Neil Gerein, segment manager of defense and NAVWAR for NovAtel, talks about the company’s newest antenna technology at ION GNSS+ 2015 in Tampa, Fla. Learn about NovAtel’s receiver technology and SPAN technology, which were also presented at the show.
Tag: NovAtel
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ION GNSS+ 2015: NovAtel presents latest SPAN technology
Neil Gerein, segment manager of defense and NAVWAR for NovAtel, reviews NovAtel’s SPAN technology at ION GNSS+ 2015. Learn about NovAtel’s receiver technology and antenna technology by clicking on the links.
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ION GNSS+ 2015: NovAtel showcases latest receivers
Neil Gerein, segment manager of defense and NAVWAR for NovAtel, explains NovAtel’s latest receiver technology at ION GNSS+ 2015 in Tampa, Fla. Learn about NovAtel’s SPAN technology and antenna technology, which was also showcased at the event.
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NovAtel to Develop WAAS G-III—Galileo Reference Receiver for FAA
NovAtel’s WAAS G-III—Galileo Reference Receiver. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and NovAtel have exercised a bilateral option to produce a Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) G-III—Galileo prototype receiver. Maintaining core NovAtel WAAS G-III functionality for GPS and SBAS signal processing, the new receiver will operate in the WAAS reference station test environment to facilitate research on multiple GNSS constellation utilization.
The prototype receiver will also add functionality to support tracking and demodulating associated navigation data for Galileo satellites including:
- Galileo E1 and E5a tracking
- Ephemeris and almanac reporting/processing from E1 or E5a
- Automatic channel assignments
- Time solution computed from Galileo
- Correlator information for signal deformation on Galileo signals
The WAAS G-III—Galileo prototype receiver will be developed on NovAtel’s existing WAAS G-III receiver hardware and application software, and delivered as a field-loadable firmware package. The WAAS G-III—Galileo receiver will not be qualified to DO-178B Level D as part of this contract.
NovAtel’s WAAS G-III reference receiver platform was designed with expandability and multi-GNSS SBAS evolution in mind, and can be customized to meet the needs of individual satellite networks. NovAtel has already delivered G-III based reference receivers to several programs worldwide, including the WAAS G-III receiver (US WAAS, FAA), IRIMS G-III receiver (India IRNSS, ISRO), and QZSS G-III receiver (Japan QZSS, NEC) variants.
The company’s reference receivers and uplink station equipment have been a central element of the U.S. WAAS since its inception. The WAAS third-generation reference receiver (G-III) uses fully updated hardware, and tracks all GPS signals including the legacy GPS L1 C/A, L2P(Y) (semi-codeless), and the modernized L2C, L5, L1C signals as well as the WAAS L1 C/A and L5 signals.
The WAAS G-III reference receiver provides a rich set of range measurement data, signal integrity metrics, and logs for processing by the system’s data communication processor, NovAtel said. The WAAS G-III – Galileo prototype receiver is the first G-III platform evolution for the FAA, an important step towards possible GPS + Galileo dual-GNSS SBAS operations in the future.
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August Product Showcase
Consumer
Outdoor Recreation Handheld
Garmin’s eTrex Touch 25, 35 and 35t outdoor handhelds have an updated user interface and 2.6-inch capacitive touchscreen display. The eTrex Touch series also features activity profiles for navigation for multiple activities and an enhanced track manager to start and stop recording.
The eTrex Touch series has a high-sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver with GLONASS support and HotFix satellite prediction to locate users’ position quickly and precisely, even in heavy cover and deep canyons. All units have a three-axis tilt-compensated electronic compass, which gives directional information even when standing still. The eTrex 35 and 35t also have a barometric altimeter to get more accurate altitude, elevation and climb information, as well as indications of weather changes.
Garmin, www.garmin.com
Fleet ManagementSupervisor App for Fleets
The Supervisor app for the FieldMaster suite of mobile applications allows managers to leave the office and still have visibility into their fleet and mobile workers from their smartphone or tablet, as well as manage day-to-day operations remotely.
