Tag: multi-constellation

Cavli CQM220 5G RedCap Module designed for next-gen IoT applications

Cavli Wireless offers the CQM220 5G RedCap module as a key part of its C-Series portfolio. Built on 3GPP Release 17 standards, the CQM220 brings the benefits of 5G reduced capability (RedCap) technology to internet of things (IoT) applications that require higher data rates, lower latency, and improved efficiency compared to traditional LTE solutions, while maintaining a cost- and power-optimized design.

Cavli Wireless is an end-to-end IoT solutions provider specializing in cellular IoT hardware, connectivity, and software.

For location-centric and mobility-driven use cases, the CQM220 integrates multi-constellation, dual-band GNSS with L1 and L5 support, including GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, NavIC, QZSS and SBAS. Dual-band positioning improves accuracy, reduces multipath interference, and enhances reliability in dense urban environments, industrial corridors, ports, mining zones, and other signal-challenged areas. This advanced GNSS architecture enables consistent, high-precision location awareness for mobile and geographically distributed IoT assets operating in dynamic conditions.

The CQM220 supports data rates of up to 220 Mbps downlink and 120 Mbps uplink under 5G RedCap, with LTE Cat 4 fallback for backward compatibility with 4G networks. This combination enables reliable operation across diverse network environments and ensures seamless migration toward 5G for OEMs and solution providers.

Designed in a compact LGA form factor and additionally offered in an M.2 form factor, the CQM220 provides flexibility for both embedded designs and standardized expansion-slot implementations. The LGA variant measures approximately 28.0 mm x 25.5 mm x 2.7 mm, making it well-suited for compact device architectures while still offering rich peripheral and interface support.

At the core of the CQM220 is an Arm Cortex-A7 processor clocking up to 1.9 GHz, paired with flexible memory configurations and the OpenWrt operating system. This architecture provides a robust platform for developers to build and deploy applications, while Cavli’s SDK enables custom application development directly on the module. By supporting on-module processing, the CQM220 reduces reliance on external microcontrollers, lowers the bill of materials, and simplifies overall system architecture.

The combination of precise GNSS and high-throughput 5G RedCap connectivity enables a new class of performance-driven and monitoring-intensive IoT applications. The CQM220 is well-suited for real-time fleet and asset tracking with continuous telemetry, smart logistics platforms with route optimization and cargo condition monitoring, industrial automation systems that rely on uninterrupted sensor data streams, HD and multi-camera smart surveillance deployments requiring sustained uplink bandwidth, and Industry 4.0 environments where low-latency data exchange and edge intelligence are critical to operational efficiency and predictive maintenance. These capabilities make the module an ideal foundation for solutions that demand both accurate location intelligence and sustained high data performance at scale.

In addition, the availability of the CQM220 in an M.2 form factor makes it an ideal choice for routers, industrial gateways, and customer premises equipment. The standardized M.2 interface enables seamless integration into existing networking hardware platforms, reducing development complexity and accelerating time to market. For industrial gateways, it provides a high-performance 5G RedCap backhaul option to aggregate field device data and securely transmit it to cloud platforms. In enterprise and retail routers, it enables reliable primary or failover WAN connectivity with enhanced throughput. For customer premises equipment in residential, enterprise, or remote deployment scenarios, the M.2 variant supports scalable 5G broadband access with simplified installation, efficient thermal design, and compatibility with modular network architectures.

The module also offers a wide range of interfaces, including USB 2.0, PCIe Gen2, I2C, UART, SPI, SDIO, I2S, ADC, and multiple antenna interfaces for main, diversity, and GNSS. With support for global and regional 5G and LTE bands, the CQM220 is designed for worldwide deployments, enabling OEMs to build a single hardware platform for multiple markets.

February 28, 2026
Orolia’s GNSS simulator to break high-capacity barrier

Image: Orolia

Orolia’s Skydel, its GNSS simulation software, can now generate more than 500 simulated satellite signals. This platform is suitable for GNSS users, experts and manufacturers, as well as users needing a low-Earth-orbit-capable simulation system.

Skydel contains a feature that includes multi-constellation and multi-frequency signal generation, remote control from user-defined scripts, and integrated interference generation.

“With more and more customers simulating multipath and jamming scenarios, and the need for more signals in more applications — even beyond traditional simulators — the need for high capacity has never been greater,” said Pierre-Marie Le Veel, Orolia’s simulation product director. “The Skydel engine opens the possibility for users to escalate to more than 1,000 signals and not be limited by hardware design.”

