LabSat has launched the LabSat 3 Wideband simulator, which can simultaneously record multiple signals from different constellations.
Small, battery powered and with a removable solid-state disk, LabSat 3 Wideband allows users to quickly gather detailed, real-world satellite data and replay those signals on the bench.
Photo: LabSat
With three channels, a bandwidth of up to 56 MHz and 6-bit sampling, LabSat 3 Wideband can handle almost any combination of constellation and signal that exists today, with plenty of spare capacity for future planned signals.
For example, users can now record GPS L1, L2 and L5 at the same time as GLONASS G1 and G2 and BeiDou B1 and B2.
An interactive bandwidth calculator allows users to see which combinations of constellation and signal can be recorded. Users can also change the bandwidth and bit depth to see how it affects the selection available.
Despite the huge capability of the unit, the LabSat 3 Wideband remains easy to use, retaining the one-touch recording and playback feature.
A removable battery pack gives two hours of use, and the 1-TB solid-state disk drive can be swapped in seconds.
Specifications
Recording bandwidth: 10MHz, 30MHz or 56MHz
Recording resolution: 2, 4 or 6 bits (depending on bandwidth)
The GPSdome anti-jammer was developed for civilian applications. It aims to curb situations in which civilian vehicles are stuck “off the grid.” It combats electromagnetic warfare by using null steering, a method of spatial signal processing through which a transmitter can nullify communication jamming. In particular, the product was developed to address the requirements of autonomous cars, drones and unmanned aerial vehicles, all of which depend heavily on GPS to function. Several carmakers have expressed interest in integrating the anti-jammer in their autonomous cars, including Daimler-Mercedes, Ford, Toyota, Hondand BMW and others.
The Aaronia GPS Logger is a six-parameter datalogger designed for recording the position and orientation of RF antennas (such as the Aaronia HyperLOG X, HyperLOG EMI and Magnotracker series) during field investigations. It also is useful for a wide range of non-RF applications where position and movement logging is required. It has sensors in a very small form factor, with a fast data-capture rate of up to 35 logs/second. The logger with built-in battery is 4 x 1.7 x 0.9 inches and weighs 3 oz. The logger starts up in about 30 seconds and features a 66-channel GPS sensor with built-in antenna, offering a position accuracy of six feet, maximum velocity measurements of up to 350 mph and altitude up to 60,000 feet, with a signal sensitivity of –165 dBm. The logger can be used to create an RF heat map including frequency, direction and strength of an RF source with a 360-degree view. All sensor data can be captured at up to 35 readings per second on to a microSD card or via USB streaming. The real-time indication of data makes the Aaronia GPS logger useful for instantly assessing position-variable information.
For consumer GPS processing and smartphone indoor positioning
Photo: Focal Point Positioning
S-GPS is a smartphone-based sensor fusion, machine learning and signal processing suite designed to provide satellite positioning capabilities in urban environments and indoors. With its multipath-mitigation process, S-GPS improves the performance of existing radio-based positioning systems. The fully software-defined solution is aimed at system-on-chip silicon architecture and smartphone receiver front ends. A software upgrade for existing receivers, it requires no extra hardware, dongles or infrastructure to operate. The computational load of S-GPS is comparable to that of existing GNSS processing. The higher sensitivity of S-GPS allows signal tracking to be maintained in traditionally difficult environments, such as deep indoors, where standard devices would fail. This reduces the time spent in acquisition mode in urban areas, leading to significant improvements in battery life in like-for-like tests with standard A-GPS technologies.
The u-blox LARA-R3121 is a single-mode LTE Category 1 modem and a GNSS positioning engine. It is designed for Internet of Thigns (IoT) applications including smart utility metering, connected health and patient monitoring, smart buildings, security and video surveillance, smart payment and point-of-sale systems, as well as wearable devices, such as action cameras. It comes in a land grid array (LGA) package for easy manufacturing, and offers easy migration from u‑blox LTE, UMTS, CDMA and GSM/GPRS modules.
