Partnership to bring integrated precision GNSS solutions to automotive and industrial customers
Swift Navigation, a San Francisco-based GNSS firm, and Taoglas, a provider of internet of things (IoT) solutions, have announced a strategic partnership to integrate their technologies to deliver pre-tested, low-risk, high-precision GNSS solutions to a broad customer base.
The Taoglas EDGE RTK Starter Kit has high-precision GNSS with U.S. 4G/3G cellular connectivity. (Photo: Taoglas)
The partnership will provide positioning solutions for automotive, micromobility, delivery, robotic and industrial customers. Specifically, the Taoglas EDGE Locate IoT platform and EDGE RTK Starter Kit now come pre-integrated with Swift’s Skylark precise positioning service.
Bringing pre-integrated, high-accuracy positioning products to these industries in an easy-to-implement solution will greatly improve the accuracy of the positioning data delivered, the companies state.
Together, Swift and Taoglas deliver high-precision GNSS solutions to customers around the globe by utilizing Taoglas’ IoT platforms and Swift’s Skylark seamless, cloud-based corrections — available in advanced SSR (state space representation) or industry-standard formats. The pre-integration allows customers to bypass module-level validation, integration and engineering efforts with an out-of-the-box solution.
“Swift Navigation is excited to begin this partnership with Taoglas and align our visions of making accurate positioning easily accessible across industries,” said Swift CEO Timothy Harris. “We look forward to offering our products as an integrated solution to make it easier for customers across the globe to benefit from affordable and accurate positioning.”
“We are delighted to be partnering with Swift Navigation to enable companies to overcome the challenges of delivering their high-precision positioning-based IoT solutions.,” said Ronan Quinlan, co-founder and joint CEO of Taoglas. “Our worldwide team of design, development, test and manufacturing engineers is dedicated to delivering IoT software and hardware solutions on time, the first time, for leading technology enterprises.”
Additional products will soon be available from Swift, Taoglas and their channel partners. Customers have the ability to pre-order now by contacting [email protected] or [email protected].
Taoglas announced its smallest 9-in-1 combination antenna with dual-band GNSS and high-performance 5G/4G, the Taoglas MA990 Guardian.
Taoglas made the announcement at Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2022, which takes place Feb. 28–March 3; Taoglas is exhibiting at booth #5E32.
The Taoglas MA990 Guardian antenna is a small 9-in-1 combination antenna with dual-band GNSS (L1/L2) and globally supported cellular (5G/4G). It has been designed to support emerging market demand for modules that cover specific 5G/4G bands.
For example, two of its eight cellular MIMO antennas cover from 600 to 6,000 MHz, while another two are optimized for 3,000 to 6,000 MHz to cover high-band 5G and C-band/CBRS applications. The product is designed to operate on all carrier networks globally and is future-proofed to work with latest 5G routers in the market.
Housed in a low-profile, robust, IP67-rated waterproof, adhesive-mount external enclosure, the MA990 is designed for space-constrained, mission-critical applications, including asset and vehicle tracking, first- responder vehicles and high-definition video sources such as surveillance cameras.
The Taoglas MA990 also is highly customizable, including for any variation of antennas below 9-in-1 and the addition of Wi-Fi/single-band GNSS.
The Cowboy e-bike solution provides riders with high-performance, real-time GNSS accuracy, enabling them to map their own paths and those of the cities they live in.
The Cowboy e-bike uses smart road-companion applications to ensure riders get precise information, regardless of the route they travel. The positioning component uses Taoglas’ Accura GVLB258.A, a multi-band GNSS L1/L5, high-performance stacked patch antenna, in conjunction with u-blox’s SAM-M8Q GNSS positioning module. The combination allows for extremely low power and high accuracy.
The solutions works with “micromobility” services offered by Cowboy, such as Easy Rider for theft detection, bike insurance, and crash detection notifications.
There’s strength in numbers. That’s why antenna systems are increasingly upgrading from single-input/single-output (SISO) architectures to multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO).
Whether it’s military communications, public safety, smart meters or smartphones, more antenna elements increase channel capacity, reduce transmitting power and increase resistance to multipath fading.
But the smaller the device, the more challenging MIMO becomes from a design perspective, such as providing ample isolation between each antenna element.
The Pantheon MA750 antenna. (Photo: Taoglas)
That’s key for ensuring that they don’t interfere with one another, which would reduce channel capacity and system performance. For example, the Taoglas Pantheon MA750 is just 85.7 mm tall, with a 145.6 mm diameter, yet its five antennas have 20 dB+ of isolation.
Three additional key features to look for are high radiation efficiency, low envelope correlation and a built-in ground plane, which provides the flexibility to mount the antenna on metal or plastic without affecting performance.