In addition to generating a high channel and satellite count, Skydel can also produce navigation warfare signals without any additional hardware.

March 9, 2023
Applanix introduces GNSS-inertial platform for mobile mapping
New hardware and software platform provides accuracy, position for land-vehicle system integrators

Photo: Applanix

Applanix, a Trimble Company, has announced the Trimble AP+ Land GNSS-inertial OEM platform for accurate and robust position and orientation for georeferencing sensors and positioning vehicles in land mobile-mapping applications.

The platform enables users to accurately and efficiently track and monitor fleets and produce high-definition (HD) maps and 3D models. It can also serve as a reference solution for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) testing, even in challenging GNSS environments.

The comprehensive Trimble AP+ Land is small enough to integrate into compact mobile-mapping systems. It is compatible with virtually any type of mapping sensor, including single- or multi-lidar systems, video cameras, photogrammetric and panoramic cameras, and similar sensors.

Configurable to meet the mapping, positioning and direct georeferencing (DG) accuracy demands of mapping and positioning applications in challenging GNSS signal environments, the Trimble AP+ Land solution features:
- Applanix IN-Fusion+ GNSS-aided inertial firmware with Trimble ProPoint GNSS positioning technology
- Dual embedded survey-grade GNSS chipsets that can receive multi-frequency and multi-constellation signals
- Dual custom-designed inertial measurement units (IMU)
- Distance measurement indicator (DMI)
- Compact size
- Low power consumption
- Optional RTK and Trimble CenterPoint RTX real-time correction service support
- Full integration and post sales support through the Applanix Global support network
“We have taken the most advanced features of Applanix inertial and Trimble GNSS technology, and packaged them into a powerful compact and versatile solution optimized for mobile mapping and positioning applications,” said Joe Hutton, Applanix’s director of inertial technology, air and land products. “We remain committed to our customers’ success by developing flexible and scalable positioning solutions such as the AP+ Land and more.”

The Trimble AP+ Land OEM solution is supported by the Applanix POSPac MMS post-processing software, which features Trimble CenterPoint RTX post-processing for centimeter-level positioning globally without the need for base stations. These capabilities make it a suitable for integrators to produce a highly efficient land mobile-mapping system.

For lidar integrators, the Trimble AP+ Land OEM is compatible with the POSPac MMS LiDAR QC tools. SLAM technology computes the IMU to lidar boresight misalignment angles and also adjusts the trajectory to achieve the highest level of georeferencing accuracy in the generated point cloud.
February 8, 2022
Global GNSS constellations: Why 2 + 2 equals more than 4
The tremendous benefits of having four complete GNSS constellations

In 2020, with the completion of China’s BeiDou-3 (aka BDS) and Europe’s Galileo, the number of available global navigation satellite system (GNSS) constellations doubled.

Analogously to the addition of GLONASS to GPS a quarter century earlier, but much more so, this sharp increase in the number of available satellites and frequencies greatly improved the precision of satellite-based positioning, the speed of first fix, and the confidence in the results — especially in GNSS-challenged places, such as under thick canopy and in deep urban canyons.

Additionally, this new ability to track three or four GNSS constellations makes the overall positioning solution more resilient to malicious RF interference (jamming and spoofing), to accidental GNSS service disruptions such as Galileo’s one-week service outage in July 2019, and to deliberate withholding of service such as might occur in times of war.

While all this may make little practical difference to a driver needing to know which highway exit to take or to a pedestrian looking for the nearest pharmacy, it is very valuable in high-end applications, such as surveying and construction. In fact, surveyors who have transitioned to using all the available constellations are ecstatic.

This month’s cover story, on the benefits of having four complete GNSS constellations, is in two parts. First, Oliver Montenbruck and Peter Steigenberger discuss “the practical relevance and implications of having four GNSS in parallel for both mass-market and high-end users.” Next, I present the comments of three surveyors and a receiver manufacturer:
- Gavin Schrock, PLS, is a practicing land surveyor, the operator of a cooperative real-time GNSS network in Washington state, and a technology writer
- James Richards is the senior land and utility surveyor at Benchmark Surveys in Venny Bridge, UK
- Choice Sterling is the survey manager at Kiewit Corporation in Federal Way, Washington
- Xiaohua Wen is the CEO and founder of Tersus GNSS, a manufacturer of GNSS surveying receivers based in Australia.
(Satellites from left) GPS: In July 1995, GPS achieved full operational capability (FOC). GLONASS: In December 1995, the (then) Soviet system achieved FOC. BeiDou: On June 23, 2020, China launched the final satellite of the BeiDou-3 constellation. Galileo: The constellation has 21 usable satellites.(Credit: Satellites from public sources; background image: NASA/Chaykovsky Igor/Shutterstock.com)

