Tag: autonomous vehicles

Point One Navigation joins STMicroelectronics Partner Program

Image: Point One Navigation

Point One Navigation has joined the STMicroelectronics Partner Program. The program aims to deliver reliable navigation and positioning solutions to a diverse spectrum of ST customers in the U.S. and Western Europe.

Because of Point One’s navigation software and real-time kinematic (RTK) network, developers using ST Teseo GNSS solutions now have a more efficient path to create precise navigation solutions in industries such as agriculture, construction, last-mile delivery, and autonomous vehicles.

Point One’s Polaris Cloud is a GNSS correction network that enables GPS based localization, while allowing users to choose the performance and price point that best fits their application. With coverage across the U.S. and most of Western Europe, Polaris Cloud provides a readily available solution for precise localization.

FusionEngine software, developed by Point One, further enhances precision navigation by integrating additional sensors like IMUs and wheel speed sensors. This allows users to achieve a desired level of accuracy, even in situations where satellite signals are absent or in challenging urban environments. The software also offers automatic calibration, fault detection and compatibility with a range of host processors.

October 26, 2023
CNH Industrial completes purchase of Hemisphere GNSS

CNH Industrial has completed its purchase of the global satellite navigation technology company Hemisphere GNSS for a total consideration of USD $175 million.

The acquisition, first announced in March 2023, is said to strengthen CNH’s capabilities in precision, automation, and autonomy technology. It also furthers the company’s efforts in vertical integration to provide cutting-edge technology to customer fleets.

With Hemisphere’s expertise and network, CNH says that it can accelerate its strategic plan to develop its automation technology, expedite the delivery of a fully autonomous farming cycle, and extend and enhance automation and autonomy across a broad range of construction applications.

“Bringing Hemisphere’s talent and resources into CNH reflects the energy and momentum of our investments in tech innovation,” said Marc Kermisch, Chief Digital & Information Officer at CNH. “From 2024 onwards, we will bring notable value to customers through significant advancements in our journey from automating certain tasks to fully autonomous operation.”

October 24, 2023
Position Partners, Teleo partner on autonomous heavy equipment technology

Image: Teleo

Position Partners has entered an agreement to partner with Teleo, a U.S. based company building autonomous technology for heavy equipment. Under the agreement, Position Partners will offer the full Teleo remote-operated and autonomous solutions across Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia.

Teleo’s system can be modified to any make and model of machine and includes the company’s proprietary software, a remote command center to operate the equipment, and a mesh network to enable two-way communication between the command center and machines.

The system incorporates sensors, including high dynamic range cameras that deliver high-definition visibility and video footage both day and night.

Once Teleo’s technology is integrated, users can control multiple machines, at multiple sites, from a single station.

“With ongoing labour and skills shortages in the construction sector, there is more work to be done than there are people to do it,” Position Partners CEO Martin Nix said.

Position Partners will offer the full Teleo solution to customers and support sales, installation and training in all countries in which the company operates including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

October 19, 2023
GPS jamming in Israel

Just as I was beginning to write this article, war broke out between Israel and terrorist forces in Gaza. It would seem that the rockets used by Gaza were aimed rather than carrying on-board guidance, while Israeli airforce bomb/rocket attacks have been carried out with some degree of precision. Nevertheless, jamming in Israel may still be relevant to the ongoing conflict and any on-going commercial aircraft activity. However, it seems from the diagram of jamming below, that the Gaza strip is virtually interference free.

One of the things you can be sure of in the Ukraine-Russia war is that one side or the other is jamming the other’s communications and sat-nav guidance systems. An apparent consequence is that there is likely some “spill-over” to adjacent areas. For Israel, however, it looks like it’s more directed jamming rather than incidental.