NTS units can detect difference between real and spoofed signals
Photo: OnTime Networks
OnTime Networks has added advanced anti-spoofing technology to its Blueberry and Cloudberry CM-1600 network time server (NTS) product lines. OnTime Networks’ proprietary anti-spoofing algorithms and technology provide not only an alert that GPS is been spoofed, but also the protection that the GPS timing signal is moved over to a highly stable free-running clock, as long as the detected GPS spoofing attack is in progress. Power grids are particularly vulnerable to spoofing, and are increasingly implementing GPS technology to more accurately meter allocations of electricity across the grid. Being even 10 microseconds off could cause power generators to shut down or get damaged.
The GNSS tracking engine of the K708 OEM board with 496 channels is capable of tracking all working and future constellations. Compared with the K5 series OEM boards, the K708 uses an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip that improves data quality and reduces power consumption. It is designed with strong compatibility and built-in functions, including high-accuracy position, velocity and time (PVT) output, long baseline RTK and reserved webserver service. The K708 is designed for CORS, deformation monitoring systems and related high-accuracy GNSS positioning applications. Signals received include GPS L1 C/A, L2C, L2P, L5; BeiDou B1/B2/B3; GLONASS L1C/A, L1P, L2C/A, L2P; Galileo; and QZSS.
Monitor, manage and evaluate monitoring data, optionally trigger alarms
Photo: Topcon Positioning
The Delta Solutions deformation monitoring system uses several software and hardware components — Delta Link, Delta Log, Delta Watch, Delta Sat and the Topcon MS AXII total station — to provide accurate and reliable monitoring measurements and associated reporting for asset protection. Delta Watch delivers accurate and reliable data in a variety of reporting formats to fit a project’s needs. Data from the total station, GNSS receivers, leveling devices and sensors can be processed and analyzed individually or as a network-adjusted solution. Delta Watch’s optional Delta Sat GNSS processing module allows for stand-alone GNSS monitoring or combined GNSS and total-station network adjustments. Delta Link provides hardware support communication for autonomous operation in the field, managing each power source to maximize system availability, while Delta Log provides an intuitive interface to manage observations, target types and measurement scheduling.
GPS data collector for utilities, mining, forestry, agriculture
Photo: Geneq
The SXPad 1000P is an affordable, rugged handheld GPS data collector specifically designed for mobile GIS users in applications such as water, electric and gas utilities, transportation, mining, agriculture and forestry. The high-performance 1000-MHz device is designed to give professionals the power needed to work with maps and large data sets in the field. It has an IP67 waterproof seal and can survive 5-foot (1.5-meter) drops to concrete. Its 3.7-inch color touchscreen (full VGA) is sharp and is sunlight readable. Standard features include a battery life of more than 10 hours on a charge, 8-GB internal storage, and slots for MicroSD cards and SIM cards as well as Windows Mobile 6.5. The SXPad 1000P also offers a 3.5G cellular modem, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, video capture and a 5-megapixel camera. It is optimized for GPS/GIS field data collection using its 1-to-3-meter accuracy internal GPS receiver or one of Geneq’s high-performance SXBlue GPS receivers for sub-meter and centimeter-level accuracy.
Glean and share insight from big data, internet of things
Esri ArcGIS 10.5 offers next-generation analytics technology by helping organizations glean insight from enterprise data, big data and the Internet of Things (IoT) and share that insight in intuitive ways. It includes improved capabilities for handling large-scale analytics and big data; a drag-and-drop interface that streamlines the creation of spatial analysis through maps, charts and graphs; and collaboration features to connect and analyze information across the enterprise. The new release is powered by Esri ArcGIS Enterprise, a significant evolution of the technology formerly known as ArcGIS for Server. ArcGIS Enterprise has been updated with improved power to process and analyze large, disparate datasets.
Entry-level device for construction, public safety
Photo: Faro
The Faro FocusM 70 is an entry-level laser scanner for construction building information modeling (BIM) and public safety forensics. Features include an IP54 rating for use in high particulate and wet weather, high-dynamic-range imaging, an acquisition speed of almost 500,000 points per second and extended temperature range. Data captured can be used with various third-party software packages. The Faro FocusM 70 is specifically designed for both indoor and outdoor applications that require scanning up to 70 meters and at an accuracy of +/– 3 millimeters.