See also

GNSS today: A four-leaf clover, by Oliver Montenbruck and Peter Steigenberger

How land surveyors grapple with rapid evolution, discussion with surveyor Gavin Schrock

Thoughts from surveying experts

James Richards
Senior Land and Utility surveyor
Benchmark Surveys, Venny Bridge, UK

James Richards, Benchmark Surveys

What kinds of surveying projects do you run?
We run many different types of surveying projects. From small single-story bungalow extensions and redevelopment to development of new home sites of several hundred acres. We cover land, underground utility, and measured-building surveys of any size project, using the latest equipment in total stations, laser scanners, drones, GPS receivers, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electromagnetic location (EML).

How have you transitioned to using multiple constellations?
Ordnance Survey benchmarks in the UK are no longer maintained. Therefore, it has been a must to move forward with the surveying world and use multi-constellation GNSS equipment. We have stayed at the forefront of GNSS receivers, starting with a Topcon GRS1 then moving onto a Trimble R10 and a Topcon HiPer SR. Now, I feel we’ve taken another leap with the Trimble R12i, working in areas where we previously did not even consider using a GNSS receiver.

How does the availability of four complete GNSS constellations, plus two regional ones, benefit your work?
The availability of four complete GNSS constellations and two regional ones gives us more reliability as well as improved position and time accuracy in the data that we receive. It also gives us better coverage over the entire UK, including near buildings and under foliage. The Trimble R12i has 672 available channels, which makes it future-proof to new frequencies and additional space vehicles.

Choice Sterling
Survey manager, Kiewit Corporation
Federal Way, Washington

What kinds of surveying projects do you run?
I am the survey manager on $1–3 billion mega projects, ranging from bridges and highways to tunnels and rail, including a couple of projects for the U.S. Department of Defense.

How have you transitioned to using multiple constellations?
The use of multiple constellations became available as we adopted technologies that could capitalize on their availability. Through the latest hardware and software, we have begun leveraging GNSS to a greater magnitude than we would have just a few years back.

How does the availability of four complete GNSS constellations, plus two regional ones, benefit your work?
Not long ago, the use of GPS for construction staking was an extremely risky proposition given its unreliability, primarily in the vertical component, and lack of confidence in its horizontal accuracy. With residuals exceeding most construction tolerances, GPS was primarily utilized for earthwork or to establish geodetic pairs that could then be traversed to establish control for more precise work. With the utilization of multiple GNSS constellations, we have gained confidence in the accuracy of our results and have started leveraging GPS for construction staking where we were once not willing to take the risk.

Having the ability to leverage GPS under a canopy of trees or against structures or walls has proved invaluable when running traverses or levels, typically enabling us to use a single person rather than a two-person crew. Increased confidence in repeatability and accuracy while using GPS has been a game changer when working on projects where efficiency and cost management are of the greatest importance.

Xiaohua Wen
CEO and Founder, Tersus GNSS

Xiaohua Wen, Tersus GNSS

How have you transitioned to manufacturing multiple-constellation GNSS receivers?
Early in 2016, we produced a GNSS receiver evolution road map to take advantage of GPS/GLONASS modernization, the continuing development of Galileo and QZSS, and the completion of BeiDou-3. In 2019, we released our current GNSS receiver, which has 576 tracking channels and supports all five major GNSS constellations (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou-3 and QZSS) and triple-band broadcasts (GPS L1+L2C+L2P+L5, GLO G1+G2+G3, GAL E1+E5a+E5b, BDS B1+B2a+B2b and QZSS L1+L2C+L5). We expect to release our next generation receiver, with 832 channels, in February 2022. It will support all available constellations (GPS, GLO, GAL, BDS, QZSS, IRNSS/NavIC, SBAS) and all civil signals, including the AltBoc and AceBoc.