For applications with long cable runs, such as 10 m, low-loss cables are critical for ensuring that a MIMO antenna can establish and maintain a reliable connection. If the antenna is likely to get wet or struck, it is best to use models with IP67 housings made with ultra-durable materials, such as Wonderloy PC-540 PC/ABS alloy.
Enova Robotics makes security robots. “At Enova Robotics, we know reliability is imperative when you are in the business of security and surveillance. That’s why we chose to work with Taoglas and chose their Pantheon MA750 for our PGuard Robot,” said Ahmed Dimassi, production and supply manager, Enova. “This unique antenna delivers powerful MIMO antenna technology, and we knew we could rely on their team to reduce the risks and time associated with integrating it into our technology.”
Every ounce counts on a drone. While a larger ground plane on a GNSS patch antenna improves its performance, the additional size increases weight — an unacceptable tradeoff.
The antenna’s location on the drone is another factor. It must be distant from motors and other electronic components that generate interference, which undermines positional accuracy. But remote locations are often off-limits because the antenna’s weight in those spots would disrupt the delicate balance drones require.
Drone-maker Parrot took these factors into consideration when choosing a GNSS antenna for its ANAFI USA drone. Although it weighs just 500 grams, ANAFI USA is designed to operate in winds up to 53 km/h.
To meet these challenges, Parrot chose the Taoglas DSGP.1575.15.4.A.02, a passive patch antenna that supports GPS L1 and Galileo E1. At 3.3 grams and 4 mm high, with a 15-mm2 footprint, the DSGP.1575 is designed for ultra-compact devices.
Key customers
High GNSS accuracy and reliability are critical for Parrot customers such as the French military, which recently ordered 300 ANAFI USA drones for reconnaissance and intelligence missions by its conventional and special forces.
Manufactured in the United States, ANAFI USA has also been selected by U.S. federal government partner organizations as part of the Blue sUAS project — the only UAV from a non-American drone manufacturer to be commercialized on the GSA Schedule, the buying platform of the U.S. military and civilian government agencies.
Police departments, federal agencies and firefighters in the United States and other countries also use ANAFI USA. The drone is also used for surveying, inspection and other commercial enterprises.
Tuned on a 50×50 mm ground plane, the DSGP.1575 operates at 1575.42 MHz with a 2.59 dBi gain. It uses ceramic materials — suitable for UAV applications because drones spend most of their time flying parallel with the horizon, a position in which ceramic antennas collect sufficient GNSS signals to meet performance requirements.
The DSGP.1575’s light weight and energy efficiency enable the ANAFI USA to carry bigger payloads and fly longer, up to 32 minutes compared to the consumer model’s 25 minutes.
“We chose Taoglas because of the quality of their antennas and their ability to tune an existing antenna in the mechanics of the product and to make it on a large scale for mass production,” said Meryam Abou El Anouar, Parrot technical leader for RF and Connectivity. “They are also known for their great experience with the GNSS propagation specificities as multipaths, so that is helpful when you try to achieve good GNSS accuracy.”
Taoglas provided Parrot with design and testing support in its design centers, as well as making regular visits to Parrot’s facility in Paris.
“Our engineering team managed to carry out tests at antenna and system levels,” said Baha Badran, Taoglas Global Antenna Technology director. “This includes passive antenna testing, in-chamber active antenna testing and GPS field testing of the drone. Each of these tests was carried out to ensure optimum GPS system performance was achieved, to give the highest possible positional accuracy for such an application.”
The support also helped Parrot minimize the cost and lead time for bringing the ANAFI USA to market.
Antenna development, going all the way back to the first antennas, has been one of continuous innovation,” Richard Langley wrote in our September issue. Even after more than 30 years of GNSS technology development, he pointed out, GNSS antenna development continues.
His statement is borne out by the responses submitted by manufacturers of GNSS antennas to four questions we posed to them:
What specific challenges are your antennas designed to address?
Over the past three years and the next three years, what have been/will be your key innovations?
How are advances in real-time kinematic (RTK) and precise point positioning (PPP) changing requirements for GNSS antennas?
What technical challenges or industry trends do you find most interesting or noteworthy?
The responses display a wide range of antenna designs for a wide range of applications. They show how manufacturers must constantly balance requirements for positioning accuracy, form factor, interference management and cost. For the GNSS user segment, antennas are the first link in the processing chain and the first line of defense against jamming, spoofing, multipath and, increasingly, adjacent band interference. Antenna designers are also challenged by the growing adoption and sophistication of RTK, PPP and similar technologies. All these variables, challenges and scenarios are reasons for the constant evolution of GNSS antennas.
Finally, it is not always obvious whether a device should be classified as a receiver or an antenna. For example, what Harxon calls a “smart antenna” others might call a receiver.
