passenger drones will demand more funding to get certified, boosting the passenger drone market.
The increased popularity of drones would press the government to review regulations regarding unmanned vehicles. In the next five years, commercial drones would enter in unmanned traffic management and remote identification.
In the coming years, the adoption of aerial drones and commercial drones are likely to enter various market apart from healthcare, agriculture, and entertainment. Instead, it will grow in industries such as insurance, public safety and first responders, and mining.
Apart from this, the advancements in imaging sensors and aerial imaging software are expected to improve artificial capabilities. Currently, the majority of the technologies applied in commercial drones include cloud-based machine learning and AI-based drones are still in the development stage. The increased adoption of drones and advancements in sensor technology and automation will open new opportunities in the coming years.
Thanks to the early hype about commercial drones and how they hold the potential to transform industries, there will be a huge investment in the market to make such forecasts in reality. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the adoption of commercial drones has increased. Over the last few years, there was public distrust in the technology. However, the benefits of use of drones during pandemic have reduced some concerns about commercial drones. In addition, new governmental regulations regarding the use of unmanned vehicles clear the misunderstandings and concerns about drones with safety and privacy. However, one thing is sure, despite the tragic start of the new decade, the COVID-19 pandemic has been favorable for the commercial drone market and is expected to bring opportunities in the future.
Swamini Kulkarni holds a medical bachelor’s degree from Pune University, and works as a content writer exploring the impact of technology on human life.
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A new miniature atomic clock offers improvements to temperature sensitivity and long-term drift, which correlate to longer holdover durations. Features important to mobile applications —warm-up characteristics, gravity sensitivity, and shock and vibration — as well as new 1 pulse-per-second (PPP) input and output signals are highlighted.
By William Krzewick, Jamie Mitchell, John Bollettiero, Peter Cash, Kevin Wellwood, Igor Kosvin and Larry Zanca
The miniature atomic clock (MAC) was developed out of the same size and power-reducing technology, known as coherent population trapping (CPT), as the venerable chip-scale atomic clock (CSAC). By implementing low-power lasers as opposed to traditional lamp designs, this technology allows for unparalleled performance versus power consumption in the commercial oscillator domain.
Since its initial release in 2009, the MAC has been well-suited for telecom applications as a holdover reference oscillator in GNSS-denied environments. Now, with advances in field-programmable gate array (FPGA) design, signal processing and electronics miniaturization, and by leveraging more than 40 years of atomic clock design at Microchip Technology, the next generation MAC is designed to meet a variety of applications with demanding mission scenarios.
In this article, we discuss improvements to temperature sensitivity and long-term drift, which correlate to longer holdover durations. We also discuss warm-up characteristics, gravity (g)-sensitivity, and shock and vibration, which are important for mobile applications. Finally, several new features will be introduced including a 1 pulse-per-second (1PPP) input and output signal.
INTRODUCTION
Low-drift performance over time and frequency stability during temperature changes have enabled small atomic oscillators to maintain precise time and frequency in the absence of a primary reference such as GNSS. The MAC-SA5X rubidium (Rb) miniature atomic clock has advanced the design of the legacy MAC-SA.3Xm with a wider operating temperature range, additional features and improvement in frequency drift and temperature stability to enable longer holdover durations. Measuring 2 × 2 × 0.72 inches (5.08 × 5.08 × 1.83 centimeters), it is designed for size and power-constrained applications that require atomic clock performance.
FIGURE 1 shows exterior and interior views of the MAC, while FIGURE 2 is a block diagram of the clock. The vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) with thermoelectric cooler (TEC) generates the light source at the appropriate wavelength. The laser light is directed into the resonance cell to stimulate the Rb atoms. Use of a VCSEL, as opposed to the traditional lamp design, results in a relatively low-power, small-form-factor package while eliminating frequency jumps and preserving short-term stability. The new TEC enables fast temperature response, increased temperature set-point resolution, and a larger temperature range.
FIGURE 1 Top view (left), inside view (center) and bottom view (right) of MAC. (Photo: Microchip)FIGURE 2. Block Diagram of MAC. (Diagram: Microchip)
The temperature-compensated crystal oscillator (TCXO) drives an FPGA-based direct digital synthesizer (DDS) for higher accuracy with minimal board space intrusion, differential signaling and additional power isolation. Linear microwave control, which has direct impact on frequency stability as measured by the Allan deviation (ADEV), lock times and temperature compensation, is a key improvement.
The resonance cell subassembly contains the Rb gas mixture. It is surrounded by an oven with C-field (static magnetic field) coil necessary for controlling the temperature and magnetic field, respectively, of the Rb atoms. Dual magnetic shields mitigate the effects of external magnetic fields. The photodiode printed-circuit-board assembly detects CPT resonance of the clock. The resonator is fundamentally unchanged and therefore not expected to impact the quality factor, Q, of the oscillator.