Israel GPS jamming. (Image: GPS Jam.org)

In this environment of intentional GPS jamming, it’s not surprising that Israel has produced a leading anti-jam technology company, called InfiniDome, in Caesarea (between Haifa and Tel-Aviv). According to co-founder Omer Sharar, the company has been working to defend GPS signals for more than seven years and has also seen the rise of devices to jam the GPS L1 frequency that anyone can buy online for $100.

Just as Ukraine is throwing explosive cardboard UAVs with little cost at Russian occupying forces, a few carefully placed low-cost jammers could inflict serious damage on a country’s navigation capabilities.

However, a 2019 presentation by Todd Humphreys identified the source of interference and spoofing at that time, a Russian high-power jammer located at a Russian base in Syria.

Humphreys used instrumentation on the International Space Station (ISS) to gather data on the directed interference but concluded that the jamming in Israel could be a consequence of Russia’s efforts to protect its troops in Syria from UAV attacks. The Russian Khmeimim Air Base is on the Mediterranean coast and attacks are thought to come from rebels within Syria.

With the current GPS jamming out of Syria, most commercial aircraft traffic flying into Ben Gurion International Airport is significantly affected as flights cross from over the coast from the Mediterranean. Longer flight tracks deeper southeast into Israel are necessary, probably relying on VOR and DME ground station waypoints before turning back northwest to capture the instrument landing system (ILS) into the airport. This costs time and fuel and causes aircraft to overfly settlements where noise can be a real problem.

Most readily available jammer electronics only output interference disrupting GPS L1, which is most commonly installed for vehicle tracking and UAV guidance. InfiniDome has successfully protected trucking, UAV operations and others in Israel and around the world with its Infinidome GPSdome-1 and GPSdome-2 anti-jam products.

Gpsdome-1 (left) protects GPS L1. GPSdome-2 (right) protects GPS L1/L2 or GPS L1/GLONASS L1.

Two antennas 10 cm to 25 cm apart enable GPSDome-1 algorithms to detect and null out a GPS L1 jammer. GPSDome-2 accommodates up to four antennas and can null up to three directional signals on both GPS L1 and L2 or GPS L1 and GLONASS L1.

InfiniDome is currently working with an aerospace company to integrate its anti-jam technology with airborne inertial/GPS and qualify the integrated system for use in civil aviation, with the objective of maintaining max 3% drift when fully jammed. This will introduce certified anti-jam technology into civil aviation use — something that will provide some jamming protection, which airlines desperately need going forward. In addition, other high-end UAV manufacturers are potential customers for this new system.

While the ongoing conflict and the devastating loss of life is forefront as each day of the war passes, these anti-jam solutions may ultimately help solve signal degradation problems. While there is going to be a significant impact on commercial airline travel to and from Israel while hostilities continue, we can maybe see the way to a possible long-term solution for the intense jamming from which the region has suffered for many years.

October 18, 2023
GMV provides vehicle positioning solution to BMW

Image: BMW Group

GMV has been selected by BMW Group to supply its safe and precise positioning technology, GMV GSharp, for the next generation of BMW Group’s autonomous vehicles.

GSharp is equipped with an onboard positioning engine (PE) software and a GNSS corrections service, allowing vehicles to collect augmentation data and safety-related information for computing an accurate and reliable user position.

Both the correction service and positioning engine are developed following the ISO 26262 and ISO 21448 standards to ensure compliance with safety requirements. The solution also complies with the concept of security-from-design as per ISO 21434, including the necessary counter-measures in the SW and system and in the GNSS related attack detection or anti-spoofing and anti-jamming schemes.

The most demanding automotive project management practices and industry standards for software engineering (A-SPICE CL3) have been applied during its development.

In addition to the software side, GMV’s solution relies on a secure and redundant physical infrastructure. GMV owns and operates a worldwide GNSS station network, which provides the GNSS raw data needed to generate the corrections. These corrections are computed within two physically independent data centers, providing GMV’s solution the required availability levels for automated driving applications.

October 17, 2023
Launchpad: Mobile mapping, antennas and GNSS receivers

A roundup of recent products in the GNSS and inertial positioning industry from the October 2023 issue of GPS World magazine.