Specific challenges
NovAtel antennas enable exceptional tracking for multi-constellation precision and are packaged for practical use in the field. Our antennas are designed to be the first link in the processing chain to deliver centimeter-level precision in harsh operating environments and applications, including contested or crowded RF environments through our CRPA antennas.
Key innovations
Over the past three years, we have focused on multi-frequency support and simultaneous L-band reception (seen in the NovAtel GNSS-850) to provide exceptional positioning solutions and support future technology like RTK From the Sky. Optimized to work with OEM7 receivers, NovAtel antennas leverage patented multi-point feeding networks to providΩe symmetric radiation patterns across all frequencies for excellent multipath rejection and minimal phase-center variation and offset. In the next three years, we expect to further reduce the size of antennas needed in a resilient high-precision solution. At the same time, we are continuing to improve robustness to adjacent band interference. We work to optimize the full GNSS ecosystem, from the signal in space reaching the antenna, to the final position, velocity and time (PVT) solution exiting the receiver.
Anechoic chamber testing. (Photo: NovAtel)
Advances in RTK and PPP
Advances in corrections expose measurements from low-quality antennas. You need an antenna with sub-millimeter phase-center variation (PCV) accuracy and stability on par with the algorithms delivering centimeter-level solutions. When the processing chain eliminates errors down to the centimeter level (or less), you must avoid adding errors from unstable phase centers, for example.
Technical challenges and industry trends
A difficult challenge facing the antenna industry is the commercial demand to reduce the size and weight of antennas while maintaining functionality and performance. The industry will need to continue balancing between size and performance while producing innovative GNSS antenna solutions integrated with other technologies, for example with anti-jam capabilities.
Harxon
With Leo Wang, Product Technical Director
Specific challenges
The design of Harxon’s GNSS antennas aims to achieve a perfect balance between easy integration with RTK solutions and the ultimate product performance by meticulously dealing with wideband, positioning accuracy, form factor, and interference management.
Key innovations
Over the past three years, our signature antenna innovation is our 4-in-1 X-Survey HX-CSX100A multifunctional GNSS antenna, which integrates a GNSS antenna, 4G, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi in one compact enclosure. This multifunctional antenna simplifies receiver integration into an RTK solution and facilitates industry development. In the next three years, Harxon looks forward to more breakthroughs in positioning technology and delivering pragmatic innovations.
Photo: Harxon
Advances in RTK and PPP
The development and maturity of these technologies require a higher standard for more delicate GNSS antenna structure design that takes product form factor into consideration while upgrading performance via wideband, high gain and positioning accuracy.
Technical challenges and industry trends
The 5G era has arrived, and the application of 5G technology for the internet of things (IoT) is extensive. China has also proposed the integration of 5G technology and BeiDou. We believe that, in the next few decades, GNSS positioning and 5G technology will be widely applied in the IoT industry and create huge benefits.
Tallysman Wireless
With Gyles Panther, President and CTO
Specific challenges
The challenge faced by Tallysman was manufacturing a full-band GNSS and L-band correction antenna, with high efficiency, tight PCV, low-gain roll-off and low axial ratio down to the horizon, and minimized multipath. Plus, a narrowly filtered low noise amplifier (LNA) to mitigate interference, all in the smallest possible package.
Key innovations
Over the past three years, Tallysman has released the VeraChoke, helical and VeroStar lines. The VeraChoke serves the geodetic and survey reference station markets with PCV and full-band GNSS coverage.
Our helical GNSS and Iridium antennas are lightweight, compact and robust. They provide a precise phase center and radically reduced dependence on a ground plane because of their differential mode of operation. Their exceptional low weight makes them an excellent choice for copter-style UAVs.
Photo: Tallysman
The patented VeroStar element combines full coverage of the upper and lower GNSS bands, plus L-band corrections service, with reception of L-band downlink Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) signals and exceptional low elevation angle reception. It is rugged, compact and lightweight — ideal for land and marine rover applications. It also provides minimal and symmetric PCV with outstanding all-around performance.
Advances in RTK and PPP
Both correction systems require rover receivers to phase-lock on low-amplitude GNSS satellite signal carriers, and both are hugely dependent upon the GNSS antenna. The corrections are critical for precision agriculture and land survey applications. Our precision antennas are specifically designed to minimize phase-lock loop (PLL) cycle slips.
Technical challenges and industry trends
Interference, accidental or intentional, is a major challenge and threat to GNSS, particularly from encroaching L-band 5G cellular systems. Tallysman offers tightly filtered LNAs and single-band omnidirectional anti-jam antennas with a deep null at low elevations. We plan to introduce a new multiband omnidirectional antijam antenna in the second quarter of 2021.