The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the CPT signal, on the other hand, has improved thanks to the updated control electronics design, faster servo-loop algorithms and use of lower noise electronics. This is evident in the less noisy clock transition for the MAC-SA5X (orange trace in FIGURE 3) versus the predecessor (black trace). Because the 1-second ADEV is proportional to 1/(Q×SNR), the short-term stability is improved in the new design.
FIGURE 3. CPT resonance of MAC. (Image: Microchip)
PERFORMANCE
This next generation of the rubidium atomic clock leverages substantial improvements in both hardware and software. These improvements, coupled with more than a decade of experience in practical CPT technology, have allowed for significant insight into physics behavior and interrogation techniques. This has resulted in improvements to key performance parameters such as temperature range, stability, retrace and lock times. These metrics will be reviewed in the following sections by comparing data from a sample of pre-production engineering units.
ADEV. Short-term frequency stability of the oscillators is represented in FIGURE 4 as an ADEV measurement. The MAC-SA5X has two performance classifications: The SA53 is the base-performance (red dots) and the SA55 is the high-performance (red squares). The MAC-SA55 has a 1-second integration period, tau (τ) = 1 second, ADEV requirement of less than 3 × 10-11, that follows a 1/√τ behavior to τ = 1000 seconds. ADEV rises at 105 seconds to accommodate the mid-/long-term frequency drift of the oscillator, with a generous margin. The base-performance version MAC-SA53 has a looser ADEV specification of less than 5 × 10-11 at 1 second that follows a 1/√τ behavior to 100 seconds.
On average (dashed line), the sample units had a 1-second ADEV of about 1.2 × 10-11. A narrow grey line represents the average values of the data set plus two standard deviations, and the orange line represents a sample unit that closely mirrored the average performance (limited sample size of five for long-term testing).
Two notes on Figure 4 are worth mentioning: The standard deviation line has a larger spread from average as the observation interval increases and a small (~2 × 10-13) bump exists in the measurement at 400 seconds. The former is due to increased measurement noise as there are simply fewer data points for longer τ. The latter is believed to be a result of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system in the laboratory as it cycled. All MACs are compensated to reduce temperature effects, as will be discussed later. However, these units were not compensated at the time of testing and were more susceptible to HVAC temperature effects compared to full-production units.
FIGURE 4. Frequency Stability vs. Observation Interval (τ) of MAC Sample Units. (Image: Microchip)
Aging. Long-term frequency drift (monthly aging rate) of the MAC has a requirement of 1 × 10-10 per month and 5 × 10-11 per month for the SA53 and SA55 variants, respectively. It is important to note that the majority of sample units fall well within the tighter 5 × 10-11 per month requirement and accordingly affect the average mid-/long-term stability in the ADEV plot. Future production units that only meet the baseline SA53 performance could have inferior stability beyond τ = 100 seconds, compared to our sample data.
TDEV. The time stability of the phase is represented in FIGURE 5 as a time deviation (TDEV) measurement. This type of test is important to compare oscillators, since it gives an estimation of time error accumulation due to only the free-running oscillator itself by removing time or frequency errors at the beginning of the test. The graph uses the same color scheme as the ADEV plot to indicate average data (dashed line), average plus two standard deviation data (thin line) and a sample unit as an orange trace.
FIGURE 5. Phase Stability vs. Observation Interval (τ) of MAC Sample Units. (Image: Microchip)
Based on the required stability performance of the SA55, the time error after three days for a free-running oscillator is predicted to be less than 650 nanoseconds. For the measured units, the MACs had a TDEV of about 230 nanoseconds at τ = three days, due to the long-term drift performance of our samples.
Phase Noise. Phase noise for the MAC has two classifications: base performance and high performance over the range 1 Hz to 10 kHz.
Average phase noise data is well below the requirements, for our samples.
Temperature Effects. As a small Rb oscillator, the MAC inherently has low sensitivity to environmental temperature perturbations compared to most commercial quartz oscillators. To further improve performance, each MAC is characterized and compensated with a high-order polynomial fit of temperature effects to reduce peak-to-peak frequency changes below 5 × 10-11 over a wide operating range. The SA53 has a two times relaxation for this requirement.
Retrace. Retrace specifications are provided to indicate the expected frequency change of an oscillator due to that oscillator being powered off and back on again. The MAC retrace test is defined as follows:
The MAC is powered on, and its frequency offset (from nominal) is measured after 24 hours.
Power is removed for 48 hours.
Power is turned back on, and its frequency offset is measured again after 12 hours.
The delta frequency between the two measurements is calculated to be within ±5 × 10-11.
A test verified the specification of ±5 × 10-11 after 12 hours.
For this test, however, we did not wait 12 hours to measure the retrace frequency change. Instead, we began measuring immediately after power was turned back on. The measured data from sample SN00011 is indicative of typical performance and shows how the MAC retrace frequency delta is well within ±1 × 10-11. This unit had a slightly positive delta and meets the retrace requirement in minutes — far sooner than the modest 12-hour specification.
