GPS World

Tag: mobile

  • Mobile briefs: Silicon Labs acquires Zentri for IoT

    Silicon Labs acquires Zentri

    Silicon Labs has acquired Zentri, an innovator in cloud-connected Wi-Fi technologies for the Internet of Things (IoT). Zentri helps customers worldwide securely connect and manage products across a range of industrial, commercial and consumer applications. Zentri provides combinations of modules, embedded and cloud software, APIs and other tools for rapid development of secure IoT end-node products.

    Comtech renews LBS contract

    Comtech Telecommunications Corp.’s Commercial Solutions segment received a renewal agreement worth $2.8 million for use of its Xypoint Location Platform (XLP), providing precise location for a major mobile network operator. XLP is a standards-based solution suite that enables wireless carriers to launch a variety of location-based services (LBS). The renewal will support the continued roll out of services during the remainder of a three-year agreement.

    Teleena, Cumulocity partner on IoT

    IoT enabler Teleena is partnering with Cumulocity, an IoT device platform provider. Teleena will roll out its IoT Suite with functionalities for enterprises to build transformational IoT solutions and monetize new business models. The suite consists of five modules and is a configurable one-stop-shop for customers.

  • Accident locator launched

    Saphibeat Technologies’ new Adventure Monitor PhiPAL can save lives of outdoor enthusiasts by recognizing when an accident has taken place.

    PhiPAL uses a proprietary machine-learning algorithm for accident recognition. If the user is unconscious, PhiPAL automatically sends a distress message with GPS coordinates to teammates and first responders through a cellphone or satellite connection.

    PhiPAL uses an activity monitor mounted on or integrated into the user’s sports helmet.

  • Launchpad: TraceME TM-178 is upgraded with LoRa technology

    Tracking with options

    The TraceME module TM-178, targeted for tracing and controlling vehicles and other powered equipment, is now upgraded with optional LoRa, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Smart (BLE), ANT/ANT+ and proprietary RF. The upgrades enable integration with existing wireless networks and specific custom mobile apps on smartphones and tablets.

    productheader-r9hc-kcsbv-wThe KCS BV LoRa technology offers a communication range up to 60 kilometers, line of sight. The module offers an advanced indoor and outdoor location-based positioning solution, which covers a variety of Internet of Things (IoT) applications and enables stolen object or vehicle recovery.

    The TM-178 is equipped with external power and battery backup connection, basic I/O-connectivity and multiple on-board sensors. The unit contains multiple integrated antennas for GPS/GLONASS, GSM (2G/3G) and RF functionality. The functionality of the module can be remotely programmed to fit any job. From basic/general functionality to advanced/low-level application specific detailed functionality.

    With a compact size of 91 x 40 millimeters and weighing 30 grams, along with a battery lifespan of more than 10 years, the module offers endless OEM integration possibilities. Optionally, the module can be ordered in a robust IP67 housing.

    TM-178 Features

    • GPS
    • GSM/GPRS/EDGE coverage
    • Basic I/O-connectivity
    • Long-range RF coverage

    Optional Features

    • GPS + GLONASS
    • UMTS/HSPA+
    • LoRa
    • Bluetooth Smart (BLE), ANT/ANT+, iBeacon
    • Wi-Fi
    • Robust IP67 housing
    • External RF antennas
    • Internal battery, no need for external power supply

    KCS BV, www.trace.me

  • Taoglas launches Engager Logarithmic Periodic Dipole Antenna series

    Engager LPDA.02 External Wide Band Directional LPDA Antenna
    Engager LPDA.02 external wide-band directional antenna

    Taoglas, provider of IoT and M2M antenna solutions, has launched the Engager Logarithmic Periodic Dipole Antenna (LPDA) series in booth No. 4849 at CTIA Super Mobility 2016.

    The wide-band directional antenna series offers high gain at multiple frequencies, including all cellular 2G/3G and 4G LTE bands globally for all carriers and networks, the company says in a news release.