PingNav ADS-B OUT GNSS navigation unit. Photo: uAvionics
PingNAV is a small, light ADS-B OUT compliant navigation source. ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast) helps aircraft operators sense and avoid possible collisions. ADS-B is mandated by the FAA for all aircraft in the U.S. National Airspace by 2020. PingNAV supports GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and QZSS, and has a battery backup for quicker position initialization. Dual static ports forpressure altimeter readings and integrated security and integrity technologies include receiver autonomous integrity monitoring (RAIM) and satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) to detect and correct errors improving accuracy, reliability and availability.
The Ping200S is a small, light, FCC-approved full range mode C and mode SAutomatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) transponder. At 50 grams, power consumption is low enough to be powered by battery pack for 2 hours, yet is powerful enough to provide visibility to other aircraft and UAVs up to 200 miles away, at which point it implements sense and avoid for drone operations in the national airspace. The ping200S is designed to meet the requirements of TSO-C199 as a Class A Traffic Awareness Beacon System.
Defense-proven to disrupt and neutralize hostile UAVS
Photo: Liteye Systems, Tribalco
The AUDS counter-UAS defense systemhas been field proven to detect, track and defeat malicious and errant unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones. The fully integrated system has achieved TRL-9 status following the successful mission deployment of the AUDS system with the U.S. military. TRL-9 is the highest technology readiness level that a technology system can attain. The AUDS system — developed by Blighter Surveillance Systems, Chess Dynamics and Enterprise Control Systems — can detect a drone six miles (10 kilometers) away using electronic scanning radar. It tracks the UAV using precision infrared and daylight cameras and advanced video tracking software before disrupting the flight using a non-kinetic inhibitor to block the radio signals that control it. The detect, track and defeat process typically takes 8–15 seconds. Using AUDS, the operator can effectively take control of a drone and force a safe landing. The AUDS system works in all weather, day or night, and the disruption is flexible, proportional and operator controlled.
For UAV manufacturers to add flight time, extend battery life
Photo: Texas Instruments Sample build.
Two circuit-based subsystem reference designs can help manufacturers add flight time and extend battery life to quadcopters and other non-military consumer and industrial drones used to deliver packages, provide surveillance or communicate and assist at long distances. The 2S1P Battery Management System (BMS) reference design transforms a drone’s battery pack into a smart diagnostic black box recorder that accurately monitors remaining capacity and protects the Li-Ion battery throughout its entire lifetime. Designers can use the drone BMS reference design to add gauging, protection, balancing and charging capabilities to any existing drone design and improve flight time. A second reference design helps manufacturers create drones with longer flight times and smoother performance. It helps electronic speed controllers achieve the highest possible efficiency with performance for speeds more than 12,000 rpm (> 1.2 kHz electrical) including fast-speed reversal capability for more stable roll movement.
The CMA-5024 GPS landing system sensor meets the requirements for an instrument-flight-rules civil-certified GNSS. The European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) augments GPS to provide an extremely accurate navigation solution that will support all flight operations from en route through localizer performance with vertical guidance (LPV) CAT-l equivalent approach. The CMA-5024 is compliant with and completely supports EGNOS/SBAS, from departure, en-route navigation and all EGNOS/SBAS LPV precision approaches, and complies with published Communication Navigation Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) navigational mandates.
A new variant of Qualcomm’s connected car reference platform uses its gigabit-class Snapdragon X16 LTE modem to help car manufacturers deliver high-speed, high-quality and reliable connectivity for advanced telematics and connected vehicle services. It supports peak download speeds up to 1 Gbps. The reference platform allows carmakers to integrate additional wireless and networking technologies, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy and GNSS, with optional support for dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) and cellular-V2X. The platform includes a module reference design for the Snapdragon X16 LTE modem to help automotive suppliers accelerate development. The reference platform integrates quad-constellation GNSS and 3D dead-reckoning location solutions, and is designed to manage concurrent operation of multiple wireless technologies using the same spectrum frequencies.
RAK equipment records video and tracks GPS coordinates of distressed roads. Photo: RAK
Red Hen Systems Inc. is offering a way to accurately categorize road conditions and linear miles.