The sample units as a whole performed similarly to the sample SN00011.
Warm-up Time. Defined as the time to reach atomic lock, warm-up time is the point at which atomic resonance is attained and the short-term stability performance of the oscillator will be achieved. Test average and standard deviation data is well within the requirement of 8 minutes at temperatures greater than –10°C. At colder temperatures, the requirement is 12 minutes.
Typical performance is about four minutes to achieve lock at a starting temperature of 25°C. This has been a major design focus; all MACs are designed and tested to quickly achieve lock at all temperatures.
Power Consumption. Average power consumption in a 25°C environment is about 6 W. Warmer environments reduce the power consumption, due to less required heating of the resonance cell to achieve the appropriate temperature.
1PPS Disciplining. A 1-Hz (1PPS) input and output signal are new features for the MAC. The 1PPS output is derived directly from the TCXO, and its stability performance is therefore tied to the RF output performance. The 1PPS input accepts a reference signal from a primary reference clock to calibrate the MAC’s 1PPS (and RF) output. The algorithm will simultaneously steer the phase and frequency to that of the external reference (1PPS input), ultimately achieving accuracies of less than 1 nanosecond and 1 × 10-13, respectively. This feature is quite useful for applications where absolute frequency or phase errors need to be minimized and is similar to the function available on the CSAC.
The MAC can quickly calibrate its RF output by turning on the 1PPS disciplining feature to correct a 1.4 × 10-8 frequency error in minutes. A user can adjust the disciplining time constant to accommodate for noisier 1PPS input signals, if necessary.
g-Sensitivity Testing. Vibration and g-sensitivity testing was conducted. Static acceleration effects, such as a “tipover” test, on atomic clocks are minimal, and they exhibit a sensitivity of several parts per trillion per g. The MAC significantly outperformed a commercial oven-controlled crystal oscillator or OCXO. This type of performance is important for applications where the equipment is placed on its side, for instance.
Unlike static acceleration, effects due to random vibration profiles are determined mostly by the TCXO and will adversely affect the performance. Preliminary testing of the MAC has shown an effective sensitivity of several parts per billion per g. TABLE 1 describes the profile used to test the MAC from “MIL-STD-810, Fig. 514.7E-1, Category 24.” The profile was applied to all three axes tested.
Table 1. Random Vibration Profile Expressed as Power Spectral Density (PSD). (Data: Microchip; Graphic: GPS World)
The g-sensitivity may be calculated from the dynamic phase-noise measurement. The total effective g-sensitivity was determined by taking the magnitude due to the random vibration profile applied in all three axes.
The total effective g-sensitivity due to the random vibration profile is about 2.4 × 10-9 per g. Results of the worst-case sensitivity are summarized in TABLE 2.
Table 2. Summary of g-Sensitivity. (Data: Microchip; Graphic: GPS World)
Table 1. Random Vibration Profile Expressed as Power Spectral Density (PSD). (Data: Microchip; Graphic: GPS World)
SUMMARY
Based on the CPT method of interrogation, a commercial miniaturized rubidium atomic clock has been developed with a wider operating temperature of –40 to +75°C and improved performance over its predecessor MAC-SA.3Xm. New features, such as the 1PPS input, allow users to connect a GNSS-derived signal to calibrate the clock and then maintain timing during GNSS-outages for longer durations thanks to improvements in stability performance. Retrace measurements of ±1 × 10-11, temperature stability of less than 5 × 10-11 and fast/consistent warm-up times along with the small size and power afforded by CPT technology enable a variety of mobile applications.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This article is based on the paper “A Next-Generation, Miniaturized Rb Atomic Clock Reference for Mobile, GNSS-Denied Environments” presented at ION ITM 2020, the International Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, held in San Diego, California, Jan. 21–24, 2020.
At Microchip Technology, WILLIAM KRZEWICK is the product line manager, JAMIE MITCHELL is the manager of engineering, JOHN BOLLETTIERO is an associate engineer, PETER CASH is the associate director of clock products, KEVIN WELLWOOD is the manager of software engineering, IGOR KOSVIN is the principal engineer of electrical engineering and LARRY ZANCA is the principal engineer of mechanical engineering.
“For decades, the unmanned systems industry has reshaped critical missions and business operations by meeting challenges head-on with innovation and resolve,” said Brian Wynne, president and CEO of AUVSI. “Our commitment to supporting the unmanned systems community remains unwavering, so amidst the current global health crisis we, too, must adapt to fulfill that mission.”
Xponential 2020 was originally scheduled to take place May 4-7 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. It was then rescheduled to take place Oct. 5-8 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas.
