Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design
Fairfax, Virginia–based defense contractor ArgonST has selected the MTi-G GPS-aided Attitude & Heading Reference System (AHRS) from Xsens Technologies, of Enschede, The Netherlands, to help fill a U.S. government contract for a new generation of reference motion trackers for use on a variety of air and ground vehicles.
By Glen Gibbons
A recently announced partnership between GNSS technology innovator NovAtel, Inc., and Brilliant Telecommunications underscores the profound changes taking place in the precise timing markets.
By Glen Gibbons
Neo FreeRunner (GPS chip, lower left, #3)Okay, they’re really serious about open source.
Mobile device manufacturer Openmoko has announced that it will publish the schematics for the company’s Neo 1973 and Neo FreeRunner mobile phones, further opening its mobile platform to the development community.
u-blox AG, Switzerland, maker of the GPS chip — the u- ANTARIS 4 ATR0635 — used in the Neo FreeRunner, endorsed Openmokos publishing the complete schematics for the GPS chip in the Neo FreeRunner phones.
By Glen Gibbons
ST-NXP Wireless, a new company bringing together key wireless operations of STMicroelectronics and NXP, will begin operations August 2 following completion of a deal announced earlier this year.
Owning thousands of communication and multimedia patents, the new joint venture will bring key technologies for UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System) and for the emerging TD-SCDMA standard, as well as other cellular, multimedia and connectivity capabilities — including WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, FM radio, USB, and UWB (ultra-wideband).
By Glen Gibbons
LV100 Compass
Hemisphere GPS recently introduced two new products: the LV100 GPS Compass Board, an OEM format based on the company’s Crescent Vector technology, and the Air IntelliFlow Dual Rate controller for aerial applications.
Applanix DSS 439 SystemApplanix has launched a dual-camera version of its Digital Sensor System (DSS) 439 RapidOrtho airborne mapping solution and introduced full LIDAR integration options for fixed wing and helicopter installations.
The DSS 439 RapidOrtho DualCam produces a directly georeferenced, four-band ortho-imagery in a single pass, according to the company. The new product offering adds a second DSS camera with a monochromatic charge-coupled device (CCD) array specifically configured to capture near infrared (NIR) imagery.
By Glen Gibbons
SE4150L SiGe Semiconductor, Inc. has released the SE4150L GPS radio receiver featuring dual-antenna input capability for developing GPS products.
Housed in a low profile 4x4millimeter package, the SE4150L RF integrated circuit (RFIC) features a multi-bit output, which improves sensitivity and interference resistance, according to the company. The receiver has a reported system noise figure of 1.0 dB and input third-order intercept performance (IIP3) of better than 0 dBm.
By Glen Gibbons
MN5010HSA convergence of a relatively new Singapore-based company, Rockwell semiconductor engineering background, and SiRF Technology’s SiRFstarIII will produce a new family of OEM GPS receivers from Micro Modular Technologies (MMT).
By incorporating the SiRF module, the MN5010HS GPS receiver module represents a departure from MMT’s use of GPS technology from u-Nav Microelectronics (now Atheros Communications GPS business unit). Established in 2005, MMT has also joined the roster of SiRF Technology value added manufacturers (VAMs).
By Glen Gibbons
NavAsic Microelectronics, Inc., a relatively new startup based in Shanghai, China, has announced its first products — a GPS baseband processor, NAV1802, and an RFIC, the NAV1801.
By Glen Gibbons
Frequency Electronics, Inc. (FEI) has received an authorization to proceed (ATP) on a new contract to provide master clocks and microwave sources for payloads on the next-generation GPS IIIA satellites. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company leads a team that will build the IIIA spacecraft under a recently announced Air Force contract.
According to FEI, the value of the contract, when finalized, could exceed $10 million with more than half of the work to be completed over the next 18 months.
By Glen Gibbons
NEO-5Qu-blox AG has announced the launch of a miniature GPS module designed for high volume, mass-market applications that require fast, accurate positioning at a low cost.
The NEO-5Q is a stand-alone GPS module in a 12 x 16 x 2.4–millimeter package. Its ROM-based architecture does not require an external Flash EPROM.
By Glen Gibbons
ORCA Technologies’ GS-101ORCA Technologies LLC, a recent start-up company — but one whose principals come with a long background in GPS timing instrumentation — has introduced the Model GS-101 GPS/IRIG-B Synchronized Time Code Generator (STCG).
By Glen Gibbons
A European initiative is seeking to link small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Asia and Europe through a series of one-on-one encounters between businesses operating in the aerospace and information and communication technology (ICT) sectors, with a special focus on Galileo-based satellite navigation applications.
By Glen Gibbons