The Road Assessment Kit (RAK) can be installed and operated for assessing roads, bridges, curbs, sidewalks, signs and more.
The all-in-one system uses real-time video geotagging with Red Hen’s patented video mapping system, the VMS-333. The VMS-333 connects to a GPS receiver and camera or video recorder to automatically geotag photos, videos and audio notes with GPS coordinates.
The data can then be analyzed in Google Earth with isWhere, Red Hen’s geospatial media mapping software, which provides a track log of the route traversed. Data can also be mapped in Esri ArcMap.
A screenshot of isWhere. Photo: RAK
The survey hardware can be moved from one vehicle to another in 30 minutes or less and is suitable for routine vehicle operation in between annual road surveys.
Using GoPro cameras, the kit can capture up to four views with GPS data points in a single data collect.
The untethered 3D dead-reckoning GNSS module NEO-M8U by u-blox is at the core of Navilock’s new GNSS receiver series for service vehicles. The new portfolio will enable retrofitting of dead-reckoning and untethered dead-reckoning (UDR) technology in any vehicle.
Photo: Navilock
Combining multi-GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo) with an onboard 3D gyro/accelerometer, the untethered dead-reckoning technology improves position accuracy even where GNSS signals are weak or unavailable, such as in urban canyons, tunnels or parking garages. Receivers with a serial MD6 interface can work in an extended voltage range from 5-48 Volt DC.
Applications for Navilock’s new GNSS receiver series include service vehicles from the police, fire departments, emergency physicians, disaster rescue teams and technical aid organizations that require accurate positioning at all times. Operational forces and their control centers must be constantly aware of their location to enable successful completion of any assignment. As a result, physical dangers and even life threats are clearly minimized.
“We have been collaborating for years with u-blox and highly respect the quality and reliability of its products,” says Karsten Reschke, Navilock product manager. “Particularly critical for our product range is the UDR technology that enables reliable and accurate location capability even without satellite navigation signals.”
“We are pleased to be associated with the Navilock brand and the quality and design reliability it represents,” says Andrew Miles, u-blox product manager. “The ease of use and robust packaging of these products perfectly enable the value of UDR in its target applications.”
Launched in 2016, the u-blox NEO-M8U enables reliable positioning even in case of GNSS signal interruptions, jamming, reflected or weak signals, and is independent of any connection to the car, other than power.
The eight new Navilock GNSS receivers will be available in Q1 2017.
Fieldbook F60 from Logic Instrument. Photo: Fieldbook
The new Fieldbook F60 from Logic Instrument is a smartphone designed to optimize the workflow in industrial environments. Logic Instrument is a French manufacturer of professional mobility solutions.
The Fieldbook F60 combines the convenience of a large 6-inch touchscreen, the functionalities of a smartphone and a professional barcode scanner in one device.
Compared to traditional mobile terminals with built-in barcode scanners, the F60 displays 12 times more pixels (720×1280 vs. 240×320), allowing for easier data input and more reading comfort.
The F60 features a built-in Honeywell 1D/2D barcode scanner that scans barcodes quickly adn precisely and with a low failure rate.
The Fieldbook F60 integrates the technologies required to optimize tasks in vertical markets:
4G LTE mobile broadband, NFC, GPS, Wi-Fi, BT BLE
Docking station and user replaceable battery
Drop resistant to 1.2m
High temperature range from -20°C to +60°C
Resistant to the intrusion of liquids and dust (IP67)
Topcon Positioning Group has released a new modular GNSS receiver system, the MR-2. The system combines all current and planned constellation tracking with a comprehensive set of communication interfaces to service any precision application requiring high-performance real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning and heading determination.
Topcon MR-2 GNSS receiver. Photo: Topcon
The MR-2 can perform as a mobile RTK base station, marine navigation receiver, mobile mapping device and as a GNSS receiver for agricultural, industrial, military or construction applications.
“The MR-2 delivers navigation support for a wide-range of applications,” says Jason Hallett, vice president of Topcon global product management. “It is an ideal component for OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) needing a custom, high-accuracy modular design for easy integration.”