    In areas of low signal strength, the higher gain can help a device get connectivity when a standard Omni directional antenna would not.

    “These wonderful looking Engager’s eliminate the need for Yagi’s,” Dermot O’Shea, Taoglas joint CEO, says. “The Yagi’s are also directional and high gain but are limited to a narrow bandwidth or single frequency. That means if you installed an antenna for a base station belonging to a certain carrier at a certain time, that frequency or base station equipment can be changed over time, meaning you have to go back on site and change the antenna. That scenario can happen over and over again but with the Engager series it’s a one time installation and future proofs the site’s connectivity for many years.”

    The Engager series launches at CTIA Super Mobility 2016, which is being held Sept. 6-9 in Las Vegas, Nevada, with four variants, and more planned:

    • LPDA.01; 698-3900MHz, 334*278*34 millimeter, 7dBi gain.
    • LPDA.03; 600-3000MHz, 629*517*43 millimeter, 8dBi gain.
    • LPDA.05; 698-6000MHz, 629*517*43 millimeter, 8dBi gain.
    • LPDA.06; 400-6000MHz, 942*488*43 millimeter, 9dBi gain.

    All are available in wall or pole mount options. The wall mount option consists of a two-part bracket, allowing it to be tilted and rotated and pointed in the required direction of the base station. The pole-mount bracket is delivered with u-bolts and clamps and, when secured on the pole, also allows a 30-degree tilt above or below horizontal.

    “Taoglas engineering continue to not only innovate but exhibit the never give up attitude. To achieve such wide bandwidths, while maintaining high performance, makes us all very proud of the Engager series,” O’Shea says.

  • GPS Lite: Keeping tabs on cargo at the port

    GPS Lite: Keeping tabs on cargo at the port

    Cargo that comes into the Rotterdam, The Netherlands, shipping port could very well be guided by a new GPS system.

    APM Terminals Rotterdam operates at the important European gateway with a fleet of more than 70 straddle carriers. The straddle carriers have been equipped with GPS Lite, made by U.K.-based International Terminal Solutions (ITS).

    GPS Lite tracks the straddle carriers.(Photo: ITS)
    GPS Lite tracks the straddle carriers.(Photo: ITS)

    GPS Lite, the latest version of ITS’s G-POS GPS tracking system, provides real-time visibility so that valuable resources aren’t wasted hunting for or handling misplaced containers.

    Testing. To ensure the new system was rolled out smoothly and provided the required reliability and accuracy, extensive tests were done on two straddle carriers.

    Following the success of these tests, the system was rolled out in phases to the rest of the fleet.

    APM Terminals Rotterdam uses the COSMOS Terminal Operating System. For COSMOS users, G-POS connects to the radio data terminal on each straddle carrier in the same way as the legacy system it replaced.

    It is fully compliant with COSMOS interface specifications and uses the same cable connections to make the system swap compatible.

    Rotterdam port: A straddle carrier is in the foreground. (Photo: APM Terminals Rotterdam)
    Rotterdam port: A straddle carrier is in the foreground. (Photo: APM Terminals Rotterdam)

    ITS can provide a range of GPS accuracy options wih G-POS, depending on customer needs. Accuracy can range from 2 centimeters up to 0.7 meters, with various types of differential GPS correction methods used.

    G-POS provides automated, real-time, error-free data, enabling a live accurate database to improve storage and retrieval decisions, and to optimize equipment use.

  • Bring Pokémon to you with a Rohde & Schwarz signal generator

    A team of Rohde & Schwarz engineers have found a new way to hack Pokémon Go, the massively popular app that debuted last month.

    The engineers are generating GNSS data with a Rohde & Schwarz signal generator, and feeding the signal directly into the mobile device, making it possible to collect dozens of Pokemon right in the lab.

    The team produced a video showing the hack, which has received almost 400,000 views on YouTube, and received coverage from Bloomberg and The Verge.

