B: Applications

January 18, 2011

Symmetricom Launches CSAC Product for Precise Timing and Synchronization

After eight years of successful participation in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) chip scale atomic clock (CSAC) initiative, Symmetricom, Inc., announced today (January 18, 2011) the general availability of what it says is the world’s smallest, lowest power atomic oscillator: a 16 cubic-centimeter unit weighing less than 35 grams (about 1.25 ounces) and operating on only 115 milliwatts of 3.3 VDC power.

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By Inside GNSS
January 11, 2011

Topcon and DICKEY-john Form Alliance Around Ag System Development

Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS) and DICKEY-john Corporation, an agricultural systems and machine control manufacturer based in Auburn, Illinois, have formed a strategic relationship in the agriculture industry.

Headquartered in Livermore, California, TPS recently unveiled its System 350 machine control system, which employs the company’s new X30 control console and its AGI-3 receiver for autosteering.

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By Inside GNSS
January 9, 2011

Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System

For the complete story, including figures, graphs, and images, please download the PDF of the article, above.

In satellite navigation, a GNSS receiver must account for several sources of error such as relativistic effects, atmospheric propagation delay, offset of satellite clocks from system time and satellite ephemeris. In order to accurately compute user position, velocity, and time (PVT), these errors need to be predicted/estimated precisely.

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By Inside GNSS
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January 4, 2011

GPS Programs Push Ahead

The GPS program continues progress on several fronts — in space and on the ground.

During fall 2010, the U.S. Air Force and the Raytheon Company team developing the GPS Advanced Control Segment (OCX) successfully carried out an integrated baseline review (IBR) for the next-generation system on schedule.

When completed in 2015 under the current schedule, GPS OCX will deliver control segment enhancements designed to provide secure, accurate and reliable navigation and timing information to military, commercial and civil users.

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By Inside GNSS
December 31, 2010

Handicapping the GNSS Horse Race

Return to "GNSS Year in Review"

We’ve come a long ways from the attitudes of the Cold War environment in which the Global Positioning System and GLONASS programs arose.

But that doesn’t mean that GNSS competition is a thing of the past. Indeed, the second most-read item on the Inside GNSS website during this year was a March 2009 article entired “GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Compass: What GNSS Race? What Competition?”

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By Inside GNSS
December 30, 2010

GPS Directorate Completes Annual AGER Review

The GPS Directorate completed its second Annual GPS Enterprise Review (AGER) on December 17, concluding that the program has achieved major milestones in developing and deploying modernized GPS capabilities.

Col. Bernard Gruber, GPS program director at the Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, led his team through a Defense Acquisition Board (DAB) review chaired by Frank Kendall, deputy undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, and attended by other senior Department of Defense (DoD) officials.

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By Inside GNSS
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December 22, 2010

GMV Will Launch Fully Hosted Software GPS Receiver at Mobile World Congress

GMV will launch the SRX-10, a software GPS receiver for mass-market applications, at this year’s GSMA Mobile World Congress, scheduled February 14–17 in Barcelona, Spain.

As a fully hosted solution, all SRX-10 receiver functions — even signal acquisition and tracking — can be hosted on a general purpose CPU with only the requirement of adding on a low cost RF front-end, according to the company.
The company cites other benefits offered by its new software receiver, particularly its substantial flexibility and upgradeability.

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By Inside GNSS
December 2, 2010

Frank Czopek

SIDEBAR: Frank Czopek’s Compass Points

Frank Czopek and his brothers used to go to the 1970s Detroit version of Craigslist — Trading Times — to buy two or three non-functioning Chevrolet Corvairs (air-cooled rear engine-mounted) cars, at $25 apiece.

They hoped to turn the junkers into a single functioning automobile over a weekend. Unfortunately, the results did not last long; so, the process was repeated often. But they sure had fun!

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By Inside GNSS
November 30, 2010

United States Appeals Courts Disagree on GPS Technology and Privacy Rights

Secret tracking using GPS may be simple, undetectable and cheap — but appeals courts can’t decide if it’s constitutional.

In 1791, when the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, it certainly seemed specific enough for the needs of the time. The new Americans were tired of colonial powers freely searching and seizing, with general warrants that were as full of holes as Swiss cheese.

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By Inside GNSS
November 5, 2010

LMCO Ships GPS III Simulator to Aerospace Corporation, Maintains Program Schedule Lead

The Aerospace Corporation has completed acceptance testing on the GPS III Bus Real Time Simulator (BRTS) from the Lockheed Martin–led team developing the next-generation satellite program, keeping the initiative ahead of schedule.

The BRTS is a specialized piece of test equipment designed to reduce risk and ensure overall mission success for the lifecycle of the GPS III program. The simulator will enable Aerospace Corporation to independently validate GPS III bus flight software for the U.S. Air Force.

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By Inside GNSS
October 30, 2010

Asia Multi-GNSS Demonstration Project Schedules Second Workshop in November

Organizers of an ambitious project in the Asia/Oceania region demonstrating the benefits and opportunities for using multiple GNSS systems are moving ahead in their effort to design and implement a five-year campaign.

The 2nd Asia Oceania Regional Workshop on GNSS will be held in Melbourne, Australia, on November  21–22, in the two days before the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Form (APRSAF) annual meeting in the city.

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By Inside GNSS
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