Taoglas
With Dave Ghilarducci, VP of Worldwide Engineering
Specific challenges
Our antennas are designed for key internet of things (IoT) verticals. Our high-precision, multi-band GNSS antennas offer centimeter-level positioning and timing accuracy for applications where small size and high performance are required. We address the industry’s most compact form factors with out-of-band rejection for operation near transmitters.
Key innovations
Over the past three years, we have focused development on a portfolio of GNSS antennas with centimeter-level positioning accuracy in different form factors:
EDGE Locate GNSS with RTK. (Photo: Taoglas)
lighter, more robust antennas through our patent-pending Terrablast-based products (the GGBTP.35); which are impact resistant and 35% lighter than traditional ceramic patches
high-rejection internal patch modules for rejection for OEM integrations (AGGBP.SL and AGGBP.SLS series)
surface-mount active patch antennas with embedded active circuitry for easier integration (ASGGB Simplicity series)
off-the-shelf module with an integrated multi-band RTK antenna, electronics and receiver technology for ease of integration.
Over the next three years, we expect to expand our portfolio and support additional bands like E6, L6 and the L-band correction band. Plus, we are working with the European Space Agency to design IoT devices with integrated high-precision RTK and GNSS technologies.
Advances in RTK and PPP
Expansion of RTK, PPP and similar technologies into new domains has demanded better performance from mainline and OEM antennas. These correction technologies stress antenna gain and polarization purity to maximize signal strength. We address these issues in our integrated designs to mitigate multipath errors and maximize ease of integration.
Technical challenges and industry trends
The release of lower-cost multi-band receivers and modules could be the most significant shift the GNSS industry has seen in the last decade. This innovation is already expanding applications and challenging suppliers to provide better performance for size, weight and cost.
Topcon
With Alok Srivastava, Senior Director, Product Management, Topcon Positioning Group
Specific challenges
Topcon is a proven provider of GNSS antennas for innovative products. Our GNSS product portfolio offers antennas with excellent multipath mitigation, near-band interference rejection, and quality signal tracking from zenith to the horizon. We strive to provide affordable solutions for our geodetic, machine control and agricultural customers.
Key innovations
Topcon antenna technology is applied within standalone antennas along with integrated GNSS receivers. Antennas inside our integrated receivers, such as the HiPer HR, are distinctive in supporting Bluetooth and Wi-Fi in a common antenna stack without sacrificing GNSS tracking and positioning performance. These offerings also support compact designs of integrated receivers.
As the number of GNSS constellations expands and new communication methods become available, potential inference from neighboring signals grows with congestion of the RF spectrum. Our standalone antennas, PN-A5 and CR-G5 with cavity filter option, uniquely address these challenges.
In the coming years, antenna technology will need to stay strongly focused on interference rejection and mitigation, lower cost and smaller size. These demands challenge antenna providers to make technical advancements while investing in cost-sensitive manufacturing along with higher testing standards. In this regard, our new antenna test facility in Concordia sulla Secchia, Italy, will soon be offering robotic calibration services.
Advances in RTK and PPP
With increased demand and services available for PPP, Topcon antennas support both GNSS and L-band frequencies, such as in the HiPer VR/HR receivers, and standalone antennas (PG-F1, G5-A1, PN-A5 and CR-G5). As data communications continue to expand beyond L-band and RTK/network RTK, Topcon systems will support them without compromising positioning performance.
Technical challenges and industry trends
As GNSS antennas are one of the integral items within the GNSS system, the significance of delivering a cost-effective and miniaturized solution that provides robust positioning is critical to meeting needs in ever-growing precise positioning markets and applications. Topcon will continue to emphasize innovative antenna products through our research.
Trimble
With Stuart Riley, Vice President of GNSS Technology
Specific challenges
Each application has different requirements. For applications that require the highest position accuracy, the stability of the phase center, multipath mitigation, and the unit-to-unit production consistency are critical.
Some markets require high performance, and often in challenging environments such as high vibration experienced on construction equipment. Other customers require smaller, lower cost antennas and can tolerate a slight accuracy reduction.
The antenna is typically a combination of a passive antenna element with an active low-noise amplifier (LNA). The LNA needs to be carefully designed to remain linear in the presence of in-band jamming while rejecting out-of-band signals.
Key Innovations
For high-precision applications, Trimble first released the Zephyr series of antennas in the late 1990s. This antenna provides excellent phase center stability and unit-to-unit production repeatability; the antenna has exceptional multipath mitigation performance, which is enhanced in the geodetic version.
Since the Zephyr was first introduced, we have added support for additional GNSS systems and RF bands (L1/E1, L2, L5/E5 and L6/E6), transitioned to a RoHS-compliant manufacturing process, improved the LNA performance, developed rugged versions for construction vehicle mounting, and produced a smaller version used in the Trimble R10, R12 and SPS986 GNSS receivers.