    The Munich-based Rohde & Schwarz team provides the following hardware diagram of the setup:

    Pokemon-setup

    The team also describes the technical details:

    “The setup is a little proof of concept by simulating GPS signals with an HIL — hardware in the loop — interface, which can also be used for a flight simulator or similar applications.

    “A R&S-SMBV100A vector signal generator serves as a source to simulate real-life GNSS RF signals. We use a custom PC software with a joystick controller for the ultimate gaming experience *wink* — it may as well be controlled with a mouse. This software streams HIL commands to the signal generator over a LAN interface and interpolates position and velocity changes. The interpolation will be done according to a desired inertia model — pedestrian/car/plain — we actually used a slow car here with a maximum speed of ~15km/h. This is useful, for instance, if you assume that cars will not make 90° turns.

    “We set the GNSS coordinates of the signal generator to some arbitrary position in the world and start the HIL mode — this will result in a ban if you jump quickly from Moscow to Sydney! You have to wait a reasonable amount of time in between.

    “The signal generator simulates a real-life GNSS RF signal, which is fed indirectly into the mobile phone and to a u-blox M8 GNSS receiver. This is why we use an RF splitter. The losses from antenna to device are roughly 30 dB. We therefore generate a signal of -80 dBm in order to achieve the common GNSS signal strength of -110 dBm at the device. The idea behind the shielding box is to protect the device from the signal from outside. You could also build the setup in a cellar.

    “We use the corresponding u-center v8.11 software, which is connected to the GNSS receiver to visualize our current position using a Google Maps plug-in. The u-blox is connected via USB to the computer.

    “By doing so, we create a closed-loop realtime GNSS simulation with user feedback and interaction.”

  • Mobile Means Business

    Sponsored by: Hemisphere GNSS
    Broadcast Date: Thursday, July 18, 2013
    Moderator: Alan Cameron, Editor & Publisher, GPS World
    Speakers: Cary Kiest, director of engineering, Trimble Mobile Computing Solutions; David Krebs, vice president, VDC Research & author of a market research study on mobile computing adoption and use by large enterprise and small-to-medium businesses.
    Summary: Organizations across business and public sectors, and including the military, now expect a high degree and broad range of functionality in the palms of workers’ hands, wherever those workers may go, under any kind of hazardous, chaotic, demanding environments. Requirements for location accuracy rise consistently across the board. In the future — in other words, now — developers will be asked to write mobile software applications first, and desktop applications second. Find out what this means for you, whether you are involved in GPS/GNSS product design, integration, marketing, sales, disribution, workforce management, or field use.
    Webinar Transcript: Mobile Means Business

  • Fix the Future Now with Signal Simulators

    Sponsored by: NavCom
    Broadcast date: Thursday, March 19, 2015
    Moderator: Alan Cameron, Group Publisher, GPS World and Geospatial Solutions
    Speakers: Mark Wilson, Vice President, Sales, IFEN Inc.; Neal Fedora, Director, Engineering, Spirent Federal Systems Inc.; Julian Thomas, Founder, Racelogic; Darren Fisher, GNSS Market Manager, Spectracom
    Summary: More signals (e.g., GPS + Galileo + BDS) and special techniques that are well-adapted to mobile users (gentle antenna motion, use of cameras) allow one to get away with using less expensive antennas and yet still resolve the ambiguities needed for centimeter-accurate positioning.

  • Handheld Nautiz X2 rugged Android device now available

    Handheld Nautiz X2 rugged Android device now available

    Photo: Handheld Group
    Photo: Handheld Group

    Handheld Group has launched the new Nautiz X2 enterprise handheld, which integrates a high-quality scanner, camera and mobile phone.

    The rugged Nautiz X2, available now, can be used in challenging outdoor environments with moisture, dust, extreme temperatures and potential drops, the company says.