How does the availability of four complete GNSS constellations, plus two regional ones, benefit your end users?
The most significant advantage of modern GNSS receivers is their robust high-accuracy performance with the aiding of the new constellations and signals, especially in harsh GNSS environments, such as deep canyons and heavy foliage. It greatly extended the RTK fix capability, and now reliable GNSS RTK fix solutions can be easily achieved in areas where it was impossible to do in the past.

In the past, multipath always has been a problem for RTK GNSS receivers, as it might cause blunder errors. The improved RTK fix reliability based on robust RTK integrity monitoring takes advantage of the redundancy of observations to identify and isolate deteriorated observations and confirm the fixed result. Additionally, RTK achieves RTK fix solutions faster and maintains the RTK fix solutions easier with better accuracy than before.

Compared to the dual-band (L1+L2) of GPS plus GLONASS, the triple-band (and multi-band) can allow long-range RTK capability, which can provide reliable RTK solutions with a remote GNSS base station far from the 20–30 km base and rover separation of the past. It also will provide more confidence in RTK positioning during the coming ionospheric disturbance peak in 2023.
October 18, 2021
Rx Networks TruePoint.io global PPP corrections now quad-constellation

Rx Networks TruePoint.io global precise point positioning (PPP) correction service now provides quad-constellation support.

More mobile devices are integrating multi-constellation GNSS chipsets for better positioning. With quad-constellation expanded multi-constellation support, Rx Networks TruePoint.io global precise point positioning (PPP) correction service unlocks that accuracy, providing global PPP corrections for every major GNSS constellation those chips can track.

TruePoint.io global PPP originally delivered GPS and GLONASS corrections. Now, it also provides corrections for Galileo and BeiDou. Mass-market multi-constellation GNSS chipsets can now augment all their satellite measurements with accuracy and fully leverage their positioning capabilities with quad-constellation support.

Consumer devices now have the potential to achieve 50-cm position accuracy when using Rx Networks services for any of the four GNSS constellations. Other internet of things (IoT) and infrastructure applications that do not require real-time positioning can realize 10-cm accuracy in a variety of environments.

Multi-constellation correction capability ushers in new possibilities and use cases for the connected receiver, according to Rx Networks.

TruePoint.io remains ubiquitous and as flexible as possible to GNSS chipsets using industry standard formats, and is also receptive to custom integration services for unique usage scenarios. By offering PPP and other high accuracy services in a variety of data standards, TruePoint.io empowers telecom providers with a straightforward approach to integrating high- accuracy services that provide more value to their client devices, and propels the development of exciting new use cases.

“With this new expansion of TruePoint.io, applications already serviced by Rx Networks can accelerate their market growth objectives with better accuracy and precision using constellations ideal for target regions,” said Vincent Chen, product manager of Truepoint.io. “Being able to deliver global PPP corrections for GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou also sets the stage for the addition of more constellations like QZSS. Stay tuned.”

June 29, 2021
Geneq offers F100 integrated receiver with multi-touch screen

Geneq Inc.’s new F100 GNSS receiver, an upgrade to the F90, is designed to meet surveyors’ demands for high field performance, flexibility and cost-effectiveness.

The F100 tracks multiple constellations (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou) and can maximize the acquisition and tracking process with all-in-view GNSS frequencies.

Another important feature from the F100 is the 1.45-inch color LCD display with a multi-touch capacitive screen. It has 32GB of internal memory. Its integrated second-generation web user interface control is compatible with all devices and all browsers.

Photo: Geneq

Providing maximum performance for accuracy and real-time measurements, F100 also supports real-time kinematic (RTK) correction services, including the RTX service that can get centimeter-level accuracy without a base station. The F100, with its advanced technology, ensures high performance even in difficult environments such as under heavy canopy.

The F100 has an excellent combination of GNSS, 4G, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi antenna. The innovative F100 has a built-in 5-watt radio that enables an effective baseline of 10 kilometers.

Its shorter charging time and a battery of 13600-mAh capacity enable long hours in the field. Even with its magnesium alloy casing, F100 weighs only 1.5 kg and measures 154 x 154 x 76 millimeters. Mobile field workers will find in this feature an ally to their surveying productivity.

With its integrated high-sensitive E-bubble and new tilt survey algorithm, the F100 becomes a calibration-free GNSS receiver. Immune to magnetic disturbance and free from limitation of tilt angles, the F100 can be used to measure unreachable points.