“While we are disappointed to not be convening in person this year, the health and safety of Xponential exhibitors and attendees is our utmost priority,” Wynne said. “It may not look like the Xponential we are used to, but we look forward to offering attendees the opportunity to virtually network, learn from and collaborate with one another just as they have in years past.”
According to AUVSI, those who have already registered for Xponential will receive an email in the coming weeks to confirm options for participation in the virtual event.
A roundup of recent products in the GNSS and inertial positioning industry from the August 2020 issue of GPS World magazine.
OEM
Photo: Xsens
RTK motion sensor
Provides Centimeter positioning
The MTi-680G is an integrated GNSS/inertial navigation system (INS) module that features an integrated real-time-kinematic (RTK) GNSS receiver, as well as providing synchronized 3D attitude and heading outputs. Its firmware accelerates the module’s internal signal processing compared to non-RTK modules. Synchronizing the global position coordinates with the module’s attitude, heading and velocity outputs, the MTi-680G can provide a comprehensive positioning and navigation output for any carrier device, including high-speed drones, at a maximum output data rate of 400 Hz. Other applications include precision agriculture, autonomous vehicles and coastal maritime equipment. Xsens provides out-of-the-box operation with MTi development kits.
The 3DM-GQ7 is a dual-antenna real-time kinematic (RTK) inertial navigation system with multiple integrated aiding sensors and support for external aiding. It has two integrated RTK-capable multi-band multi-constellation GNSS receivers, integrated barometric pressure sensor, magnetometer, and hardware support for wheel odometry. It also has an application programming interface (API) for external sensor measurements. The 3DM-GQ7 provides seamless operation during temporary GNSS signal outages and online tracking of inertial measurement unit (IMU) error sources for superior dead reckoning. An optional network RTK receiver, the 3DM-RTK, allows users to communicate with the company’s SensorCloud RTK Connection network for an all-in-one solution.
Hexagon | NovAtel has released its first purpose-built driver, powered by Robot Operating System (ROS), to support its OEM7 family of GNSS receivers. The driver provides an optimized interface enabling users to accelerate autonomous development projects by quickly incorporating NovAtel OEM7 receivers into custom applications. The driver is available for immediate download through the new NovAtel GitHub repository or as a ROS Binary Package for direct installation.
The third-generation Ninja Precision Timing Module (PTM) — optimized for size, weight and power (SWaP) — can be easily integrated into 1U host systems or deployed as a cost-effective standalone time and frequency standard. The resilient GPS-synchronized Ninja is based on the core of EndRun’s Meridian II Precision TimeBase instrument, providing time accuracy of <10 nanoseconds RMS to UTC(USNO). Up to nine optional, user configurable, time and frequency outputs are available with accuracy, stability and ultra-low phase noise. Ninja’s network interface includes a robust Network Time Protocol (NTP) server as well as secure management.
Powered by ExtremeRTK GNSS technology, the BX40C board can support multi-constellation and multi-frequency all-in-view satellite tracking to achieve centimeter-level positioning and improve the continuity and reliability of the RTK solution, even in harsh environments. Its enhanced positioning accuracy and constellation tracking can control deviation within 3 centimeters for surveying and mapping applications. It also is suitable for high-precision positioning. It can be integrated with autopilots and inertial navigation units. It offers 4 GB of built-in memory for data collection, and is compatible with other GNSS boards via flexible interfaces, smart hardware design and commonly used log/command formats.
The Spectratime mRO-50 is designed to meet the latest commercial, military and aerospace requirements where time stability and power consumption are critical. It provides a one-day holdover below 1 microsecond and a retrace below 1 x 10-10 in a form factor sized 50.8 x 50.8 x 19.5 millimeters. It takes up only 51 cc of volume and consumes only 0.45 W of power. The Spectratime mRO-50 provides accurate frequency and precise time synchronization to mobile applications, such as military radio-pack systems in GNSS-denied environments. It is also suitable for UAVs and underwater applications.
The BlueSky GNSS Firewall has received a major software update. The firewall provides a higher level of resiliency against GPS vulnerabilities for systems dependent on GPS signal reception. Microchip developed Release 2.0 to address operators’ evolving requirements after participating in GPS Testing for Critical Infrastructure events hosted by the Department of Homeland Security. It performs real-time analysis to detect jamming and spoofing for protecting reception of the GPS signal and hardening response and recovery to avoid signal disruption. Release 2.0 includes charting and advanced threshold settings of GNSS observables such as satellites-in-view, carrier-to-noise, position dispersion, phase time deviation and radio frequency power level to simplify system turn-up and deployment.
Particle’s Tracker SOM (system-on-module) provides a powerful GNSS receiver, microcontroller and advanced peripherals in a compact form factor. Tracker SOM can be tailored for organizations or serve as a fully certified foundation for OEMs developing commercial products. A high-gain GNSS antenna accurate to 1.8 meters is provided. The asset-tracking system is built on the Particle platform, spanning integrated internet-of-things (IoT) hardware, edge software, connectivity and cloud-based management software. It can track the real-time location of critical assets and capture additional intelligence such as temperature and acceleration as well as remotely control mobile equipment and vehicles.