FieldMaster Supervisor is available with Trimble Fleet Management and Work Management. Features include viewing the team’s locations on a map; seeing their job progress, including tasks at risk; finding the nearest worker to another team member or customer; turn-by-turn navigation; inspecting job performance and documenting status in the field; and receiving vehicle and driver performance alerts in real-time.
Trimble, www.trimble.com
Defense
SAASM Receiver
NovAtel’s SPAN GNSS/INS technology is now available on the company’s OEM625S dual-frequency SAASM GPS plus civil RTK receiver. SPAN offers system developers with SAASM requirements the benefit of continuously available 3D positioning, velocity and attitude (roll, pitch, yaw) for their defense applications. Authorized defense customers need access to the Precise Positioning Service (PPS) for DOD applications. When keyed, the existing OEM625S board-level receiver provides an RTK PPS solution by taking the raw measurements from an L-3 XFACTOR SAASM and applying them to NovAtel’s RTK algorithm. SPAN technology couples NovAtel’s precision GNSS receivers with robust IMUs to provide a more reliable, stable solution, even during short periods of time when satellite signals are blocked or unavailable.NovAtel, www.novatel.com
Design & Test
Record and Playback with Real Time
The Averna RP-6100 series is an RF tool offering high-performance record-and-playback and real-time simulation in one platform for RF application validation.The RP-6100 can capture all GNSS bands, as well as HD Radio, Wi-Fi, LTE, radar, and cognitive radio — plus impairments — to advance RF projects and harden product designs. It features up to four channels, 160 MHz of recording bandwidth, tight channel synchronization, an extended frequency range of 10 MHz to 6 GHz and 14-bit resolution. The RP-6100 can be equipped with Skydel Solutions’ software-defined, real-time GNSS simulator, which delivers easy setups, integrated maps, dynamic scenario creation, high precision and tight parameter controls to enable highly repeatable simulations of current and future GNSS conditions, as well as corner cases.
Averna, www.averna.com
Mobile
Internet of Things Platform
The AirPrime WP Series of smart wireless modules is designed for the development of connected products. The WP Series provides an integrated device-to-cloud architecture enabling developers to build a Linux-based product using a single module that sends user and product data to the cloud. The AirPrime WP series offers an application processor, GNSS receiver, and cellular modem with an optional ultra-low power mode that reduces power consumption by 200 times, opening up new use-case possibilities for cellular connectivity.
Sierra Wireless, www.sierrawireless.com
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Canadian Army to Test NovAtel GPS Anti-Jam Antenna
NovAtel’s GAJT-AE GPS anti-jam antenna. Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) has selected NovAtel’s GAJT-AE antenna electronics for testing on Canadian Army platforms. The GAJT-AE, developed in Calgary at NovAtel’s global headquarters, is a GPS anti-jam solution suitable for small and weight constrained applications. The testing is being conducted through PWGSC’s Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP).
PWGSC will procure a number of GAJT-AE’s on behalf of the Department of National Defence (DND). The Director Land Requirements (DLR), with the assistance of the Quality Engineering Test Establishment (QETE), will oversee all testing on DND’s behalf. Field testing is expected to take place in the latter half of 2015 at 4th Canadian Division Support Garrison Petawawa.
The testing will analyze the performance of GAJT-AE on Canadian Army equipment in operational conditions to confirm the suitability and robustness of the NovAtel technology for this role. The process is expected to be completed by the end of March 2016.
GAJT is a null-forming technology that negates jammers, ensuring the satellite signals necessary to compute position and time are always available. Three categories of GAJT are manufactured by NovAtel:
- GAJT-710ML: for use with military land vehicles, networks and timing infrastructure
- GAJT-710MS: for marine vessels, from small boats to capital ships
- GAJT-AE: for use with an external antenna in size and weight constrained applications
“NovAtel has had great success working closely with the Canadian Army on the previous round of BCIP,” said Jason Hamilton, NovAtel’s vice president of marketing. “It is essential to have military users test our products in operational scenarios. We look forward to the valuable feedback that the Canadian Army testing of GAJT-AE GPS anti-jam antenna electronics will provide. NovAtel will use this feedback to continue developing products in support of Canada and its Allied partners.”