SURVEYING & MAPPING

GNSS Receiver
For GIS and survey professionals

The R2 GNSS system is a compact, durable, and flexible GNSS receiver that collects highly accurate data in a wide range of geospatial applications with submeter to centimeter positioning accuracy. The R2 can track the full range of GNSS satellite constellations and augmentation systems, and also comes with an integrated Trimble Maxwell 6 chip and 220 channels. Users can achieve higher accuracy in real-time with the ability to choose correction sources from traditional real-time kinematic, VRS networks, to Trimble RTX correction services delivered by both satellite and internet/cellular. The R2 can provide improvements to position availability and accuracy when heavy overhead cover, such as tree canopy and buildings, obstruct satellite signals. The receiver is also IP65-rated, making it suitable for rugged environments.
Trimble Geospatial, geospatial.trimble.com

Scanning and Mapping Solution
Designed for accuracy-focused remote sensing applications

The Resepi Teledyne Optech CL-360-HD has a powerful four-return laser and increased range of up to 750 m, making it ideal for mobile mapping, forestry and crack detection in critical infrastructure areas such as airport runways. Resepi is a sensor-fusion platform designed for accuracy-focused remote sensing applications. Resepi utilizes a high-performance INS and a high-accuracy dual antenna GNSS receiver, integrated with a Linux-based processing core and data-logging software. The platform also provides a Wi-Fi interface, optional imaging module, and external cellular modem for RTCM corrections. Resepi can be operated by a single hardware button or from a wirelessly connected device via a simple web interface. Resepi, equipped with Teledyne’s CL-360HD lidar, offers various laser scan speeds and frequencies, allowing users to tweak the settings to match their individual needs.
Inertial Labs, inertiallabs.com

GNSS Receiver Series
Available in three different models for various applications

The Xtraordinary X1-series GNSS receivers include X1 and X1 Lite and X1 Pro. The X1-series adopts Linux OS, which improves the stability of the system and the synergistic compatibility of each module. This series of GNSS receivers features improvements to satellite tracking, the inertial measurement unit (IMU), battery life, and more. Optimized with a new generation of IMU module, users can easily initialize the IMU in 5-sec and start tilt measurements up to 60°. The X1-series GNSS receivers supports both 4G/radio correction data transmission and can reach up to 15 km range in enhanced internal UHF mode, 20 km range in external mode, and more than 50 km via internal GSM or PDA CORS mode.
SingularXYZ, singularxyz.com

GNSS Smart Antenna
For agricultural, marine, GIS, mapping and other applications

The A631 combines the Athena GNSS engine and Atlas L-band correction technologies with a new web user interface (WebUI). Optional features include 16 GB of internal storage, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The compact antenna is designed for rugged environments and meets IP67 requirements. With multiple operating modes, A631 can be used as an RTK base station or rover. The device is supported by the Atlas Portal, which empowers users to update firmware and enable functionality, including Atlas subscriptions for accuracies from meter to sub-decimeter levels. A631 also supports BaseLink and SmartLink modes. SmartLink allows users to directly connect AtlasLink as an extension to any existing system that has industry-standard connectivity options. BaseLink automatically sets up AtlasLink as a permanent reference station, delivering corrections to any other GNSS receiver being used for positioning.
Hemisphere GNSS, hemispheregnss.com