July 6, 2020
ESA tests 5G positioning with GNSS + UWB drive

News from the European Space Agency

A pair of testbed vehicles went out on the road in Germany to simulate the way we are all likely to be using 5G positioning services in the future. The field test focused on assessing the performance of highly precise hybrid satellite/terrestrial positioning for autonomous vehicles, drones, smart cities and the internet of things (IoT).

The two vehicles were driven for a week around Munich and the surrounding area in a variety of environments, from the open-sky terrain surrounding the German Aerospace Center DLR’s site in Oberpfaffenhofen to the deep urban canyons of the city’s dense Maxverstadt district.

As they drove, they combined a broad range of on-board systems to measure their positions and share them with one another, performing ongoing vehicle-to-vehicle ranging to simulate future 5G operating standards.

The on-board systems included multi-constellation satellite navigation (combining Europe’s Galileo, the U.S. GPS, Russian GLONASS and Chinese BeiDou), incorporating localized high-accuracy correction, and 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and ultra-wideband (UWB) terrestrial wireless broadband communication.

The coming of the next generation of mobile phone networks, 5G, promises much faster, more stable connectivity based on higher bandwidths and frequencies, but the ability to download a full movie in a matter of seconds is only the start. The increased capabilities will also open up a new range of services, many of them based around localization.

From smart traffic management to asset tracking to personalized drone-based delivery, our receivers’ ability to know where they are and share those positions with the wider network will be vital.

Close-up view of Car A with GNSS and LTE antennas. (Photo: ESA)

“The first step required is understanding what the upcoming disruptive applications are, and to identify the potential requirements associated with them,” said Riccardo de Gaudenzi, who leads ESA’s Electrical Department in its Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality.

“For these use cases, positioning and timing are key elements. Therefore positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) aspects, provided via GNSS like Galileo, the terrestrial communication infrastructure and hybridization of technologies, are extremely important.”

The testbed vehicles combined a broad range of on-board systems, including multi-constellation GNSS, incorporating localized high-accuracy correction. (Image: ESA)

Today we rely largely on satellite navigation to determine where we are. But our smartphones quietly blend satnav with other data sources to sharpen the accuracy of their results. That is why, for example, when you turn off your phone’s Wi-Fi receiver, your smartphone will warn you its mapping will become less accurate – it is also using Wi-Fi maps as a reference source.

With 5G, this trend of hybrid positioning will accelerate. Multiple GNSS constellation will be employed to increase accuracy, along with localized correction systems. In addition, the 5G cell network will provide additional corrections to enhance the GNSS localization accuracy and to complement GNSS when satellites are not visible.

This 5G “new radio” positioning accuracy will be enhanced by using steerable antennas on both the base station and the user terminal.

The testbed vehicles combined a broad range of on-board systems, incorporating localized high-accuracy correction and LTE 4G and ultra-wide-band terrestrial wireless broadband communication, to measure their positions and share them with one another and perform ongoing vehicle-to-vehicle ranging to simulate future 5G operating standards. (Image: ESA)

And because positioning performance will have to remain at the same high standard as user receivers move around — whether they be people, cars, shared bikes or drones — additional positioning solutions will also be employed, such as inertial sensors or device-to-device relative positioning.

Areas where ESA is contributing to 3GPP standardisation efforts. (Image: ESA)

Miguel Manteiga Bautista, head of ESA’s GNSS Evolution and Strategy Division in the Agency’s Directorate of Navigation, explains, “For the hybrid positioning field-tests, ESA and its partners set up a collaboration with Deutsche Telecom for use of its 4G network in Munich including relevant information for positioning, and NovAtel, who provided state-of-the-art GNSS equipment and correction services, such as the satellite-based TerraStar-X.”

ESA oversaw this initial field test campaign as part of its 5G GNSS Task Force, coordinated with the European Commission and the European GNSS Agency through the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation in Satellite Navigation.

The field test campaign was undertaken by DLR and the GMV company, with contributions by engineers from NovAtel, u-blox and Deutsche Telekom as well as ESA.

In 2016 the 5G GNSS Task Force within H2020 took the initiative to shape the support of high-accuracy positioning services in 4G and 5G networks, to contribute to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project, 3GPP, worldwide standardisation effort.

These field tests are executed within the GNSS Integration into 5G wireless networks or GINTO5G project. Undertaken through ESA’s European GNSS Evolution Programme, this project is being is executed by a consortium composed by GMV, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB), DLR, u-blox and Telefonica I+D.