The BCIP was created by the Government of Canada to strengthen Canadian innovation. The program offers procurement and testing of pre-commercialized products and services, at a late stage of development. The BCIP:
- Bridges the “pre-commercialization gap”
- Supports Canadian suppliers by connecting innovators and government users and by testing innovations
- Provides real-world evaluation of pre-commercial goods and services
- Improves the efficiency and effectiveness of government operations.
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The Business — July 2015
The Business section from the July 2015 issue. Download the PDF.
Includes:
- JAVAD GNSS Launches Remote Assistance and Monitoring Services
- Hemisphere GNSS Debuts Atlas GNSS Correction Service
- OriginGPS Unveils Multi-GNSS Module with Antenna
- NovAtel G-III Reference Receiver Technology Chosen for QZSS
- Briefs
- Events
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SPAN GNSS/INS Now Available on NovAtel’s SAASM Receivers
NovAtel’s OEM625S GNSS board. NovAtel’s SPAN GNSS/INS technology is now available on the company’s OEM625S dual-frequency SAASM GPS plus civil RTK receiver. The addition of SPAN offers system developers with SAASM requirements the benefit of continuously available 3D positioning, velocity and attitude (roll, pitch, yaw) for their U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) applications.
Authorized defense customers need access to the Precise Positioning Service (PPS) for DOD applications. When keyed, the existing OEM625S board level receiver provides an RTK PPS solution by taking the raw measurements from an L-3 XFACTOR SAASM and applying them to NovAtel’s industry leading RTK algorithm. SPAN technology couples NovAtel’s precision GNSS receivers with robust IMUs to provide a more reliable, stable solution, even during short periods of time when satellite signals are blocked or unavailable. The company offers a range of IMU options to meet the accuracy and size requirements for nearly any defense application.
NovAtel’s FlexPak-S enclosure. SPAN technology is also available on NovAtel’s FlexPak-S enclosure, with multiple RS-232/RS422 serial ports for ease of integration.
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NovAtel G-III Reference Receiver Technology Chosen for QZSS
The NovAtel G-III receiver. NovAtel Inc. has entered an agreement with NEC Corporation to supply reference receiver products for use in the Quazi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS). QZSS is Japan’s regional satellite-based augmentation system.
The NovAtel receivers to be used by QZSS are based on the company’s third-generation (G-III) family of reference receivers. Designed for integrity monitoring and reference measurement applications, the receivers track signals independently to provide precise code- and carrier-phase reference measurements as well as signal quality measurements and other integrity monitoring metrics. Housed in a 19-inch rack-mount enclosure with AC power supply and integral cooling fans, the G-III reference receivers provide continuous, reliable operation in a reference station environment, NovAtel said.
The G-III receiver platform has been customized to meet the needs of individual satellite networks. In addition to the QZSS G-III product, NovAtel supplies WAAS G-III reference receivers to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) modernized Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) network and IRNSS G-III reference receivers for the ground control segment of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS).
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NovAtel Offers Marine Antenna that Blocks Inmarsat Interference
GPS-713 pinwheel antenna. NovAtel Inc. has introduced the GPS-713 pinwheel antenna, available in two configurations: the standard GPS-713-GGG-N and the L-Band capable GPS-713-GGGL-N.
Both antennas provide enhanced Inmarsat interference rejection, allowing tracking of GNSS signals in the presence of high-powered Inmarsat transmitters typically found on marine vessels. The antennas receive GPS L1, L2, L5; GLONASS L1, L2, L3; BeiDou B1, B2; and Galileo E1, E5a/b frequencies, optimizing global satellite tracking capabilities. Customers can use either antenna for GPS-only or multi-constellation applications, providing excellent flexibility and reduced equipment costs, NovAtel said.