GNSS Receiver
For land surveying, GIS, and construction applications

The Mars Pro combines GNSS, inertial measurement unit (IMU), and laser technologies. When set to laser mode, the Mars Pro can carry out measurements by selecting a signal-friendly spot within a 10-m radius, which aids in measuring hard-to-reach, signal-obstructed, and hazardous areas. With its millimeter-level laser distance meter integrated on its rear, the Mars Pro facilitates the utilization of the laser mode in scenarios involving surveying and stakeout. The integrated IMU sensor offers 60° tilt compensation, which remains functional even when operating in laser mode, allowing for uncompromised efficiency and accuracy. Equipped with the latest K8 platform, it boasts full-constellation support, offering 1,668 tracking channels and more than 60 satellite tracking capabilities across all existing and planned constellations — GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS, QZSS and IRNSS. The Mars Pro offers support for precise point positioning (PPP) service, enabling rapid fixing within seconds. Its dynamic OLED color screen is sunlight readable and offers real-time visualization of essential data — satellite count, fixed state, on-off state, power, and more. It is compatible with mainstream brands and multiple protocols, such as Transparent, TT450S, SATEL, Trimtakl3, CHC and South.
ComNav Technology, comnavtech.com

Lidar System
For mobile mapping applications

The AlphaUni 20 lidar system (AU20) features advanced multi-target capabilities that support up to 16 target echoes for vegetation penetration. The AU20 captures ground surfaces with extreme precision, producing accurate digital elevation models and digital surface models in challenging environments. The lidar system has an accuracy of 2 cm to 5 cm. It has a lightweight, compact design that weighs 2.82 kg in its airborne configuration and a total of only 10.7 kg with its car mount kit, including a Ladybug5+. Its flexible multi-platform design allows users to install it on manned or unmanned aircraft for aerial scanning, integrate it into a variety of land vehicles, and even use it as a backpack-mounted system for mapping narrow areas.
CHC Navigation, chcnav.com

Gyroscope
An advanced performance, tactical-grade MEMS gyroscope solution

Developed for use in particularly harsh environments, the TAG-304 gyroscopes can withstand extreme shock and vibrations in accordance with MIL-STD-810 standards. Additionally, TAG-304 gyroscopes are fully digitized (RS-422 interface), include built-in test (BIT) functionalities, and have no moving parts. TAG-304 is an advanced performance, tactical-grade MEMS gyroscope, of which size, power consumption, reliability and performance are ideal for accomplishing complex tasks requiring accurate stabilization of assorted platforms. Very low latency (group delay), small size, 4K Hz data rate, 1K Hz bandwidth, and low noise make TAG-304 gyroscopes a suitable solution for miniature electro-optical systems, gimbals, line-of-sight, and pan and tilt platforms stabilization and pointing applications.
Inertial Labs, inertiallabs.com

IMU
For GNSS-challenged environments

The ANELLO IMU+ provides robust and reliable autonomous navigation and positioning in GNSS-denied or GNSS-compromised environments. Powered by optical gyroscope technology, the ANELLO IMU+ delivers high precision and reliability in demanding conditions, including shock, vibration, electromagnetic interference and temperature. The ANELLO IMU+ is suitable for autonomous applications in the construction, robotics, mining, trucking and defense industries.The device delivers long-term dead reckoning in high-temperature and high-vibration environments.The ANELLO IMU+ features unaided heading drift of < 0.5°/hr, dual high-speed CAN FD interfaces, and dual RS-232 interfaces; has ASIL-D ready, automotive-qualified CPU and OS; and is IP68 waterproof, resistant to dust, salt spray and chemicals.
ANELLO Photonics, anellophotonics.com

Flying Laser Scanner
Captures colorized 3D point clouds for producing 3D models, drawings, and visualizations

BLK2FLY is a fully integrated lidar UAV laser scanner with advanced obstacle avoidance for reality capture from the air. It can scan inaccessible areas such as rooftops, facades and large building interiors. BLK2FLY autonomously captures interior and exterior dimensions and features of buildings with a few taps on a tablet. Users can select an area within the map on their tablet and the BLK2FLY will create its own flight path to scan it quickly and safely. Users can send the BLK2FLY to scan a new area by tapping anywhere on the 3D view in the app. The BLK2FLY also can be piloted manually with virtual joysticks on a user’s tablet.