Currently, UAB is involved in the thorough processing of all the data gathered during the field test campaign, leading into models and simulation tools and possibly additional field experiments.

This pair of testbed vehicles went out on the road in Germany to simulate the way we are all likely to be using 5G positioning services in the future. (Photo: ESA)

October 1, 2019
OriginGPS multi-constellation module ready for IoT

OriginGPS, maker of small-format GNSS modules and cellular internet of things (IoT) systems, presented new products with customized IoT and GPS demonstrations at Embedded World 2019, Nuremberg, Germany, Feb. 26-28, Hall 3, Booth 3-121.

OriginIoT systems enable developers to rapidly develop IoT products with stackable add-ons, while all data is configured from the cloud, and no additional embedded code or RF knowledge is required.

OriginGPS’ latest release is the multi-constellation ORG1518-MK06 module. It combines low power modes for extended battery life, 8MB built-in Flash memory, AGPS support for extended ephemeris improving position calculation, and UART+I2C or UART+SPI interfaces.

Selectable add-on sensor boards click on the OriginIoT cellular IoT system, offering backward compatibility with 2G, 3G, CAT1 and CAT M. (Image: OriginGPS)

An ultra-sensitive integrated patch antenna easily switches over to an external antenna via an integrated RF switch.

The ORG1518-MK06 is suitable for solutions requiring multiple antenna options, such as automotive aftermarket and agriculture applications.

Addressing the global IoT market with fast data transmission, the OriginIoT NB-IoT/CAT M with 2G fallback will be suited to devices that are battery-powered and transmit data only occasionally, such as parking and agriculture applications, resulting in a very long sensor battery life, typically 10+ years. The new model will be released later this year.

“The new products are based on OriginGPS patented technologies and retain the miniature footprint for which the company has become synonymous,” said Robert van Tilburg, vice president, Global Sales and Business Development, OriginGPS. “We are excited to offer our customers additional features and options to choose from, enabling them to reduce overall solution costs. 2019 is going to be an exciting year with technology advancements facilitating our product offering with more personalized IoT and GNSS products.”

OriginGPS partner Gemalto will also be presenting OriginIoT demos at Hall 3, Booth 3-438. Gemalto’s Cinterion LTE-M module is integrated in the OriginIoT systems to provide 2G, 3G, Cat1, Cat-M and NB-IoT cellular communication.

February 25, 2019
IUGG General Assembly accepting submissions for positioning symposium

Organizers of the 27th IUGG General Assembly, which is set to take place July 8-18 in Montréal, Québec, Canada, are accepting submissions for Symposium G05 — Multi-Signal Positioning, Remote Sensing and Applications. This symposium is one of two organized by IAG Commission 4 and taking place during the event.

The multi-signal positioning symposium will be convened by Marcelo Santos of Canada, and co-conveners will include Australi’s Allison Kealy, Greece’s Vasilis Gikas, Australia’s Jinling Wang and Poland’s Pawel Wielgosz.

The symposium will key in on positioning applications. It will focus on theoretical and practical advancements, as well as innovative applications and architectures for multi-signal positioning, remote sensing and applications. It will also address issues and opportunities coming from multi-constellation signals.

Organizers will accept submissions that address navigation, timing and guidance systems for autonomous vehicles, intelligent transport systems, personal mobility, and other safety and liability critical applications. Abstracts must be submitted via the online submission system by Feb. 18.

January 30, 2019
Geneq debuts multi-constellation GNSS survey receiver

Geneq Inc. has released the F90, a multi-constellation GNSS receiver with a high level of technology integration. The new product is designed to fulfill surveyors’ demands for performance, flexibility and cost-effectiveness.

The F90 tracks multiple constellations (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and Beidou) and can maximize the acquisition and tracking process with all-in-view GNSS satellite frequencies, the company said.

Providing maximum performance for accuracy and real-time measurements, the F90 also supports real-time kinematic correction services, including the RTX service that can achieve centimeter accuracy without a base station.

The F90’s advanced technology ensures a high performance even in harsh environment such as under heavy canopy, Geneq said.

The F90 has an excellent combination of GNSS, 4G, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi antenna. With highly integrated Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 4G network modules, and without affecting accuracy and efficiency, the innovative F90 GNSS receiver is light and small. Even with its magnesium-alloy casing, F90 weighs only 1 kilogram and measures 140 x 157 x 76 millimeters.