The Geotab Public Works solution for North America helps state and municipal government agencies improve fleet operations and increase operational efficiencies. Fleet managers receive operational data on all government vehicle types on a single platform, with toolsets to remain compliant, reduce costs and maintain road safety. Vehicles tracked include salt spreaders, snowplows, street sweepers and waste-management vehicles. It supports material management, compliance, accountability and liability. Fleets can more accurately measure material usage, such as salt, and are better able to control costs and environmental impact. It is available as a configurable add-on for the MyGeotab platform, allowing municipalities of all sizes to customize their databases to help meet specific needs.
Scout provides the capability to securely obtain and broadcast a form of network remote ID. Because it is open source, both hardware and firmware can be enhanced and incorporated into a virtually limitless set of scenarios. Altitude Angel also has made available a surveillance API that allows integrators to both share and receive flight data from a variety of sensors and devices in near real time, providing a comprehensive real-time picture of the airspace. Scout offers two-way communication enabling the Altitude Angel UTM service to help the drone avoid collisions or restricted airspace. It will work in combination with a pre-flight (flight-plan sharing) service and is supported through integration with Altitude Angel’s Tactical Conflict Resolution Service. Scout will enable the drone to report its real-time location using GPS-type sensors and relay this data via a secure, encrypted mobile communications link to Altitude Angel.
Unifies flight controller, mission computer and connectivity
Skynode unifies a flight controller, mission computer and wireless connectivity in a compact embedded design. It enables the complete Auterion software platform to accelerate the development of enterprise-ready products for drone manufacturers.Skynode can be integrated into any type of airframe: quads, multi-rotors, vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) and fixed-wing drones. Skynode enables the Auterion software platform with enterprise workflow integration, advanced autonomy features, mission planning, live video streams, operations dashboard, flight analytics and cloud-based predictive maintenance. Built on stable open-source software and industry standards, Auterion is highly interoperable with integrations from a host of partners in an open, future-proof ecosystem.
The Draganflyer Commander Ag-Pro Package includes everything needed to perform crop health assessment, irrigation monitoring and yield optimization. It combines the MicaSense RedEdge-MX multispectral sensor and the Draganflyer Commander UAV for projects requiring long flight times, a high level of data resolution and accuracy and data security. The Commander is an electric multirotor UAV built on Draganfly’s patented carbon fiber folding airframe. Its dual-battery system powers 35-minute flight times, and its automated flight planning tool allows users to quickly create coverage areas and flight plans. The RedEdge-MX features five narrowband imagers that capture high-quality images that can produce maps for a multitude of agricultural uses and has two calibration methods to produce accurate data that can be compared across time, allowing for temporal analysis throughout the season and from year to year.
Creates bare Earth models, cross sections, contours, volumetric analysis
The True View 615 and 620 UAS lidar 3D imaging systems are compact, survey-grade sensors designed for small UAS. They are equipped with Riegl’s miniVUX-2UAV laser scanner integrated with dual photogrammetric cameras. Position and orientation is provided by an Applanix APX-15 (True View 615) or extreme accuracy APX-20 (True View 620). The systems are bundled with Applanix POSPac, True View EVO post-processing software and True View Reckon data-management solution. The system includes full post-processing software that generates a ray-traced 3D colorized point cloud and geocoded images.
Generates both survey-grade point clouds and high-resolution panoramas
The NavVis VLX wearable mapping system captures high-quality data in built environments such as construction sites, staircases and technical rooms. The compact, economical design enables high-quality data to be captured for architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) projects. Uses include conventional building documentation such as CAD drawings and BIM models, as well as web-based digital-twin solutions. NavVis VLX is equipped with two lidar sensors and captures survey-grade point clouds using the company’s SLAM technology, originally developed for the NavVis M6 indoor mobile mapping system. NavVis VLX also captures high-resolution panoramic images in a 360-degree field of view. The wearable device gives the operator more control over where the sensors are scanning. A built-in screen provides live feedback of what has been scanned and the quality of the data being captured.
ArcGIS Field Maps, coming in September, will combine the following capabilities into a single app: map viewing and markup, high-accuracy field data collection and inspection, battery-optimized location tracking, work planning and task management and turn-by-turn navigation. Field Maps also will include a new web app, integrated with ArcGIS, that can be used to configure and deploy maps optimized for your mobile workforce needs, create and assign tasks to mobile workers, and create and share views of worker locations. ArcGIS Field Maps combines the functionality of five Esri ArcGIS mobile apps: Collector, Explorer, Tracker, Workforce and Navigator. Field Maps will also support the two formerly Collector-exclusive Eos solutions: Eos Locate and Eos Laser Mapping.