More recently, we developed a lower cost high-performance antenna for the Trimble Catalyst software-defined GNSS receiver for Android phones and tablets. We also introduced an antenna in the Nav-900 guidance controller for agriculture that implements a meta-material design.
Looking forward, we will continue to innovate by providing antennas optimized to meet the needs of the markets, including cost, performance and morphology. Enhancements will include novel antenna architectures, production technique improvements, and careful material selection.
Advances in RTK and PPP
Applications for GNSS are expanding to include more non-technical users, and the markets are calling for small, light and low-cost antennas — especially for technologies like PPP and positioning products such as Catalyst. These requirements extend across all arenas, especially in applications served by RTX. The needs must be balanced against increased technical demands stemming from the expansion in GNSS bands supporting new frequencies and signals, including PPP correction data.
Technical challenges and industry trends
The challenges come in balancing seemingly conflicting needs for performance, size, weight and cost for the various applications.
Because Trimble focuses on specific user segments, we can provide antenna solutions that are the best fit for the various applications. For example, an antenna in a handheld device must be small and lightweight; however, on a construction machine, durability takes precedence over size and weight.
A roundup of recent products in the GNSS and inertial positioning industry from the December 2020 issue of GPS World magazine.
OEM
Inertial system
Ready for UAVs, robotics
Photo: Inertial Labs
The INS-DU is a high-performance strapdown inertial navigation system (INS) that determines position, velocity and absolute orientation of a platform it is mounted to. Its dual-antenna u-blox receiver provides 1-cm real-time kinematic (RTK) position from RTCM 3 RTK corrections and supports multiple GNSS constellations. Designed for UAVs, land vehicles and marine vessels, the INS-DU uses a range of aiding data to deliver a highly accurate solution for GNSS-denied environments. It uses a miniAHRS with 3-axes each of precision magnetometers, accelerometers and gyroscopes to provide orientation. It contains algorithms for the motion of robots, autonomous vehicles and antennas.
The high-accuracy tactical-grade STIM277H gyro module and STIM377H inertial measurement unit (IMU) were designed to meet space segment needs. Both have hermetic aluminum enclosures, and all parts are tested for fine and gross leak to conform to MIL-STD-883J, Class H. While a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) product, Sensonor has carried out extensive radiation characterizations. The design is tested for a 20+ years operating life through high-temperature operating life (HTOL) testing. Backwardly compatible with Sensonor’s other IMU and gyro modules, STIM277H and STIM377H are designed for satellite attitude and orbit control systems (AOCS), launchers, portable target acquisition systems, UAV payloads, land navigation systems, turret stabilization, missile stability and GNSS-supported navigation systems.
The AsteRx-m3 family features GPS/GNSS OEM boards optimized for power consumption and ease of integration. An easy-to-integrate design enables short set-up times and faster time-to-market. The AsteRx-m3 offers multi-frequency, multi-constellation positioning combined with Septentrio’s GNSS+ technology while optimizing power. The AsteRx-m3 Pro rover receiver tracks signals from all available GNSS constellations on three frequencies, and operates both in single- and dual-antenna modes. The AsteRx-m3 ProBase is designed to operate as a reference station for RTK and PPP-RTK networks. The AsteRx-m3 Pro+ is a full-feature OEM receiver board flexible enough to fit into any application and to be used either as a rover or a base station in a single- or dual-antenna mode.
New anti-jamming antennas available are the QR200 GPS dual-frequency L1/L2 anti-jamming antenna, the QR201 GNSS multi-frequency band anti-jamming antenna, and the QR202 GNSS multi-frequency band anti-jamming antenna with additional L-band reception (1520–1560 MHz). All models provide robust GPS or GNSS navigation and block intentional jamming and unintentional RF interference timing or 3D positioning. All three are lightweight (230 grams for the QR1xx series and 500 grams for the QR2xx series) with low power consumption (1–1.5W typically, depending on configuration), and can be mounted on any platform (cars, poles, drones, etc.).
The Vision-RTK positioning sensor is a compact centimeter-accurate solution with high reliability and availability in challenging environments. The module integrates two real-time kinematic (RTK) GNSS receivers and visual inertial navigation. Its sensor-fusion algorithm is based on deep integration of GNSS, camera and inertial sensors. Real-time sensor fusion provides centimeter-accurate absolute positioning in any outdoor environment.