With its integrated highly sensitive E-bubble and new tilt survey algorithm, the F90 becomes a calibration-free GNSS receiver, Geneq said. It is immune to magnetic disturbance and free from the limitation of tilt angles so that it can be used to measure inaccessible points.

Equipped with an internal radio, enabling frequency band change from 410 to 470 MHz, the F90 can be used with different radio communication protocols. Another important feature is its integrated second-generation web user interfae control, which is fully compatible with all devices and all browsers.

The user will benefit the F90’s two smart hot swappable Lithium batteries (the same battery used with Geneq’s SXPad 1000P data collector), allowing uninterrupted field work for up to 10 hours.

August 22, 2018
NovAtel launches TerraStar-C PRO correction service

Image: NovAtel

NovAtel Inc. has launched its TerraStar-C PRO correction service with multi-constellation support, including the GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou constellations.

Combined with NovAtel’s OEM7 positioning technology, TerraStar-C PRO cuts initial convergence times by nearly 60 percent and offers 40 percent better horizontal accuracy than the current TerraStar-C service, the company said.

NovAtel’s TerraStar-C PRO offers a robust multi-constellation solution that provides greater positioning accuracy, availability and reliability than before, the company added. With the growing number of operational GNSS satellites, TerraStar-C PRO offers benefits in challenging signal conditions such as multipath, shading, interference and scintillation. High-rate TerraStar-C PRO corrections provide reconvergence in less than 60 seconds following brief GNSS signal interruptions.

According to NovAtel, TerraStar-C PRO corrections are generated using TerraStar’s proprietary global network of more than 100 strategically located GNSS reference stations. The correction data is delivered worldwide through overlapping geostationary satellites directly to a NovAtel receiver or via cellular IP network.

With OEM7 triple L-band support, TerraStar-C PRO correction signals from up to three satellites can be tracked and used simultaneously, providing continuous correction data reception when the primary satellite signal is blocked.

“TerraStar-C PRO enables higher operational efficiency by allowing users to start operations sooner and continue to work through challenging conditions without interruptions,” said Sara Masterson, NovAtel’s positioning services segment manager. “We continue to build our TerraStar portfolio of services and with the addition of TerraStar-C PRO customers can trust that they have not only a highly-reliable precise positioning solution, but also services that immediately translate to increased productivity.”

TerraStar-C PRO is available immediately as a termed subscription service for agriculture, unmanned, airborne and land applications, such as survey, mapping and GIS and supported on compatible OEM7 products with firmware version 7.05 and later.

August 14, 2018
u-blox high-precision GNSS module based on its F9 technology

u-blox, a global provider of leading positioning and wireless communication technologies, has released the ZED-F9P multi-band GNSS module with integrated multi-band real-time kinematics (RTK) technology for machine control, ground robotic vehicles and high-precision unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) applications.

The ZED‑F9P measures 22 x 17 x 2.4 millimeters and uses technology from the recently announced u‑blox F9 platform to deliver robust high-precision positioning performance in seconds.

The u-blox ZED-F9P is a mass market multi-band receiver that concurrently uses GNSS signals from all four GNSS constellations (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou). Combining GNSS signals from multiple frequency bands (L1/L2/L5) and RTK technology lets the ZED‑F9P achieve centimeter-level accuracy in seconds, the company said.

Receiving more satellite signals at any given time maximizes the availability of centimeter-level accuracy even in challenging environments such as in cities.

With its high update rate, the ZED‑F9P is suitable for highly dynamic applications such as UAVs. Featuring on-chip integration of advanced multi-band RTK algorithms, it requires no additional hardware or third-party RTK libraries. Ready to use on delivery and easy to integrate, it helps product developers quickly bring their ideas to the market.

ZED-F9P is fully geared to clearing the three main hurdles that have kept centimeter-level positioning accuracy from breaking into mass-market applications: cost, size and power consumption. Significantly smaller and more energy efficient than existing solutions, and as a cost efficient alternative, the ZED-F9P will enable new high-precision positioning applications for the mass market.

“The new ZED-F9P GNSS receiver builds on the success of our NEO-M8P high-precision GNSS module, but takes performance to another level by leveraging all the available GNSS signals,” said Mårten Ström, senior principal product management, product center positioning at u‑blox. “By making robust and affordable high-precision positioning technology more accessible, we hope to fuel innovation and enable a new generation of high-precision GNSS navigation applications.”

Engineering samples will be available at the end of July.

April 27, 2018