GPS/GNSS-related trade shows and conferences have been canceled or postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Below is an overview of these shows so far, starting with the most recent updates.
The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) decided to convert AUVSI Xponential 2020 to a virtual event. It will still take place Oct. 5-8.
Xponential 2020 was originally scheduled to take place May 4-7 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. It was then rescheduled to take place Oct. 5-8 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas.
“While we are disappointed to not be convening in person this year, the health and safety of Xponential exhibitors and attendees is our utmost priority,” Wynne said. “It may not look like the Xponential we are used to, but we look forward to offering attendees the opportunity to virtually network, learn from and collaborate with one another just as they have in years past.”
The Institute of Navigation (ION) canceled its 2020 Joint Navigation Conference, which was scheduled to take place Sept. 8-11 in Covington, Kentucky/Cincinnati, Ohio.
According to show organizers, the decision was made because of COVID-19 and the current U.S. Department of Defense and government travel restrictions that are limiting travel.
ION JNC 2021 will be held June 7-10 at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, Kentucky/Cincinnati, Ohio, with the classified session hosted at the Air Force Institute of Technology.
ITSF 2020: Virtual
The International Timing and Sync Forum (ITSF) is a time and synchronization conference and exhibition showcasing solutions for 4G/5G, finance, broadcast, automotive, smart grids, IoT, distributed datacenters, transport and defense. The 2020 event will be held virtually Nov. 3-5.
“In the light of the current global situation, we are please to announce that ITSF 2020 will now be a fully virtual event — #ITSFOnline,” show organizers said.
TU-Automotive: Virtual
TU-Automotive will be held Aug. 18-20 in a virtual format.
“After continuously reviewing the best ways to serve the Automotive community, we are thrilled to announce the launch of the Virtual edition of TU-Automotive Detroit, ADAS & Autonomous Vehicles, WardsAuto Interiors Conference and WardsAuto UX Conference,” show organizers said.
The virtual event will feature keynotes, conference tracks, workshops, roundtables and working groups.
Commercial UAV Expos (America and Europe): Virtual
Commercial UAV Expo Americas 2020 is going virtual, according to event organizer Diversified Communications. The event is slated to take place Sept. 15-17.
“Due to ongoing health and safety concerns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the commercial drone community we serve have made it clear that it would be impossible to hold the live event as originally planned. In the interests of ensuring our community still has an opportunity learn from and connect with each other, we have reimagined Commercial UAV Expo Americas as a fully virtual event taking place September 15-17, 2020,” said Lisa Murray, group director at Diversified Communications, organizer of Commercial UAV Expo Americas.
“Due to ongoing concerns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and for the health and safety of the members of the commercial drone community we serve, we have made the decision to reimagine Commercial UAV Expo Europe as a fully virtual event this year which will take place as part of a hybrid live-virtual Amsterdam Drone Week 1-3 December, 2020,” Murray added.
Intergeo 2020, originally slated to take place Oct. 13-15 in Berlin, Germany, will now take place entirely virtually. Organizers announced in early June that the show would take place partially in person and partially virtually, but made the decision in early July to move the entire show to a digital platform.
The venue and date have both been changed for GEO Business 2020. The show, organized by Diversified Communications U.K., will now take place May 19-20, 2021 at ExCel London. This event aims to connect those involved in the gathering, storing, processing and delivery of geospatial information.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) will host the 5th annual FAA UAS Symposium virtually, rather than in-person in Baltimore. The event will take place June 16-18.
The FAA and AUVSI also will be hosting a series of virtual events that will address the content already planned for this year’s program. The fist will take place in early summer and will focus on UTM and international UAS integration. The second will take place in late summer with a focus on updates to the Integration Pilot Program and public safety operations.
The AUVSI Xponential trade show, originally scheduled to take place May 4-7 in Boston, has been rescheduled to take place Oct. 5-8 in Dallas.
Because of the rescheduled conference, AUVSI will be hosting Xponential Virtual Sessions, a week-long webinar series, May 4-8. Find out how you can participate here.
Trimble Dimensions 2020, which was scheduled to take place Nov. 2-4 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee, has been canceled.
“Unfortunately, the overwhelming concerns and ongoing impact of COVID-19 inhibit our ability to deliver a conference that meets the high standards of safety and excellence our attendees expect and deserve,” Trimble said in a press release.
The 71st International Astronautical Congress (IAC): The CyberSpace Edition will take place virtually Oct. 12-14. The show, originally scheduled to take place in Dubai, brings together stakeholders from space agencies and institutions around the world to exchange information and ideas, share developments and advancements, and swap insights and rising trends.
According to show organizers, the IAC is a one-of-a-kind assemblage, unmatched in scale and in scope, unequalled in its reach and its attendance.
