Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design
AGNSS Technique. Nokia graphicFinland’s Nokia, the world’s leading manufacturer of mobile phones, is investigating use of GLONASS signals in new products that could reach the market in the near future.
By Inside GNSS
IT321Fastrax Ltd. has launched two new GPS OEM receivers, including one with an integrated chip antenna, aimed at designers of mass-market automotive and portable devices.
The Fastrax UC322 incorporates an on-board chip antenna (five millimeters thick) designed to reduce the size from that of typical patch antennas and large separate ground planes, according to the company. Instead, the end device’s printed circuit board functions as part of the antenna.
By Glen Gibbons
Block IIF satellite undergoing tests at Space & Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, CaliforniaHaving successfully passed its initial phase of tests at the Space & Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base, the first GPS Block IIF (follow-on generation) satellite is expected to enter the second round of thermal vacuum testing in late March, according to the GPS Wing.
On December 24, the GPS IIF program completed the first of two phases of thermal vacuum testing on the first IIF space vehicle (SV-1) built by The Boeing Company. This was "a major success for the program," in the words of GPS Wing officials. Thermal-vac tests exposed the spacecraft to extreme hot and cold temperatures under vacuum conditions to verify system performance and correlate the thermal models, according to the GPS Wing.
By Glen Gibbons
The Raytheon Company has announced that it successfully completed the final system acceptance test to augment standard GPS signals over India.
GAGAN stands for GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation-Technology Demonstration System. It monitors GPS satellite signals for errors and then generates correction messages to improve positioning accuracy for users.
By Glen Gibbons
A 25-year (2007-2032) U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) roadmap for unmanned systems reflects the critical contribution of GPS technology in a growth area for tactical military systems that are simultaneously seeking a compatible place in civil applications and the national air space.
By Glen Gibbons
NXP Semiconductors has announced plans to acquire GloNav Inc., a US-based fabless GNSS semiconductor company, for $85 million in cash. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2008, subject to regulatory approvals.
According to NXP, the company plans on integrating GloNav’s GPS technology with NXP’s expertise in Bluetooth, FM radio, and USB “to offer a broader connectivity suite to the mobile phone market.”
By Glen Gibbons
The U.S. Air Force has exercised new options on contracts with three companies for development of GPS Modernized User Equipment (MUE) for future military applications.
Under the new awards, Raytheon will receive $65 million; Rockwell Collins, $50.7 million; and L-3/Interstate Electronics Corporation, $36 million. All options were awarded on or about October 19.
By Glen Gibbons
Finland’s farflung mobile phone manufacturer Nokia and Dutch personal navigation device (PND) vendor TomTom continue to make progress toward their multi-billion-dollar acquisitions of navigable digital mapmakers Navteq and Tele Atlas, respectively. But a regulatory challenge in Europe may complicate TomTom’s effort, while Nokia appears likely to sail through unchallenged in the United States.
By Glen Gibbons
EDO Corporation will hold a special meeting of its shareholders on December 18 to complete previously announced plans to be acquired by ITT Corporation, a global aerospace and defense company with headquarters in White Plains, New York.
By Inside GNSS
Through its Canadian subsidiary, Hexagon AB has acquired 93.3 percent of NovAtel Inc. following closure of its tender offer on November 27. Under the previously announced move, some 8,647,240 shares were acquired at the tender price of US$50 per share.
By Inside GNSS
Even as the fate of the inland portions of the Nationwide Differential GPS (NDGPS) reference network hangs in the balance, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has awarded a contract to Trimble for up to 400 high-accuracy GPS reference receivers.
The Trimble NetRS reference receivers will be installed over the next three years as part of the coast guard’s modernization of the Maritime DGPS Service, which is not part of the NDGPS elements that being considered for termination.
By Glen Gibbons
Thwarted in its latter-day attempt to buy digital mapmaker Tele Atlas out from under TomTom, GPS manufacturer Garmin International has signed a long-term deal with rival map provider Navteq.
Under the agreement announced November 16, Garmin will extend its current six-year agreement with Chicago, Illinois–based NAVTEQ to access to map data through 2015 with an option to continue through 2019.
By Glen Gibbons
“Boss,” Carnegie Mellon University’s entry in the DARPA Urban Challenge, crosses the finish line to win the race — and $2 million prizeCarnegie Mellon University and Stanford University reversed the order of their finishes in the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge, snaring first and second place, respectively, in the Urban Challenge finals held November 3 in Victorville, California.
Both entries incorporated POS LV (Position and Orientation Systems for Land Vehicles) integrated GPS/inertial systems from Applanix Corporation, of Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada.
By Glen Gibbons
