Sponsored by: Hemisphere GNSS
Original Broadcast Date: Thursday, September 19, 2013
Moderator: Janice Partyka, Wireless LBS Insider editor
Speakers: David Jumpa, Chief Revenue Officer, Airbiquity; Scott McCormick, President, Connected Vehicle Trade Association; Andrew Maliszewski, Executive VP, Micronet; Scott Sedlik, VP Product and Marketing, Inrix
Summary: The biggest announcements and the most interesting news at the three big wireless/electronics shows in 2013 have all concerned the connected car. Location is a core technology. How will the connected vehicle market evolve? Will there be similarities to the more advanced fleet market? Providers of navigation, mapping, traffic, middleware, search, points of interest and mobile advertising all have key roles to play. How will the complexity of personalization and extras make it difficult to deliver products and service? The pace will only accelerate. Sort through the multiple issues and get your roadmap to the future with Janice Partyka and a panel of industry experts.
Tag: Hemisphere GNSS
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The Connected Vehicle
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GNSS Industry Outlook for 2014
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Hemisphere GNSS Announces New Crescent Vector GNSS Compass Module
Photo: Hemisphere GNSS Hemisphere GNSS has launched its new Crescent Vector H200 GNSS compass module, a high-performance receiver for heading, positioning, heave, and attitude. Vector H200 is designed for professional marine, navigation, and land applications in challenging and dynamic environments.
Vector H200 processes L1 GPS and GLONASS signals to deliver precise heading, greater positioning reliability, and better performance in challenging environments, Hemisphere GNSS said. Through using two separate antennas, Hemisphere GNSS’ patented Vector technology computes the heading and pitch or roll angle while stationary or in motion. Vector H200 can compute heading accuracy to 0.02 degrees using a 5-meter antenna separation. A variety of differential correction methods also make it possible for Vector H200 to provide sub-meter to centimeter position accuracy.
Marine industry developers can maximize performance by integrating Vector H200 into their systems for hydrographic and bathymetric surveys, auto-pilots, dredging, and buoys. For land applications, Vector H200 is ideal for aligning cameras, antennas and projectiles, and for machine control applications in agriculture, construction, and mining.
“System integrators have a lot to gain from Vector H200’s powerful combination of navigation and machine control orientation capabilities,” said Ron Ramsaran, Sr. Product Marketing Manager at Hemisphere GNSS. “They will appreciate the performance and value from such a small board package.”
Vector H200 supports SBAS, L-Band and RTK differential positioning solutions and features our exclusive SureTrack technology optimizing the use of GPS and GLONASS signals. Hemisphere GNSS offers precise GNSS antennas to fit a variety of Vector H200 applications.
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Hemisphere GNSS Announces High-Precision R330 Universal GNSS Receiver
Photo: Hemisphere GNSS Hemisphere GNSS has rolled out the R330 GNSS receiver, a versatile, fully featured positioning system. R330 delivers accurate and robust positioning through a variety of differential correction methods including SBAS, L-Band, Beacon and RTK, the company said. With its wide range of functionality and ease of use, the R330 is suitable for a variety of land and marine applications.
The R330 GNSS receiver combines the functionality and front panel display of all previous R-series products. Customers can start with sub-meter positioning accuracy and upgrade the receiver with subscriptions that add functionality and improves performance capability to centimeter-level accuracy. To provide the most reliable solutions, R330 is capable of tracking multiple frequencies and multiple constellations including GPS and GLONASS. Users can easily switch between the various DGPS correction options without any downtime. The R330 GNSS receiver is compatible with many of the Hemisphere GNSS’ multi-frequency antennas.
The small, rugged receiver includes a display and status indicators for a user-friendly experience, Hemisphere GNSS said. A standard USB flash drive can be used for data logging.
“The functionality and performance of the R330 receiver can be custom-fit to positioning applications such as pipeline, marine, and volumetric surveys, GIS mapping, vehicle tracking, machine control, meter monitoring and many others,” said Ron Ramsaran, senior product marketing manager at Hemisphere GNSS. “R330 customers will benefit from the reliability, value, and upgrade options that can be added to meet changing needs.”
R330 features Hemisphere GNSS’ exclusive Eclipse SureTrack technology, enabling a more robust RTK solution with fewer dropouts in congested environments and a fast reacquisition when dropouts do occur. Long-range RTK baselines of up to 50 km are achievable with R330.
The R330 GNSS receiver will be available in June through the Hemisphere GNSS Precision Products global dealer network.
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Designing for the Future: Signal Simulation for Expanding GNSS
Sponsored by: Hemisphere
Broadcast Date: Thursday, May 16, 2013
Moderator: Alan Cameron, Editor & Publisher, GPS World
Speakers: Mark Sampson, LabSat Product Manager, RaceLogic; John Fischer, Chief Technology Officer, Spectracom; Markus Lörner, Product Manager, Rohde & Schwarz; Steve Hickling, Lead Product Manager, Spirent Communications; Mark Wilson, Vice President of Sales, IfEN GmbHSimulation and testing experts offer key technical insights on the intricacies and importance of product and signal testing, whether by simulator, record-and-replay, or in the field, in the increasingly complex environment of multiple modernizing and expanding GNSS signals, from GPS III to BeiDou, with Galileo coming on strong and GLONASS a perennial standby.