The Esri User Conference, which typically takes place every July in San Diego, will be held virtually July 13-15. The plenary session, technical workshops and Esri Showcase will be virtual, featuring demonstrations and live discussions during the conference.
AIxSPACE will now be taking place Nov. 2 in Montreal, Québec, Canada. According to show organizers, AIxSPACE brings together stakeholders in space and artificial intelligence industries to allow everyone to obtain concrete information on these markets and connect with potential business partners.
The European Navigation Conference has been rescheduled to take place Nov. 22-25 at the Maritim Hotel & Internationales Congress Center in Dresden, Germany. The conference, hosted by the German Society for Positioning and Navigation, brings together scientists, engineers and international experts to discuss new ideas, latest research results, future developments and new applications.
The Connected & Autonomous Vehicles Conference has been postponed and will now be taking place Aug. 10-13 at the San Jose Convention Center in California. The conference aims to highlight the latest automotive industry developments, as well as allow participants to engage with experts and form strategic alliances.
The Institute of Navigation’s (ION) Joint Navigation Conference (JNC) has been rescheduled for Sept. 8-11 at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center. JNC is a U.S. military positioning, navigation and timing conference with joint service and government participation. According to ION, the rescheduled conference will host the original program, which was scheduled to take place in June.
The 36th Space Symposium will now take place Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. According to the Space Foundation, the 36th Space Symposium will gather leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs from the civil, commercial, military, research and international sectors to share, explore and partner on efforts that will impact our lives beyond Earth and upon it.
“In light of the current situation caused by the coronavirus as well as related travel restrictions and resulting cancellations we unfortunately are forced to cancel the Munich Satellite Navigation Summit 2020 as we are no longer able to provide a well-ordered and appropriate program,” show organizers said in a press release.
Mobile World Congress, which was slated to take place Feb. 24-27 in Barcelona, Spain, was canceled.
“With due regard to the safe and healthy environment in Barcelona and the host country today, the GSMA has cancelled MWC Barcelona 2020 because the global concern regarding the coronavirus outbreak, travel concern and other circumstances, make it impossible for the GSMA to hold the event,” said GSMA CEO John Hoffman in a statement.
Up to the challenge: In a nine-month project, Drake’s team used a Triumph-LS for slope-staking along a four-mile stretch of California’s SR 36 near Dinsmore. The federal project will realign and improve the deadly switchback single-lane curves of the mountain pass. (Photo: Stephen Drake)
In the mountains of Northern California, a dangerously twisting stretch of road — the site of numerous fatal accidents — is being widened and realigned. Because it passes through the Six Rivers National Forest, the Highway 36 project is managed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in partnership with Caltrans.
Surveyor Stephen Drake and his wife and business partner Mary Drake are using the Javad GNSS Triumph-LS to tackle the tricky assignment.
“We started this job in June 2017 shortly after founding Lost Coast Land Surveying,” Stephen explained.
“We ran slope staking and culvert cross-section/staking through about March 2018. We returned off and on to do topo mapping in areas that had landslides and other control surveys to support Mercer-Fraser [the construction contractor] grade-checking crews. We provided the control they calibrated their GPS systems to, based on the control we received from FHWA and Caltrans.”
Because of various troubles, such as landslides, the project is still a season from finishing, though the Drakes’ contribution is mostly complete.
The Drakes had tackled similar jobs, including on the Chiniak Highway near Kodiak, Alaska. Still, the task was daunting. The surveyors had to set catch points every 50 feet for four miles on both sides of the highway, 200 feet upslope and 100 feet downslope. “I have learned that the way to the end is one stake at a time, start, and keep going,” Stephen said.
The couple had to juggle home life with three boys with long days at the job site. Sometimes Mary had to remain home. “Usually I tried to hit more moderate slopes on those days,” Stephen said. “We bounced around the project a bit, some days only covering a 250-foot stretch because it was slow going scaling the slopes.”
The FHWA contracting officer, a veteran Federal Highways engineer, marveled at the efficiency of the modern surveying methods used by the Drakes, telling Stephen that two six-man crews used to be needed to accomplish what the couple could today.
“I will attribute a huge part of our efficiency to the Triumph-LS advantage,” Drake said, as well as the couple’s 20-year track record in environments as diverse as the Arctic, the Everglades and Arizona.
“During the course of the project we received a lot of comments from ‘I don’t know how you are doing this’ to ‘You are superhuman’ at one point,” Stephen said. “But it is just being tough, tenacious and Javad.”
All told, the surveyors set more than 2,000 stakes. “We got the toughest part of the job going for them,” Stephen said.
Cesium users now have access to Cesium OSM Buildings, a global base layer of more than 350 million 3D buildings.
Cesium OSM Buildings expands the suite of Cesium Global Base Layers including worldwide terrain, aerial imagery and streetmaps already available on Cesium ion.