“The MR-2 is also designed as a ‘future-proof’ system,” Hallett says, “meaning it tracks all current and planned constellations, making it a smart investment in the expanding GNSS environment.”
The unit housing is water and dust-proof and built to withstand harsh environments with superior vibration and shock tolerances, he adds.
Using Topcon HD2 heading determination technology, the MR-2’s dual antennas compute high-performance heading and inclination determination alongside the RTK positioning engine for precise navigation and guidance applications.
“The MR-2 also provides a variety of communication interfaces such as Ethernet, serial, and CAN, allowing for easy integration into any application,” Hallett says.
The system also offers best-in-class multipath rejection, and using Topcon Quartz Lock Loop technology can operate without disturbances in high-vibration environments.
Emlid has introduced a ruggedized, battery-powered real-time kinematic (RTK) GNSS receiver. The Reach RS enables centimeter-accurate positioning for survey, mapping, agriculture and drones once again changing our perception of the equipment cost.
Photo: Emlid.
With an integrated high-performance dual-feed antenna mounted on a large ground-plane Reach RS is able to reliably track GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS and SBAS satellites.
Reach RS is packed with many connectivity options. Via built-in Wi-Fi it is able to access NTRIP corrections, stream data to the cloud and fetch software updates. In remote areas Reach RS units can communicate via integrated LoRa radios giving you a reliable correction link on distances up to 8 kilometers. Solution data can be accessed over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and RS232. Functionality is extendable even further using the USB OTG. With RTCM and RINEX support Reach RS is a seamless addition to your existing equipment.
Power-efficient processor runs RTK engine with up to 14Hz update rate and can operate as much as 30 hours on a single battery charge. Easy charging over USB will never let you to run out of battery on mission.
Reach RS comes with a ReachView web app that works on any device with a browser and does not require an internet connection. Easily configure settings, correction input and solution output. Record and download RINEX logs, view status, satellite signal strength, captured events and your location on a map. Two gigabytes of internal storage are available for raw data RINEX logs and solution tracks which can be easily accessed from the ReachView app.
With IP67 rating and rugged polycarbonate enclosure Reach RS is ready for outdoor work. The receiver weighs only 700 grams and is just 145 millimeters wide making it one of the smallest and lightest RTK units available.
For laying out GCPs, or other types of survey work two Reach RS units operate together, one in base and another in rover mode. Reach RS is also seamlessly compatible with already-available Reach module — compact and lightweight solution for drones with ability to integrate with autopilots for navigation and cameras for photo geotagging.
The Reach module by Emlid. Photo: Emlid.
Reach RS is available for pre-order for $699 on Emlid’s website, the receivers are now being manufactured and will be shipped in mid-March 2017. Each Reach RS comes with an adapter for the survey pole, a USB cable, an antenna and a carry case.
Emlid designs, manufactures and sells first truly affordable RTK GNSS Reach and Linux autopilot board Navio2. Reach RTK. receiver appeared due to incredibly successful crowdfunding campaign. By combining modern hardware with an open-source RTK engine Emlid opened high-accuracy GNSS for makers and entry-level surveyors by significant reduction of receiver cost. Reach also allowed commercial surveyors to drastically cut the bill on the equipment. Now company continues innovating at affordable RTK market and is focused on broadening the range of its products.
The new edition of Cartographies of Disease: Maps, Mapping, and Medicine from Esri traces the long history of how maps have been used to help unlock the mysteries behind the cause and spread of diseases such as cholera, yellow fever and Ebola. Ebola is the focus of two new chapters.
Cartographies of Disease was first published in 2005 and showed how maps could be used as an important tool for studying both chronic conditions and disease epidemics. It became a must-read for policy makers and others working in public health and medicine.
In this expanded edition, author Tom Koch adds new material to deepen readers’ understanding of medical mapping from the 17th to 21st centuries. The book covers the mapping of diseases and medical conditions such as cholera, yellow fever, typhoid fever, sandfly fever, hernia, lymphoma, arteriosclerotic heart disease, cancer, influenza, AIDS, West Nile virus and Ebola.