Deploying ground control targets on accurately surveyed ground control points (GCP) assures that a UAV lidar survey has been properly executed. UAV lidar surveys are typically undertaken in remote, rural and sometimes hazardous locations where no fixed points are available, such as solid surfaces or concrete features. Routescene’s GCPs are raised from the ground using a mini tripod. A built-in bubble level enables accurate leveling and removes the need for a tribrach. Robustly engineered, the targets stay in position during adverse and windy conditions, reducing the risk of repositioning during a survey. They are covered with highly retro-reflective material to provide high-intensity returns. As a result, the targets are easily identifiable and can be automatically extracted from the geo-referenced point cloud.
The Toughbook A3 Android tablet is aimed at the mobile workforce. It has an outdoor viewable screen and patented rain-touch functionality. With a 10.1-inch screen and 6-foot drop rating, the A3 enables users across industries to tackle tough jobs and critical applications. The Qualcomm SDM660 chipset, which supports BeiDou, Galileo, GLONASS, GPS, BeiDou QZSS and SBAS. 4G LTE Band 14 EM7511 multi carrier mobile broadband with GPS. The tablet has a powerful octa-core processor, an optional integrated barcode reader, an insertable smart card reader and an insertable stylus. The A3 has a 5-foot drop rating and IP65 certification for dust and water resistance.
Veronte Autopilot 1X is a miniaturized avionics system for advanced control of unmanned systems. The control system embeds a suite of sensors and processors with datalink radio, with reduced size and weight. The control system Veronte Autopilot 1X adds fully autonomous control capabilities to any unmanned system for complete operation. The Veronte control system is fully configurable for payload, platform layout, control phases and control channels. It uses real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning and provides cloud connectivity, sense-and-avoid support, electromagnetic interference and vibration isolation.
The Astro commercial drone platform is equipped with Freefly’s multi-band, real-time kinematic (RTK) system, which provides centimeter-level precision with a u-blox F9P GNSS module. The drone is equipped with a 60-megapixel Sony camera. A customized version of Skynode powers each Astro, providing LTE connectivity, an onboard Linux mission computer, and seamless connectivity to Auterion Mission Control and Cloud Suite. The Auterion ecosystem provides robust, secure and scalable drone planning, flight and compliance management solution.
The guidance system AgPilotX for aerial applicators uses three wireless components: a GPS/GNSS lightbar, a hub and an Apple iPad. The smart components run off their own computer, communicating to each other wirelessly. The AgPilotX Smart Lightbar has onboard GPS+GLONASS as well as a GNSS antenna, so there is no need to run an antenna up to the aircraft canopy. The Lightbar logs the data, while a hub connects the switches (swath advance, swath decrement, spray on/off) and peripherals, and an iPad runs the interface software through an Apple App. All logs are saved as unique jobs and can be returned to at any time. The lightbar is not dependent upon the iPad to operate and will continue to work the active job even if you start using a different App or even shut the Apple device completely off.
Insero, inserosolutions.com
Antennas
High accuracy for autonomous vehicles, robotics
The Colosseum X XAHP.50 antenna. (Photo: Taoglas)
Two new active, multiband GNSS antennas are engineered for applications that require critical high-accuracy positioning and timing, including autonomous driving and precision agriculture. The MagmaX2 AA.200 is designed for space- and weight-constrained applications, such as robotic lawnmowers. Embedded versions are also available. It is a low-profile active multiband GNSS magnetic mount antenna for use across most major constellations including GPS (L1/L2/L5), GLONASS (G1/G2/G5), Galileo (E1/E5a/E5b) and BeiDou(B1/B2). The Colosseum X XAHP.50 is a geodetic-quality small-dome antenna suitable for a vehicle roof mount or pole mount. It is engineered to operate with high-precision capabilities on the full GNSS spectrum. Sub meter positional accuracy better than 55 cm is achievable, even without the use of RTK correctional services.
Taoglas has unveiled active, multiband GNSS antennas engineered for applications that require critical high-accuracy positioning and timing, including autonomous driving and precision agriculture. Both the MagmaX2 AA.200 and Colosseum X XAHP.50 add to Taoglas’ high-precision GNSS range.
“Safety standards for autonomous vehicles (UAVs, robotics and vehicles) and precision agriculture is an ever evolving arena,” said Ronan Quinlan, co-CEO and founder of Taoglas. “However, it’s increasingly apparent that high-precision positional accuracy is critical for both. At Taoglas we’re continuously innovating our GNSS antennas to deliver the very best precise location capabilities, but in more lightweight, compact structures, compared to larger counterparts already on the market. We look at the impact the antenna has on the actual positioning performance of your system, not just the antenna itself.”
The MagmaX2 AA.200. (Photo: Taoglas)
The MagmaX2 AA.200 is designed for space and weight constrained applications, such as robotic lawnmowers, Quinlan said. Embedded antenna versions are also available.