BLK2FLY can scan interiors of large arenas, stadiums, facilities, plants, and even obscured or confined outdoor areas with its Indoor Mode, which allows the BLK2FLY to get closer to objects with reduced flight speed and to fly within confined spaces without access to GNSS. With advanced obstacle avoidance and increased visual SLAM capabilities, the BLK2FLY’s Indoor Mode makes scanning inside fast and versatile.
Leica Geosystems, leica-geosystems.com

MOBILE

Smart Antenna
Suitable for multiple applications

The HCS885XF/HCS885EXF smart helical GNSS antenna is suitable for UAV, land survey devices, automotive positioning, and other precise positioning/heading applications. The HCS885XF/HCS885EXF combines the performance and light weight of the Tallysman dual-band (GPS/QZSS L1/L5, GLONASS G1/G3, Galileo E1/E5a/b, BeiDou B1/B2/B2a) HC885SXF antenna with the low power consumption and GNSS augmentation capabilities of the u-blox NEO-F9P GNSS receiver. HCS885XF/HCS885EXF employs L5 signals (1160-1217 MHz), which transmit stronger signal power and a higher bandwidth chipping rate than L2 signals, thereby offering high performance when challenged with strong multipath signals. It also employs Tallysman’s eXtended Filtering system, which mitigates near-band and out-of-band interference, such as LTE signals and their harmonics and the planned Ligado service in North America, enabling operation in the most challenging deployments. The HCS885XF/HCS885EXF integrated receiver can simultaneously monitor four constellations, support base/rover RTK configurations (<1 cm), and use u-blox PointPerfect PPP-RTK augmented services over a terrestrial control network (3-6 cm). A moving-base precise heading configuration is available with base/rover antenna pairs.
Tallysman Wireless, tallysman.com

Antenna
Multi-constellation antenna for precision agriculture and semi-autonomous or autonomous applications

The TS122 EUAA provides centimeter-level accuracy in highly variable terrain and challenging GNSS-obstructed environments with ± 10 cm P2P accuracy and STANDALONE technology. The TS122 EUAA smart antenna receives dual-frequency multiple constellation signals from GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou, with output position information up to 10 Hz. The antenna is capable of correcting deviations caused by a vehicle’s roll and pitch while working on uneven groups or slopes.
Harxon, harxon.com

October 16, 2023
CHCNAV launches aerial surveying solution

Image: CHCNAV

CHC Navigation (CHCNAV) has released the AlphaAir 10 (AA10), an advanced aerial surveying solution designed for UAV mapping and photogrammetry.

Leveraging CHCNAV’s lidar technology, the AA10 seamlessly integrates high-precision lidar, accurate GNSS positioning, IMU orientation and an industrial-grade full-frame orthophoto camera. Combined with CHCNAV point cloud and image fusion modeling software, this solution offers an efficient survey-grade approach to 3D data acquisition and processing.

The AlphaAir 10 can detect up to eight target echoes utilizing advanced multi-target capabilities, which greatly enhances its ability to penetrate dense vegetation and acquire precise ground surfaces.

Complementing the solution, the CoPre and CoProcess software suite streamlines post-processing and feature extraction with an easy-to-use and efficient data workflow. High-quality point cloud data is used to create a mesh model, followed by efficient 3D model reconstruction with realistic point cloud colorization using high-resolution image mapping textures.

In addition, the AA10 is IP64-rated, ensuring the system’s ruggedness and providing consistent, reliable performance in a wide range of operating conditions.

October 16, 2023
ANELLO adds to its optical-gyroscope based navigation systems

ANELLO Photonics has added real-time centimeter-accurate positioning and localization capabilities to its line of optical-gyroscope based navigation systems.

Its real-time centimeter accuracy is achieved by using real-time kinematic (RTK) correction data from GEODNET, a community-based decentralized network of over 3,000 GNSS reference stations worldwide.

Under the agreement, ANELLO Photonics users will have access to a free trial of RTK services and competitive options for long-term, high-volume correction data requirements.