“Cartographies of Disease is a book about our confrontations with bacterial and viral agents across history,” Koch wrote in the book’s introduction. “It is also about how maps help us profile those conditions in our attempts to restrict them. Ebola in 2014 reminded us that it’s urgent to understand the conditions that promote disease and the ways we confront them on the ground.”
The book provides a nontechnical narrative and a visual history of mapping’s role in studying what causes disease, understanding where and how diseases spread, and how they can be combated. The illustrations include more than 100 maps and charts, from a pair of 1694 maps of plague locations and containment zones in Bari, Italy, to digital maps of the 2014 Ebola outbreak, created using geographic information system (GIS) technology.
Ebola charted
Ebola is the focus of the two new chapters. In Chapter 13, the international perception of Ebola’s threat is charted and, with it, the fear engendered by the possibility that a local outbreak might become an international pandemic. Perceptions of the disease and reactions to it are mapped using contemporary technologies such as GIS.
Chapter 14 is devoted to the practical issues of mapping an infectious virus like Ebola in developing countries. It describes how the potential for Ebola to spread was initially overlooked and how, in the future, new epidemics might be better contained. Mapping, Koch argues, can help identify disease threats, direct medical assistance when necessary, and educate people—locally and internationally — about new diseases.
Koch is a medical ethicist and gerontologist based in Canada. As an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, he developed a series of teaching labs for medical geography.
Cartographies of Disease: Maps, Mapping, and Medicine, new expanded edition, is now available in print (ISBN: 9781589484672, 412 pages, US$79.99) or as an e-book (ISBN: 9781589484764, 412 pages, US$59.99). The print edition of the book can be obtained from online retailers worldwide, at esri.com/esripress, or by calling 1-800-447-9778.
The e-book edition is available for purchase from online retailers. Outside the United States, visit esri.com/esripressorders for complete ordering options.
EndRun Technologies, a provider of precision time and frequency solutions, announced at the Precision Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications (PTTI) meeting the release of the RTM3205 precision timing module for portable time and frequency applications.
The PTTI meeting is being held Jan. 30-Feb. 2 in Monterey, California.
The RTM3205 precision timing module by EndRun Technologies. Photo: EndRun
The second-generation RTM3205 is optimized for size, weight, and power (SWaP), but can exceed the stability of a standard cesium atomic frequency reference.
The GPS-synchronized RTM3205 is based on EndRun’s Meridian II precision timebase instrument providing a subset of outputs with the same accuracy, stability and ultra-low phase noise. For ultimate performance, EndRun’s innovative real-time ionospheric corrections are available to directly measure and compensate for the ionospheric delay of received GPS signals in real time.
The network-centric RTM3205 provides a dual-gigabit Ethernet interface supporting a high-bandwidth Stratum 1 Network Time Protocol (NTP) server, optional IEEE 1588 — Precision Time Protocol (PTP) grandmaster, and secure management.
“The versatile RTM3205 precision timing module is a consolidation of EndRun’s state-of-the-art time and frequency technologies in a small, thermal efficient module.” said Michael Korreng, senior R&D engineer, EndRun Technologies. “Customers can now easily integrate this high-performance, time and frequency module into portable and tactical systems.”
Key RTM3205 performance specifications with Real-time Ionospheric Corrections and an Ultra-Stable OCXO are:
Time accuracy of <10 nanoseconds RMS to UTC (USNO)
Frequency accuracy better than 4×10-14 (1 day average)
SBG Systems has released a new version of the Ellipse Series, its product line of miniature inertial sensors. The Ellipse has been greatly improved, showing higher performance in attitude measurement while adding the Galileo constellation to its GNSS receiver.
Photo: SBG Systems
After thousands of Ellipse miniature inertial sensors operational on the field, SBG Systems has made major improvements to its Ellipse line of miniature inertial sensors while keeping the same form factor and price level.
Attitude Accuracy Improved by a Factor of Two. With low-noise gyroscopes and new high performance accelerometers providing superior noise level, the accuracy of every Ellipse model has now improved from 0.2° to 0.1° in roll and pitch. In addition, the new accelerometers tolerate very high vibration environments (up to 8 g).