    The Nautiz X2 features include:

    • Computing power from a quad-core processor and Android 5.1 Lollipop OS.
    • High-quality, high-speed scanners with 1D or 2D capability.
    • An integrated camera with8-megapixel clarity, autofocus and flash.
    • 4G/LTE Android phone functionality.
    • Google GMS, which gives users access to Google Maps and Play Store apps.
    • A sunlight-readable, 4.7-inch capacitive display with multi-touch sensitivity.

    “The challenge in designing market-leading devices in a given product category is to balance key factors like technology, design, materials and general usability as well as keeping the cost in mind,” says Johan Hed, Handheld Group director of product management. “The brilliance of the Nautiz X2 is that it has that tangible in-the-hand sense of form and fit of a high-end technology device, and we are still able to offer it at an impressive value.”

    The Nautiz X2 measures 150 millimeters by 73.5 millimeters, is 16 millimeters deep at the keyboard and weighs 230 grams.

    It has an IP65 ingress protection rating against dust, sand and water immersion, the company says. The handleld also meets stringent MIL-STD-810G military test standards for overall durability and resistance to humidity, shock, vibrations, drop, salt and extreme temperatures, and the touchscreen is made of Gorilla Glass for durability.

  • Managing editor reflects on a decade with GPS World

    Managing editor reflects on a decade with GPS World

    cozzens_tracy_4_130By Tracy Cozzens, Managing Editor

    In February, I hit the 10-year mark with GPS World magazine. That milestone caused me to stop and reflect on all the changes in my work over the past decade.

    In 2006, our web presence was mostly taking the print magazine and replicating it on the website, complete with a Table of Contents for the current issue. We had dozens of categories and subcategories, slicing and dicing the industry into micro-segments. I found it increasingly difficult to decide which category to place stories into, because so much research and so many products have multiple applications.

    We’ve now greatly simplified the categories, but they still overlap. A Mobile story will touch on Transportation and OEM. A Survey story is also a Mapping story. A UAV story has applications for Defense or Mapping. Because of this, I invite you to see our categories as a jumping off point, not as independent silos. Peruse all the pages of our magazine — you may be surprised at what you find.

    Another massive change over the past decade is our way of thinking. GPS World is no longer just a monthly print magazine with a now-and-then web story or editorial. We are the major industry web presence, with almost 1.5 million page views annually.

    In 2006, I spent perhaps 20 percent of my time on the website. Today it’s closer to 80 percent.

    In many ways, I have gone back to the early days of my career as a daily newspaper journalist to post news every day on both gpsworld.com and our sister Geospatial Solutions website. You can easily tap into these news streams through Twitter (which, coincidentally, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month.)

    I’m looking forward to another 10 years with GPS World, and I hope you come along for the ride.

  • Microsemi broadens grand master timing options for network edge deployments

    Microsemi Corporation, a provider of semiconductor solutions differentiated by power, security, reliability and performance, has added two products to its IGM (Integrated Grand Master) product portfolio, the IGM-1100o (outdoor version) and the IGM-1100x (support external antennas), as well as capacity enhancements to its IGM-1100i (indoor version).

    The offerings broaden outdoor and indoor deployment options for mobile network operators when a cost-effective, precise timing master is needed, including small cells and backhaul to eNodeBs for wireless service delivery at the LTE network edge.

    “Last year, our innovative IGM-1100i solved the problem of providing precise time indoors where GPS signals usually cannot be received,” said Sri Purisai, vice president and business unit manager at Microsemi. “Today, backhaul to macro eNodeBs is one of the biggest challenges for network operators. Our expanded IGM portfolio solves that challenge by bringing the timing source closer to the base station. Microsemi is committed to continued innovations to solve the most difficult issues facing operators.”

    The expanded IGM portfolio and technology flexibly addresses indoor and outdoor deployment models for mobile service providers increasing network edge capacity and coverage to deliver advanced wireless services in public hotspots, such as K-20 campuses, public transit and retail settings.