By combining the ANELLO silicon photonics optical gyroscope (SiPhOG) with GEODNET’S global RTK correction network, users now have access to a new global cyber-infrastructure for reliable measurements.

The partnership offers users a combination of optical gyroscope technology and a reliable and global RTK correction network that enables centimeter-accuracy for industries operating in challenging RF and GNSS-denied environments. These environments include city centers, construction sites and orchards.

The agreement aims to address the challenging applications by using SiPhOG and its GNSS-denied dead-reckoning algorithms with GEODNET’s distributed global network of RTK stations. This combined technology offers high-level accuracy while reducing the total solution costs.

The companies aim to simplify performance intensive applications such as high-definition mapping and aerial or terrestrial autonomous vehicle deployment.

ANELLO is currently engaged in trials with users in the construction, farming, robotics, trucking, UAVs, autonomous vehicles, and defense space.

October 16, 2023
Pasternack releases vehicle GPS antennas

Image: Pasternack

Pasternack, a manufacturer of microwave- and millimeter-wave products, has released a series of vehicle GPS antennas.

The antennas come equipped with a high gain of 28 dB or 30 dB, enabling them to capture signals in challenging terrains and conditions. One of their standout features is the use of right-hand circular polarization (RHCP), which reduces signal interference and multipath effects.

With waterproof and dustproof ratings ranging from IPX6 to IP66, these antennas are engineered to excel in the harsh environments and are ideal for vehicle tracking, fleet management, telematics, navigation systems and autonomous vehicles.

The antennas also come with both SMA and FAKRA connector options, ensuring wide-ranging system compatibility. They are tailored for the GPS L1 frequency and are available in both passive and active versions. Mounting them is user-friendly, with options for direct vehicle mount or the added convenience of a magnet mount.

October 16, 2023
First fix: Overlapping technologies
Image: lakshmiprasad S/iStock / Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

The natural sciences overlap — hence such fields as geophysics, astrobiology and biochemistry. So do the social sciences and humanities — hence such fields as political economy, political philosophy and social economics. Our very individual identities consist of multiple, intersecting factors — including gender, race, ethnicity, class, and sexuality.

Analogously, this magazine covers overlapping technologies. While we focus on global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) and other positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) technologies such as inertial systems, these technologies are often embedded in larger systems that also include sensors (such as lidar, radar and cameras) and, increasingly, artificial intelligence (AI).

That is why we so often cover unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) — which use GNSS for positioning navigation, geofencing and stabilization; use sensors to collect data; and will soon use AI for mission planning and execution — and autonomous vehicles — which use GNSS and sensors for positioning and navigation and already use AI to make driving decisions in complex environments.

Of course, UAVs are also much in the news these days:
- Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, both sides have been using several hundred UAVs every day. According to the Royal United Services Institute, a British think tank, the Ukrainians are losing some 10,000 UAVs a month on the battlefield. (By way of comparison, the French army currently has a little more than 3,000 UAVs in its arsenal.)
- In the United States, the number of companies granted waivers by the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations keeps growing, enabling them to conduct much more efficient monitoring, inspections and mapping of infrastructure.
- Following a recent increase in encounters between swimmers and sharks along beaches on Long Island, New York, in July UAVs began sweeping the ocean three times a day to detect danger. On July 14, the state’s governor, Kathy Hochul, announced the allocation of $1 million to purchase 60 new shark-monitoring UAVs.
- Also in July, 350 UAVs were lost during a practice light display show in Melbourne, Australia, ahead of a scheduled performance for the opening of the women’s World Cup. The UAVs appeared to stop mid-show and plummet into the Yarra River, most likely due to interference with GPS signals.
- On August 30, researchers in Switzerland unveiled a small AI-powered quadcopter UAV that can outfly some of the best human competitors in the world. It whipped its way around an indoor racecourse in a matter of seconds and was able to beat its human rival in 15 out of 25 races, according to the journal Nature.
From mapping coastal areas with airborne lidar bathymetry to delivering medicines, from locating lost hikers to mapping fires, from enhancing the situational awareness of first responders to monitoring invasive plant species, UAVs are quickly becoming ubiquitous and essential.