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What’s Behind the Hemisphere Deal?
Did you catch the recent announcement on the Hemisphere Precision Products Group sale?
It would appear that the deal has closed, and the Ag and GNSS businesses will be separated and go their own ways. UniStrong Science & Technology Co. in Beijing China has acquired Hemisphere’s precision GNSS business for $15 million. The Ag business will be renamed AgJunction and remain on the Toronto TSX stock exchange with a new ticker symbol, and the GNSS company will in fact become a Canadian subsidiary of UniStrong, with two locations; one in the U.S. and one in Canada. Hemisphere GNSS Inc. will have its business headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, and the Canadian operation will remain in Calgary, Alberta.
For those of you who have followed the Ag business, you may recall that Hemisphere had recently bought a company by the name of AgJunction, which focuses on analysis and delivery of real-time prescriptions to in-cab controllers on suitably equipped Ag equipment. So the Ag business will now operate under that name.
As far as the precision GNSS business is concerned, I managed to corner Phil Gabriel, who is the new president of Hemisphere GNSS, and Jon Ladd, who is the new chairman of the board, and ask them about the deal with UniStrong.
The Loka for mobile GIS by UniStrong. Basically, the old Hemisphere had been challenged with limited resources spread over too many programs, with profitability suffering. So, back almost a year ago a decision was taken to focus on ag and look at options for its non-core (GNSS) business. When Hemisphere appointed Rick Heiniger as its new CEO in September 2012, the board also made the decision to find an appropriate buyer for its Precision Products and Core GNSS Development business. A short list of potential buyers was drawn up and the company’s banker, PI Financial, approached this list of companies seeking a strategic investor. After due consideration, UniStrong turned out to have the best overall offer and made the best strategic fit. Hemisphere chose to negotiate exclusively with UniStrong, and UniStrong formed an acquisition team lead by Jon Ladd (ex-CEO, NovAtel), which also included Werner Gartner (ex-CFO, NovAtel), and due diligence and negotiations got underway.
UniStrong is a major GNSS player in China, established in 1994, headquartered in Beijing with eight branches in China, Hong Kong and Singapore, and more than 1,000 employees. UniStrong’s principle GNSS products appear to be high-end handhelds with GPS/GLONASS/Compass capability for navigation, high-accuracy surveying, GNSS post-processing and systems integration. UniStrong went public in China in 2009/2010 and raised around $75 million in capital.
The Dora handheld with high-precision GNSS, by UniStrong. The relationship between UniStrong and Hemisphere goes back to 1997 when Phil Gabriel first appointed UniStrong as the Hemisphere distributor in China. Things went well over the years as they mutually expanded their businesses. When they began discussing a potential acquisition, it seemed like a natural progression in the relationship. Xingping Guo, president and CEO of UniStrong, took a significant step forward when he entrusted the acquisition to the team lead by Jon Ladd — this enabled a level of trust to be quickly established and allowed for an accelerated acquisition schedule.
The main issue to overcome seems to have been identifying, defining and clarifying how the new companies would manage themselves in relation to the markets they will go on to serve. This issue was overcome, and several cross-licenses have been put in place which will allow both sides to hopefully operate without future conflict. Clearly AgJunction will be agriculture focused, and Hemisphere will address that segment by supplying GNSS product to AgJunction under a long-term supply agreement.
Mr. Guo has given the new Hemisphere GNSS a wide mandate:
- To become a leading global provider of advanced GNSS technology and products across multiple vertical markets, and
- To establish Hemisphere as the cornerstone of a global business expansion strategy.
Going forward, Hemisphere GNSS is planning additional investment including the immediate hiring of around a dozen added staff positions. The Calgary location will retain its product development and engineering capabilities, but manufacturing will be transitioned by May to an existing third-party contract manufacturer. Core engineering and product marketing teams in Scottsdale will see growth, and Hemisphere is expected to begin to leverage the strong product engineering and manufacturing capabilities now available through UniStrong. Hemisphere GNSS will focus on OEM GNSS boards and antennas, marine, survey and mapping, and certain machine control applications.
The Vector series compass product line has already enjoyed considerable success with International Marine Organization (IMO) Wheelmark applications for use on large commercial ships, hydrographic surveying vessels, fishing vessels, leisure boats, work boats, and in other general marine navigation applications. Hemisphere will continue to supply Vector as packaged full-function integrated units, also with dual antennas and stand-alone GNSS unit solutions, and in various flavors as OEM components for integrators.
(Clockwise from top left) Vector V103 and V113 GPS Compass, Vector VS330 GNSS Receiver, A325 GNSS Smart Antenna. OEM components for integrators will continue to include such receivers as the market-leading L1 Crescent module, GPS/GLONASS Eclipse and miniEclipse, Vector enabled receivers, antenna modules, SBX-4 Beacon receiver and the LX-2 L-band receiver.
Crescent P102/P103 OEM board, miniEclipse P300 GNSS OEM Module, PA300 GNSS Smart Antenna Module. 