    • IGM-1100i (indoor version): With its integrated GPS antenna, IGM-1100i operates indoors without the need for a dedicated antenna, associated cabling and installation hurdles. With increased capacity now from eight PTP 1588 clients to 16 clients, the IGM-1100i now also includes support for Telecom 2008 and Default 1588 profiles and support for CLI over SSH.
    • IGM-1100o (outdoor version): Complementing the IGM-1100i in outdoor wireless deployment cases where extended temperature range and ruggedization are critical factors, the IGM-1100o integrates the PTP 1588 master and an outdoor GPS antenna in a single device. It can be installed at an outdoor location like a roof top or alongside other eNodeB antenna installations. The IGM-1100o Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) capability makes rooftop deployment much simpler than over coax.
    • IGM-1100x (external antenna support): Designed for scenarios with a pre-existing GPS antenna and associated cabling, or when an indoor installation is unrealistic, IGM-1100x provides very quick and low-cost deployment of a PTP 1588 master by connecting to the existing cable via a simple cable installation to a telecom cabinet or hut. The IGM-1100x is the ideal solution for IEEE 1588 deployments of up to 16 clients with existing GPS antennas, with the TimeProvider 2700 supporting up to 128 clients.

    The entire IGM portfolio leverages the same software, delivering consistent behavior and capabilities for each form factor.

    “With increased smartphone usage worldwide, operators must leverage their spectrum more efficiently to enable more network coverage and capacity,” said David Chambers, founder of ThinkSmallCell. “Although network strategies vary widely — ranging from small cells, distributed antenna systems (DASs), spectrum re-farming, cloud RAN, eNodeBs and carrier Wi-Fi  coordination and interference mitigation within these heterogeneous networks are key to enabling new services, and this implies precise timing. Microsemi has understood that a portfolio of flexible solutions is essential, so operators can deploy the right timing solutions for their specific network architectures. Microsemi’s expanded IGM product portfolio is good news for operators and for the mobile industry.”

    According to market research firm Infonetics, the first nine months of 2015 were marked by increasing small-cell rollouts all over the world and continue to point to double-digit growth. The firm expects the total small-cell market to hit $2.2 billion in 2019 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20 percent.

    The IGM product portfolio is part of Microsemi’s broad portfolio for LTE Advanced deployment, which includes:

    • TimePictra,  a modular web-based synchronization management system that scales and evolves with operational requirements, monitoring the IGM family as well as other Microsemi IEEE 1588 Grand Masters;
    • Indoor managed PoE midspans, which allow upgrading the network to support PoE with virtually no downtime. The family includes products with port densities of up to 24 ports and 60 watts per port, to power small cells and the IGM-1100i; and
    • Outdoor PoE switches, hubs, midspans and surge protectors, a complete outdoor PoE portfolio, essential for the deployment of the IGM-1100o.

  • u‑blox 8 provides GPS/GLONASS receiver platform for low-power devices

     

    u-blox has released the u‑blox 8 GPS/GLONASS receiver platform. It complements the u-blox GNSS platform portfolio by addressing power sensitive usage, whereas the existing u-blox M8 platform continues to serve applications where navigation performance and highest accuracy are paramount.

    u-blox 8 offers significant improvements, compared with its predecessor u-blox 7. The tracking sensitivity has been increased by 4 dBm, and is now -166 dBm.

    The enhanced odometer functionality, a new geofencing feature, and optimized preset power save modes can halve the power requirements for sport products. Free-of-charge AssistNow for boosting GNSS acquisition performance, which is available online, offline or as an autonomous service, has been improved. It also makes the new positioning platform ideal for all battery powered devices, especially wearables and sports tracking.

    “Nowadays many portable applications rely on a single coin battery; hence low power-spending is crucial,” said Uffe Pless, Product Marketing and Positioning, u‑blox. “u‑blox 8 has been developed for wearables and tracking applications, keeping in mind the need for low power consumption without compromising performance.”

    u‑blox 8 is pin-compatible with u‑blox 7. It will be available as a chip and as modules in several form factors. Customer samples of u‑blox 8 chips and modules will be available by Q2 2016.