Meanwhile, in San Francisco, where autonomous vehicles are already ubiquitous, but not everyone considers them essential, an anonymous group of protesters is surreptitiously placing orange traffic cones on some of them, confusing their sensors and rendering them inoperable.

Matteo Luccio | Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
October 12, 2023
GPS jamming increases amid Israel Hamas conflict

Image: GPSJam.org

Israel has declared war on the Palestinian militant group  Hamas after it carried out an unprecedented attack by air, sea and land on October 7, 2023.

The large-scale surprise attack has left more than 1,200 dead in Israel, said Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus in an update on October 11. It has since prompted retaliatory Israeli airstrikes on Gaza that have killed more than 1,055 people.

During the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Middle East is witnessing a significant shift in the patterns of GPS interference, with data showing an increase in disruptions compared to just a week prior, according to Defence and Security Middle East.

Reports have surfaced indicating Hamas has actively jammed Israeli communication systems during the initial stages of the conflict. This strategic move highlights the increase of jamming GPS and communication networks in modern warfare scenarios, where precision and coordination are imperative.

Positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) services play a role in a variety of military systems and civil technologies. These services not only guide precision warfare, but also facilitate efficient transportation, communication and various civilian applications.

The Middle East has a history of being a focal point for jamming and spoofing activities, impacting not only security but also regional stability and even commercial flights.

For example, there have been recent reports of recurring interference allegedly caused by Russian systems in Syria, which frequently disrupts air traffic at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport. Regulatory bodies, such as the Federal Aviation Administration, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and Israel’s aviation authority, advised airlines to exercise caution when operating in the airspace of the region. Multiple airlines have now canceled or suspended flights.

With airlines reducing services and regulatory bodies advising caution, the conflict’s repercussions extend well beyond the battlefield, highlighting the critical need for security assessments or alternative PNT systems to protect civilians.

October 11, 2023
Harxon introduces new GNSS and helix antennas

Image: Harxon

Harxon has launched its new survey GNSS antenna, HX-CSX600A, and helix antenna, HX-CUX615A, designed for high-accuracy positioning applications across the geospatial industry. These two antennas are set to debut at INTERGEO 2023.

Survey GNSS antenna HX-CSX600A

HX-CSX600A boasts a pre-filtered Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) offering exceptional out-of-band rejection, ensuring strong anti-interference performance even in challenging environments. It is designed for high-precision GNSS applications, including agricultural vehicles, small robots and surveying.

The new antenna offers reliable and consistent satellite signal tracking across a wide range of frequency bands, including GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS, IRNSS, SBAS, as well as L-Band correction services. With advanced multipoint feeding technology, HX-CSX600A maintains a stable phase center variation.

Built with an IP67-rated compact and ruggedized housing, this antenna is designed to withstand dust, rain, sunlight, shock and vibration. Its standard TNC-K connector and pole mount aims to simplify the integration process.

Helix antenna HX-CUX615A

HX-CUX615A is the housed version of Harxon’s HX-CUX012A, designed for UAVs. Its low profile design and simple integration process makes this antenna ideal for various UAV applications such as aerial photography, remote sensing, infrastructure inspection, traffic control and public security.

Equipped with a pre-filtered LNA, HX-CUX615A offers out-of-band interference rejection to mitigate unwanted electromagnetic interference and provide reliable GNSS signals for seamless integration into positioning solutions.

This light-weight antenna also adopts patented D-QHA (Dual-Quadrifilar Helix Antenna) technology, ensuring stable wide-angle circular polarization (WACP) performance. This results in low-elevation satellite tracking, while maintaining high gain and reliable signal tracking – even in challenging environments.

October 11, 2023