Designed for baselines of any length and easy installation, the phase center offset of these antennas remains constant as the azimuth and elevation angle of the satellites change. The antenna shares the same form factor as other NovAtel GPS-700 series antennas, and is enclosed in a durable, waterproof housing. Its compact, lightweight size makes it suitable for a wide variety of environments and applications.
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UAV Product Showcase
GNSS Post-Processing UAS
The Bramor RTK GNSS Post-Processing UAS is designed for surveying and remote-sensing applications that need a quick, high-precision set of results down to sub-centimeter level in the absence of a grid of ground control points. It is equipped with C-Astral high-rate GPS and IMU precision data-logging electronics. The system has both air and ground segments, consisting of a GNSS onboard receiver and ground base station. It has an L1 and L2 GNSS reciever (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo-ready), plus a survey-grade antenna.
C-Astral, www.c-astral.com
Aqua Drone for Offshore Missions
The QuestUAV Aqua Pro is designed for offshore/onshore data-gathering in fields such as environmental, gas and oil, coast guard and security. It is a fixed-wing waterproof UAV based on the QuestUAV 200 airframe.
The Aqua Pro is capable of offshore missions and recovery in both fresh- and salt-water environments. It can withstand pressure differentials induced by rapid temperature changes, and overcome complexities of waterproofing/marine-grade electronics, sensors and avionics. It uses a GPS unit from SkyCircuits.
QuestUAV, www.questuav.com
Electronic Warfare System
NovAtel’s GAJT-AE GPS anti-jam technology is designed for military and security weight- and size-constrained airborne and ground unmanned platforms, including UAVs. GAJT-AE provides the null forming antenna control electronics for a four-element controlled reception pattern antenna.
NovAtel, www.novatel.com
High-Accuracy Laser Scans
The Riegl RiCopter is an unmanned multirotor UAS, integrating a high-performance and complete LiDAR system, the RIEGL VUX-SYS. The VUX-SYS comprises the VUX-1 LiDAR sensor, the Applanix AP20 IMU/GNSS system, a control unit, and up to four high-resolution cameras.
The Riegl RiCopter can acquire high-accuracy, high-resolution laser scan and image data. The excellent measurement performance of the VUX-1 in combination with a precise fiber-optic gyroscope and GPS/GLONASS receiver results in survey-grade measurement accuracy in fields such as precision farming, forestry and mining. The IMU/GNSS unit provides roll and pitch accuracy of 0.015 degrees and heading accuracy of 0.035 degrees. Riegl is a maker of laser scanners, and using a high-end unmanned airborne platform allows data acquisition in dangerous and hard-to-reach areas.
Riegl, www.riegl.com
Survey-Grade Mapping Drone
The eBee RTK by senseFly is a fully autonomous survey-grade mapping drone with a built-in L1/L2 GNSS receiver capable of receiving corrections from most leading brands of base station. This ensures high positional accuracy without the need for ground control points, so the aerial photography can produce orthomosaics and 3D models with accuracy down to 3 centimeters. It has 226 channels and tracks GPS L1, L2, L2C; GLONASS L1, L2, L2C; and SBAS.
Sensefly, www.sensefly.com
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NovAtel Showcases FlexPak6, FlexPak-S Receivers
At Unmanned Systems 2015, held May 4-7 in Atlanta, NovAtel’s Peter Soar talks about the company’s FlexPak6 receiver that houses its OEM628 triple-frequency plus L-Band GNSS receiver board. It has a highly configurable interface to ensure precise positioning for UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) applications. Soar explains that its “sister unit,” the FlexPak-S, contains a real time kinematic (RTK) GPS receiver with an L-3 XFACTOR Selective Availability Anti Spoofing Module (SAASM). The two receivers are both the same size and fit.