Survey applications are addressed by the S320 GNSS survey receiver and the XF series data collectors.
Clearly, Hemisphere precision technology will find its way into UniStrong products in China, and COMPASS/Beidou technology will figure largely in Hemisphere’s future. So the transaction will certainly benefit both parties – the basic edict of any acquisition – that the sum of the parts should become greater than they were separately before the acquisition. Good luck to the new international team that is now Hemisphere GNSS!
Tony Murfin
GNSS Aerospace -
Hemisphere GPS Offers Vector Compass Products for Marine Applications
Photo: Hemisphere Today, Hemisphere GPS introduces the Vector VS330 and Vector VS131 GPS compass products that provide high performance heading, position, heave, and attitude data. The new Vector products are designed for professional marine applications such as hydrographic and bathymetric surveys, dredging, oil platform positioning, and buoys that demand a high level of 3D positioning accuracies.
Based on Hemisphere GPS’ Eclipse GNSS technology, Vector VS330 uses the most accurate differential corrections including RTK, L-band, SBAS, and beacon. The smart intelligence from our MFA firmware provides differential solutions by automatically switching to the next best differential source if the original source is no longer available, Hemisphere GPS said.
Vector VS330 is Hemisphere GPS’ flagship receiver and computes heading information with better than 0.01 degrees accuracy when using a 10-meter antenna separation. Positioning accuracy is better than one centimeter in RTK mode or four centimeters when using OmniSTAR HP corrections. Vector VS330 also provides five-centimeter RTK heave and 0.01 degree pitch and roll accuracies.
Combining Hemisphere GPS’ Crescent Vector and LX-2 receivers with two separate antennas, the Vector VS131 computes heading information with better than 0.03 degrees accuracy when using a five-meter antenna separation and better than 50 centimeter position accuracy when using L-band, SBAS, or beacon corrections. Vector VS131 accepts most differential correction signals for unparalleled flexibility to obtain sub-meter positioning in all regions.
The ruggedness of the new Vector enclosure also makes it suitable for more harsh environment installations like machine-control applications, including agriculture, heavy construction equipment, mining equipment, unmanned vehicles, cranes, and other machinery or industries that require very accurate heading and positioning solutions. The Vector’s versatility for providing heading, position, heave, and motion makes it directly compatible with the most popular hydrographic and side scan survey packages. Vector VS330 and VS131 include an intuitive and easy-to-follow user interface to facilitate fast installations.
“Vector VS330 and Vector VS131 are premium additions to Hemisphere GPS’ Vector series product line,” said Phil Gabriel, vice president and general manager, Precision Products, for Hemisphere GPS. “As the demand for more rugged and precise GPS equipment increases, we are meeting this demand by exceeding the accuracy of competitors’ products while being significantly more affordable.”
Vector VS330 and Vector VS131 will be featured by Hemisphere GPS in hall 9, stand B.62 at the INTERGEO Conference and Trade Fair in Hanover, Germany, from October 9-11. Both products will be available for shipping in November through the Hemisphere GPS Precision Products global dealer network.
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Hemisphere GPS Introduces A325 GNSS Smart Antenna
Today, Hemisphere GPS introduced the A325 GNSS Smart Antenna. It incorporates professional-level centimeter and sub-meter positioning accuracy powered by Hemisphere GPS' Eclipse receiver technology and includes L-band and Bluetooth communications support. A325 is designed for a variety of applications including agriculture, construction, straddle carriers, robotics, marine, survey, and GIS, Hemisphere GPS said.
A325 accuracies are software scalable to be custom configured for the customer's specific needs and budget. Users can take advantage of free SBAS sub-meter accuracy or decimeter-level L-band support. For more precise needs such as land and hydrographic surveying, customers can activate the centimeter-level RTK feature with robust GPS and GLONASS positioning utilizing Hemisphere GPS' exclusive SureTrack technology.Various communication options within A325 make it compatible with a range of data collectors, terminals, and software applications. With dual serial ports offering NMEA 0183, a wireless Bluetooth mode, controller area network (CAN) interface that supports NMEA 2000, and pulse outputs the A325 will quickly and easily connect to systems used by positioning, navigation, and machine control professionals, Hemisphere GPS said.
With a durable IP-69K sealed and lightweight enclosure that houses both antenna and receiver, A325 is easy to install and operate in harsh environmental conditions, the company said, and can be mounted on vehicles and backpacks. Wireless connections to a data controller make it easy to establish positions and attributes, making A325 useful for mapping municipal assets, forestry, and topographical features. The easy-to-see multi-color LED status indicator and integrated 2D tilt sensor enable offset corrections and add to the simplicity of A325.
"A325 offers customers a very versatile precision GNSS smart antenna at an amazing price," said Phil Gabriel, Vice President and General Manager, Precision Products, for Hemisphere GPS. "This enhances our GNSS receiver portfolio, allowing us to offer customers a wider range of products and solutions to meet their needs."
A325 is now available through the Hemisphere GPS Precision Products global dealer network. For more information about Hemisphere GPS' Precision Products and A325 antenna, visit www.hemispheregps.com/precision.