The AA.200 is a low-profile active multiband GNSS magnetic mount antenna for use across most major constellations including GPS (L1/L2/L5), GLONASS (G1/G2/G5), Galileo(E1/E5a/E5b) and BeiDou(B1/B2). It exhibits excellent gain and good radiation pattern stability leading to a reliable GPS fix in areas of weaker signal strength.
Positional accuracy better than 60 cm (DRMS) is achievable, even without RTK corrections services. Accurate positioning down to 1.4 cm has been demonstrated with today’s multiband GNSS receivers and RTK services in the field.
The Colosseum X XAHP.50 antenna. (Photo: Taoglas)
The Colosseum X XAHP.50 is a geodetic-quality small-dome antenna suitable for a vehicle roof mount or pole mount. “Every element and aspect of the antenna performance has been optimized during the design of this antenna,” Quinlan said. “This includes many deep interlocking rf parameters for true accurate centimeter-level positioning, compared to legacy meter-only level systems. Phase center variation, group delay, multipath rejection, axial ratio over angle all become critical considerations and performance targets.”
The XAHP.50 is engineered to operate with incredibly high precision capabilities on the full GNSS spectrum. Sub meter positional accuracy better than 55cm (DRMS) is achievable, even without the use of RTK correctional services. This allows the user to achieve higher location accuracy, as well as stability of position tracking in urban environments.
The XAHP.50 has excellent performance across the full bandwidth of the antenna and its design has an even gain across the hemisphere giving excellent, broad axial ratio which in turn makes it resilient to multipath rejection and excellent phase centre stability. Accurate positioning down to 1.4 cm has been demonstrated with today’s multiband GNSS receivers and RTK services in the field.
Antenna Development
“In the design phase we simulate using electromagnetic analysis software and tweak every parameter,” Quinlan said. “Once we are happy with the results, we build our prototypes and test in scientifically controlled chamber and test environments validated by the European Space Agency, with repeatable GNSS signals.
“We then move onto field testing in open-sky conditions and in non-line of sight environments to verify real-world performance with today’s state-of-the-art receiver systems from such leading companies as u-blox and Septentrio.
What’s more, every single antenna coming off our production line goes through strict in-line sensitivity testing to ensure consistent validated performance. We take our commitment to quality and safety very seriously in the coming age of autonomous operation,” Quinlan concluded.
Taoglas, a provider of next-generation internet of things (IoT) solutions, has launched Edge Locate, a GNSS L1/L2/E5 module that combines antenna, RF electronics and receiver technology to deliver reliable centimeter-level positioning.
Taoglas, in partnership with u-blox, created a smart antenna that uses multi-band GNSS technology, providing between 1- to 3-centimeter-level accuracy.
With Edge Locate, manufacturers can quickly and effectively build devices with centimeter-level positioning technology, without having to invest in costly and lengthy RF design, integration and testing processes.
The device features multiband GNSS positioning that can be used in conjunction with cost-effective real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning capability.
Traditionally, most IoT devices use single-band GPS technology, delivering on average 10-meter accuracy with existing GPS modules and antennas, Taoglas said in a press release. This enables location-specific, mission-critical services such as emergency response, smart infrastructure, precision agriculture and microbility mobility applications where precise location provides critical value to the IoT application.
Taoglas can also consult and install the RTK network in any global location for any IoT use case.
“Centimeter-level positioning is absolutely key to the next-generation of IoT enabled applications,” said Ronan Quinlan, Co-CEO of Taoglas. “Take an example from the burgeoning micro-mobility industry. When granting licenses from a trial, the city authorities would like to monitor the riders of e-scooters, ensuring riders are staying off footpaths, or parking in designated areas. The problem is that today’s legacy GPS solutions don’t often know which side of the road a scooter is on. Whereas with our solution, fleet operators can pinpoint within just a few centimeters where a device is located. We do this by working with our customers to enable the whole solution and we make sure it works reliably in real life.”
Edge Locate can greatly accelerate the latest GNSS multiband product launch plans by offering a plug-and-play product that uses a common connector for integration into any electronics device. It also connects directly to the Taoglas Edge board for immediately connectivity options.
Taoglas is exhibiting at Mobile World Congress Americas, Booth 2602 in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Taoglas, a provider of internet of things (IoT) and automotive antenna and RF solutions, completed its acquisition of ThinkWireless Inc., an antenna provider that specializes in the design, development and production of combination antenna systems for the commercial vehicle market.
The ThinkWireless brand will become ThinkWireless, a Taoglas company. ThinkWireless Founder and Chief Executive Officer Argy Petros and Director of RF Technology Pierre Wassom will remain.
“Think Wireless has made a name for itself as a designer and developer of high-quality combination antenna systems with deep roots in the commercial trucking industry, where infotainment services, including good quality of service from satellite and AM/FM radio, weather band and GNSS are crucial,” said Ronan Quinlan, Co-CEO, Taoglas.