The Ellipse-N model is an all-in-one inertial sensor that embeds a L1 GNSS receiver. Ellipse-N is already compatible with GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou constellations. With the addition of Galileo tracking, Ellipse-N benefits from more satellites, improving the signal robustness in harsh environments.
Ellipse embeds high-quality sensors with a greatly improved long-term stability. Sensors are totally integrated in an IP68 enclosure, resistant to dust and water.
Every Ellipse sensor is tested and calibrated in temperature and dynamics, to ensure constant behavior in every condition. Highly robust, Ellipse are guaranteed for two years. This warranty can be now extended up to five years.
Entry-level Solution for Surveying. The Ellipse Series is extremely powerful for its size. It is an affordable all-in-one solution providing accurate attitude and position for surveying applications, whether they are terrestrial, aerial, or marine.
With its fully backward compatibility design, the new Ellipse series can be used as a drop-in replacement of the previous Ellipse. No specific action is required in terms of mechanical, electrical or software integration. The new Ellipse sensors are available for ordering now.
Tallysman, a manufacturer of high-performance GNSS antennas and related products, has introduced a magnetic-mount triple-band (plus L-band) GNSS antenna, TW7972, and a dual-band antenna, TW7872.
They are designed for precision agriculture, autonomous vehicles, navigation, real-time kinematic (RTK), precise point positioning (PPP), and other applications where precision matters. The ability of the TW7972 to access L-Band correction services extends its utility to a wider range of applications.
The introduction of these antennas is a continuation of Tallysman’s expansion into broader band GNSS antennas. These antennas are the first releases in a line of new enclosures that will be used for additional broadband GNSS solutions.
Photo: Tallysman
The antennas employ Tallysman’s Accutenna technology.
The TW7972 is capable of receiving GPS L1/L2/L5, GLONASS G1/G2/G5, BeiDou B1/B2, Galileo E1/E5a+b and L-band correction services (1164 MHz to 1254 MHz + 1525 MHz to 1606 MHz).
The TW7872 is capable of receiving GPS L1/L2, GLONASS G1/G2, BeiDou B1 and Galileo E1.
The precisely tuned antennas have a tight pre-filter to protect against intermodulation and saturation caused by high-level cellular 700 MHz and other signals.
The antennas provide superior multi-path signal rejection, a linear phase response, and a tight phase-center variation (PCV) at a new economical price point, Tallysman said. The antennas provide comparable or superior performance to higher priced triple- and dual-band GNSS antennas on the market.
The TW7972 and TW7872 are housed in a magnetic-mount, IP67 weather-proof enclosure with pre-tapped screw holes. The antennas can also be ordered without the magnet.
The TW3967 (28-dB gain) and the TW3972E (35-dB gain) are the embedded versions of the TW7972. The TW3867 and TW3872E are the embedded versions of the TW7872. They are available with a wide selection of connectors and custom cable lengths, and can be custom tuned by Tallysman to ensure optimum performance within the customer’s enclosure.
uAvionix Corporation, an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) avionics provider, has developed and is testing a tiny ADS-B transceiver for UAVs.
Weighing less than 1 gram, a dime-sized ADS-B prototype module for drones with transmission power between 0.01-0.25 Watts could provide visibility to any aircraft equipped with ADS-B “IN” avionics from 1 to 10 miles away, and is small enough to integrate directly into professional and consumer-level drones.
uAvionix is working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other partners under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to test the unit, along with other uAvionix products.
uAvionix Ping ADS-B transceiver. Photo: uAvionix
A recent study published in January 2017 by The MITRE Corporation’s Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD) imagined a future of high-traffic densities of drones operating with ADS-B onboard, and then sought to understand the implications of that.
The study suggests that there is a nominal transmission power output between 0.01 and 0.1 Watts that when coupled with limited drone traffic densities can result in a compatible operation with the system as a whole.
“We developed this product to show the world the art of the possible,” said Paul Beard, CEO of uAvionix. “We can’t yet sell this device because the standards that were developed for ADS-B did not take into account the value of air-to-air ADS-B communications between small drones or between small drones and manned aircraft. It’s literally not legal to transmit at these low power outputs. We aim to lead the discussion and development of those standards, and will work with any regulatory body to do so.”