“As digital twins and urban mapping gain momentum in 3D geospatial, we are excited to offer a global layer of 3D buildings that can be easily visualized, styled and analyzed in an efficient and interoperable manner using 3D Tiles,” said Cesium CEO Patrick Cozzi. “Cesium OSM Buildings will help geospatial developers innovate by giving urban context to 3D applications for a broad range of use cases.”
Cesium OSM Buildings are built for efficient visualization and are streamable to any device thanks to 3D Tiles, the OGC open standard developed by Cesium to stream massive 3D geospatial datasets. Adherence to open standards means the buildings can be used in any compatible viewer, including Cesium’s free open-source offering, CesiumJS.
Seattle’s Space Needle. (Image: Cesium)
“Cesium OSM Buildings will be useful for everyone from builders sharing planned construction projects, to government agencies seeking tools for planning, training, and simulation,” said Kevin Ring, lead developer on the project.
Cesium OSM Buildings are derived from OpenStreetMap, a community-driven mapping project that welcomes anyone to improve the dataset. Buildings are also regularly updated, firmly clamped to terrain, and are individually selectable and styleable.
“Thanks to the OpenStreetMap project, most cities contain rich metadata that is useful for on-the-fly styling, like highlighting hospitals in a certain color or filtering buildings by the year they were constructed,” Ring said.
Cesium OSM Buildings is included in every Cesium ion subscription.
Cesium is a complete platform that makes the world’s ever-growing collection of real-world 3D data more useful and accessible by enabling the creation of applications that visualize, analyze and share this data – all from your browser.
Rooted in the aerospace industry, Cesium was built to track satellites orbiting the Earth with sub-millimeter accuracy. Cesium continues to aggressively develop and enhance the platform for a range of customers in government agencies, startups and Fortune 500 companies alike.
The eLoran transmission site at Incheon, South Korea. (Photo: UrsaNav)
South Korean is in the early stages of evaluating its eLoran system, but great results are expected based on the UrsaNav-supplied station in Incheon.
In August 2018, the Korea Research Institute of Ships and Oceans Engineering (KRISO) awarded UrsaNav, through its agent Dong Kang M-Tech, a contract to supply and install an eLoran transmitter testbed system in South Korea. UrsaNav is the exclusive, worldwide distributor of Nautel’s NL Series transmitters, provided eLoran transmitter technology, as well as timing, control and differential reference station equipment for the testbed. The contract represented the first phase in a broader program to upgrade Korea’s Loran-C stations to be the foundation of a sovereign Enhanced Loran (eLoran) positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) service.
“The Republic of Korea recognizes the challenges associated with relying solely on space-based signals, the relative ease with which those signals can be jammed or spoofed, and the necessity to provide trusted time and trusted position to its citizens and critical national infrastructure,” said Charles Schue, CEO of UrsaNav.
The 35-meter eLoran transmit antenna in Incheon. (Photo: UrsaNav)
Many critical infrastructure sectors rely on accurate time and position, including maritime, aviation, electrical distribution, telecommunications, finance/banking, and digital broadcast. A complementary PNT (CPNT) service provides continuity of operations through alternative and diverse timing and positioning information. CPNT is a vital element in ensuring national security and assuring trusted time and position.
KRISO, in conjunction with the Korea Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF), is developing an Initial Operating Capability eLoran system to provide complementary PNT services as a part of its Electronic Navigation (E-Navigation) mission. KRISO selected UrsaNav Inc. as its prime eLoran systems contractor through a competitive tender offer.
UrsaNav provided, installed and tested an eLoran transmission system at a temporary location near Incheon, South Korea, in November 2019. The company also provided ancillary equipment for Additional Secondary Factor (ASF) map measurements and map-generation software, as well as differential reference station equipment to KRISO. Because of land size restrictions at the temporary site at Incheon, the eLoran transmission system was paired to a small footprint 35-meter top-loaded monopole antenna.
In addition to the equipment provided by UrsaNav, MOF separately contracted a local Korean firm to provide an interim GPS receiver set to synchronize the existing Loran-C sites at Pohang and Kwangju to UTC.
KRISO is in the early stages of measuring the performance of the Korea eLoran system, but results are expected to show better than 20-meter navigational accuracy within 30 kilometers of the differential reference station at the port of Pyeongtaek.
Once the eLoran performance has been proven, MOF plans to move the Incheon eLoran equipment to a permanent site, potentially on the island of Socheongdo, and pair it with a larger “Tee” antenna to increase the output power and coverage area of the system.
MOF also plans to upgrade the existing UTC synchronized Loran-C transmission sites at Pohang and Kwangju with new eLoran transmission equipment systems. The ministry will potentially add two additional transmission sites to provide complete coverage of the land and territorial waters of South Korea.
BAE Systems has completed the $1.9 billion acquisition of Collins Aerospace‘s military GPS business from Raytheon Technologies Corp. BAE also purchased Raytheon’s airborne tactical radio business for $275 million.