“As we continue to explore potential acquisitions to strengthen the Taoglas brand, we were struck by how similar Think Wireless’ approach to antenna design and manufacturing is to our own commitment to excellence,” Quinlan said. “This is a great acquisition for the Taoglas Group as we look to further expand into new, synergistic markets such as the commercial vehicle industry.”
ThinkWireless, headquartered in Coconut Creek, Florida, specializes in the design, development and production of combination antenna systems that incorporate two or more frequency bands, including those for SiriusXM satellite radio, GPS, AM/FM, weather band, DAB, HDTV, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and LTE.
The ThinkWireless facilities will become Taoglas’ ninth design and development center globally, and the third in the U.S., alongside centers in San Diego and Minneapolis.
“Taoglas is well-known as a global brand that delivers the highest-quality antennas and RF solutions to the automotive, IoT and other markets,” Petros said. “Taoglas’ global scale and sales channels are unparalleled and will help grow the reach of ThinkWireless’ solutions in the trucking and commercial vehicle industry around the world.”
The ThinkWireless antennas will be available for purchase on the Taoglas website, through key distribution partners and through Taoglas’ Antenna Builder e-commerce marketplace for custom antennas and cable assemblies.
Taoglas, a provider of IoT and automotive antenna and RF solutions, has introduced its patent-pending Terrablast range of antennas.
The Taoglas Terrablast antenna line is designed for UAVs and transportation. (Photo: Taoglas)
The polymer-based patch antennas are 30 percent lighter than their ceramic counterparts and extremely resistant to fracture upon impact. Terrablast antennas are designed for the automotive and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) markets, where impacts are possible but antenna performance cannot be compromised.
Unlike traditional patch antennas, which are ceramic, Terrablast uses a new class of Taoglas polymer dielectric material composed of glass-reinforced epoxy laminate. The addition of the polymer to the blend makes the antenna extremely lightweight, yet impact resistant, the company said.
The Terrablast antennas are designed to withstand drops, falls and impacts, and are designed for applications such as UAVs, where the antenna’s mechanical robustness following potential impact is critical.
The Terrablast patch antennas are also typically 30-35 percent lighter than traditional patches. In drone applications, where weight over battery life is critical — each gram reduced enhances battery life.
“Taoglas is leading the charge in material science advancement for the antenna industry, and our new Terrablast antennas are the latest innovation we’re introducing to the market,” said Ronan Quinlan, co-CEO and co-founder of Taoglas. “A variety of industries and applications, especially the automotive and drone markets, will benefit from Terrablast’s high-performance capabilities in a lightweight, impact-resistant form factor.”
The first antennas in the Terrablast range are a 25-mm embedded 2.4 GHz patch antenna and a 35-mm embedded GPS patch antenna. The circular polarized design of the 2.4-GHz patch ensures maximum performance for constantly moving mobile applications where the orientation to the transmitter or receiver frequently changes. The antenna weighs 5.6 grams compared to an equivalent ceramic patch of 8.5 grams, providing a weight-saving substitute for ceramic patches in UAV applications.
The 35-mm GPS/GLONASS/BeiDou patch antenna has extremely high efficiency of more than 70 percent across all bands, improving time to first fix. At 10 grams, the 3.5-mm-thick patch is 5.5 grams lighter than typical ceramic GNSS patches.
All Terrablast antennas undergo rigorous temperature, vibration and impact tests, exceed the highest ISO 16750 standards, and are manufactured in Taoglas’ purpose-built facilities in Taiwan and the United States.
Taoglas is launching a new RF Filter division specifically developed for Internet of Things (IoT) and mobile applications.
Taoglas, a provider of IoT and M2M antenna products, made the announcement at at Mobile World Congress Americas this week.
Taoglas aims to provide high-quality, small-form-factor, cost-effective and easy-to-implement RF filters.
The new filter division will feature a range of off-the-shelf filters for a variety of applications, including filters for emerging license-free bands used for IoT, L1/L2 and L1/L5 GNSS applications.
Taoglas can also work with customers to develop custom filter solutions.
“Today’s mobile and IoT applications require high-performance RF filters, in a form factor and cost that makes sense for our customers,” said Dermot O’Shea, co-CEO at Taoglas. “We’ve seen the frustrations our own engineers have had in quickly sourcing reliable components for active antenna and electronic designs. Taoglas is eliminating that frustration with its own filter division, applying the same principles for success that we’ve demonstrated with our antenna business.”
The filters are manufactured in Taoglas’ purpose-built production facilities in Taiwan, and shipped immediately anywhere worldwide. Support is available from any Taoglas location globally. Filters are available through regular Taoglas sales and distribution channels.
