Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design
Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design
NXP Semiconductors has introduced its first assisted-GPS (A-GPS) chip, the GNS7560, targeting mobile phones and standalone personal navigation devices (PNDs) with the product’s package size of less than nine square millimeters. The NXP GNS7560 is implemented on a 90 nanometer (nm) architecture and features a CMOS RF front end plus correlator engine with power management modes that reduce power consumption to less than 13mW for one-second updates, according to the company.
By Inside GNSS
NovAtel’s Waypoint Products Group offers the GrafNav/GrafNet Version 8.10 software, a high-precision GNSS post-processing package that supports raw data from most available GNSS receivers. Using data from both a roving station and as many as eight base stations, centimeter-level positions can be computed, according to the company. For applications in which base station setup is difficult or not desired, precise point positioning (PPP) is offered, which uses downloadable GPS clock and orbital corrections to compute solutions accurate to between 5 and 40 centimeters.
By Inside GNSS
NavSync Ltd. offers the TrineX CW27, a self-contained GPS receiver module based on the NemeriX NX3 assisted-GPS single chip receiver with the NemeriX Extended Ephemeris feature. The TrineX occupies 24 × 24 millimeters of printed circuit board space and connects directly to the host system through a UART using NMEA protocols. It incorporates an ARM7-based application processor. According to the company, the device has been specifically developed for mobile hardware platforms running off batteries, where power consumption and small size are crucial.
By Inside GNSS
The UC322 from Fastrax combines SiRF’s 20-channel GSC3LT single-chip GPS receiver with an on-board chip antenna in a package measuring 10.4x30x2.9 millimeters. According to the company, the UC322 has a tracking sensitivity of -159 dBm and power consumption of 90 mW and 3.3 volts. The antenna does not need a separate ground plane. Instead it utilizes the unit’s own printed circuit board (PCB) for gaining the best antenna signal. A new companion product, the IT321, is available without the integrated antennas.
By Glen Gibbons
The Broadcom BCM4750 is a single-die CMOS GPS receiver used for tracking and navigation, primarily in mobile devices. Its massive parallel hardware correlators are designed to provide fast signal searches, accurate real-time navigation, improved tracking sensitivity, and low average power consumption with a reported tracking sensitivity of -162 dBm. Produced in a 90-nanometer CMOS process, the BCM4750 consumes less than 15 mW, according to the company.
By Glen Gibbons
Hemisphere GPS has released its Eclipse L1/L2 GPS OEM receiver module and evaluation kit. The 24-channel Eclipse technology delivers dual-frequency solutions (L1 (CA), L1 (P), L2 (P) with carrier phase signal tracking) with a 20 Hz maximum update rate. The unit incorporates Hemisphere GPS’s exclusive techniques for reducing code measurement noise and mitigating multipath signals.
By Inside GNSS
Zupt offers B-PINS, a high-precision surveying system incorporating inertial sensors and optional RTK GPS/INS integration. Designed to provide positioning and navigation in GPS-denied areas, such as in dense vegetation or in urban canyons, B-PINS includes data fusion software, a handheld data collector (Recon PDA), Li Ion batteries, and a rugged backpack. Applications include land seismic surveys, military or tactical GPS operations, and emergency or disaster response. Zupt, LLC, Houston, Texas.
By Glen Gibbons
Honeywell Magnetic Sensors division has launched the HMC6343 Digital Compass Solution, a miniature, tilt compensated, chip-scale electronic compass designed to deliver performance advantages for commercial and industrial applications. According to Honeywell, the HMC6343 provides a new level of chip-scale integration and the ease-of-use required by circuit designers for drop-in circuit board solutions. The sensors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and a microprocessor are fully integrated and housed in a miniature package.
By Glen Gibbons
Synergy Systems offers the GSynQ MK-I OEM Smart Antenna, a 12-channel OEM timing product that integrates the i-Lotus 12-channel M12M receiver into Synergy’s Timing3000 GPS antenna. Providing accuracy to within 10 nanoseconds (1 sigma) of UTC, the unit typically is used to provide timing at CDMA cell sites and for scientific timing applications. The standard GSynQ Smart Antenna is delivered with 0.5 meter pendant cable with a Deutsch 12-pin mmp connector for RS-422 or 8 pin Switchcraft EN3 for RS-232 serial communications. Synergy Systems , LLC, San Diego, California USA.
By Glen Gibbons
Xsens Technologies has launched a GPS-enhanced IMU, the MTi-G. The device incorporates an integrated 16-channel GPS and MEMS inertial measurement unit with an internal ultra low-power attitude and heading reference system (AHRS) processor running a real-time Kalman filter, the unit provides accurate positioning (2.5 meters CEP, autonomous), velocity, acceleration, and orientation estimates, with a high update rate (4 Hz GPS, 512 Hz inertial).
By Glen Gibbons
Using an FPGA baseband chipset and low-power DSP of its own design, DataGrid Inc. offers an OEM GPS/GLONASS receiver board, the DGRx-GNSS. According to the company, the receiver is capable of simultaneously tracking up to 16 L1 GPS and GLONASS signals and 8 L2 GPS signals in its standard configuration. If SBAS signals are present, up to two channels are automatically redirected to tracking those. DataGrid has developed advanced signal processing algorithms and special software architecture to enable flexible reconfiguration of the receiver channels.
By Glen Gibbons
The Advanced System Improvement Program (ASIP) Embedded GPS Receiver (EGR) from ITT Corporation is a 12-channel Selective Availability-Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) GPS receiver using 3.3 volt technology. Designed for military surveying, navigation, and timing applications, the board features dual-frequency (L1/L2) all-in-view tracking with a reported Precise Positioning Service (PPS) accuracy of 10 meters, SEP (spherical error probability). It has RS422, RS232, and CMOS (2) serial ports, selectable 1 pps and 10 pps, time marks (UTC), and1 pps time-sync.
By Glen Gibbons
