Santa Clara, CA-based startup Anello Photonics has announced a GNSS INS module that it says is the world’s smallest optical gyro inertial navigation system for GPS-denied navigation and localization. It is powered by the company’s optical gyroscope technology and AI-based sensor fusion engine, the combination engineered to deliver high-accuracy positioning and orientation for applications in the agriculture, construction, robotics, and autonomous vehicle space.

“We are actively engaged with customers who need robust, high-precision optical gyro-based solutions for their autonomous applications,” said Dr. Mario Paniccia, CEO of Anello Photonics.

Anello was co-founded by Paniccia and CTO Mike Horton, pioneers in the field of silicon photonics, sensors, and navigation, with the early support of Catapult Ventures and high-volume fab Tower Semiconductor. Coming out of stealth at CES 2023, Anello displayed the low-noise and -drift SiPhOG™ sensor, which it says is the first silicon photonics optical gyroscope and the smallest optical gyroscope in the world.

“It was a very ambitious thing we took on—creating a fiber gyro on a chip,” Paniccia to Inside GNSS. “We’re measuring a very tiny signal and putting it all into a standard process that’s fabricated in a high-volume fab. To our knowledge, no one’s building or has anything working at this level, let alone full INS systems, with integrated photonics.”

According to Anello, the silicon photonics optical gyroscope technology can be board-mounted and is made with integrated photonics components so it can be processed in high volume just like other integrated circuits. Another key advantage is a low unaided heading drift of less than 0.5°/h.

“This is the sweet spot,” said Paniccia. The MEMS in mobile phones and AirPods—which range from 2.0°/h, with high temperatures pushing that to hundreds and potentially a thousand degrees per hour—are not accurate enough for the autonomy safety case, he added. Typical fiber gyros, “the gold standard” for accuracy, are too big, bulky, and expensive.

“The idea is to bring the performance of high-precision optical gyros from guided missiles and other high-end applications into a form factor and price point that you can put it into the volume market in the autonomous landscape,” he said.

For the new GNSS INS system, the company launched an evaluation kit about a year ago for customer trials.

“It’s the smallest in this case, [with] not only the smallest gyro that we’ve developed and announced but now we have the smallest inertial navigation system that can be put into real solutions and real applications,” said Paniccia.

The near-term markets for Anello’s technology are in construction and farming “where they can pay a little bit of a premium.” An upcoming robotics product uses basically the same core fundamental platform without GPS.

In the future, the company is working to deliver to the high-volume auto market, and that means not only ASIL-D specs but also immunity to temperature and vibration with lower power consumption.

“We’re trying to gear towards ADAS (L2 plus, L3) over time,” concluded Paniccia.

The post Anello Reveals GNSS INS System with ‘World-first’ Optical Gyro appeared first on Inside GNSS - Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design.

Recent bipartisan legislation aims to make satellite communication and PNT services more available to farmers.

Legislation that nudges the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to do more to make satellite communication and PNT services available to rural America, particularly farmers, has sailed through the House and is awaiting committee action in the Senate.

The bipartisan legislation—something of a rarity these days—is House Resolution 1339, the Precision Agriculture Satellite Connectivity Act, sponsored by Rep. Robert E. Latta (R-Ohio) and cosponsored by Reps. Robin L. Kelly (D-Illinois), Troy Balderson (R-Ohio), Susie Lee (D-Nevada) and Rich W. Allen (R-Georgia).

After passing the House of Representatives in late April by a vote of 409-11, H.R. 1339 landed in the Senate in early May, where it awaits action by the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

Latta has been down this row before: In 2018, he was successful in getting wording included in the Farm Bill to create the Task Force for Meeting the Connectivity and Technology Needs of Precision Agriculture in the United States, operating under the FCC in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture.

As with the standalone legislation, it’s devoted to spurring deployment of broadband internet, with the goal of achieving reliable service on 95% of agricultural land by 2025. The task force, which includes agricultural producers, internet service providers, the satellite industry, precision agriculture equipment manufacturers and local and state government representatives, has been holding regular virtual meetings since its creation.

“I’ve talked with farmers throughout Ohio’s 5th congressional district that are utilizing advanced technologies to improve farm productivity and sustainability, and it’s making a big difference,” Latta said in 2018. “However, it’s clear that the agricultural community is at a disadvantage compared to other sectors because they are in rural areas that often have limited access to high-speed internet. It’s critical that we close the ‘digital divide’ to ensure that the agricultural community can fully utilize this cutting-edge technology.”

FCC Directions

Latta’s latest legislation isn’t controversial because it’s short, and essentially just directs the FCC to “review its rules regarding certain satellite communications services to determine if changes to its rules could promote precision agriculture.”

If the FCC determines there are rule changes that could be made to promote precision ag, “the FCC must develop recommendations and submit them to Congress within 15 months of enactment,” according to the bill.

And that’s pretty much it, which probably explains its easy path through Congress. Underlying the bill, however, are a host of issues that lawmakers, particularly those who represent rural areas, want to address, namely the “digital divide” that separates areas well served with broadband connections and those without access; the need for satellite data to make farming more efficient; and regulation and federal approvals said to be slowing the roll of an industry that’s raring to go.

A House report on the bill describes it this way:

“Precision agriculture allows for the optimization of crop yield, water usage and soil sustainability. Unfortunately, many rural communities have little or no connectivity, thereby reducing the ability for many farmers to utilize precision agriculture. Additionally, there are Earth exploration and observation services authorized by the FCC that could promote precision agriculture. These satellite technologies offer the opportunity to expand the use of precision agriculture throughout the United States, and this legislation would require the FCC to evaluate its rules to see if there are changes that can be made to promote this deployment.”

Latta is interested in the legislation because his district is one of the largest agriculture regions in the state. While some farmers are using satellite connections and precision agriculture, others aren’t but would like to.

Two hearings were held in the House related to the issue, by the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology (chaired by Latta), although neither was specifically about the bill. The first, held in early February, was titled “Launching into the State of the Satellite Marketplace.” The second, held less than a week later, was “Liftoff: Unleashing Innovation in Satellite Communications Technologies.”

Transforming Industries, Including Ag

Tom Stroup, president of the Satellite Industry Association, testified at the first hearing on the importance of the satellite industry.

“We are at a time of explosive innovation in the space industry, with over 7,000 active satellites on orbit today and plans for tens of thousands more through the end of the decade,” he said.

“Satellites today provide anytime, anywhere global connectivity to consumers, utilities, supply chain logistics providers, the IoT [internet of things] community, cruise and other ships, airlines, and unmanned aerial vehicles. Soon, we will be living in a world where an autonomous car can update its operating system while driving anywhere in the world via a satellite link, spectators at a football game will be able to connect to satellite and use augmented reality to revisit plays on smart glasses in real-time, and connected sensors on infrastructure will be able to determine potential failures as well as directly deploy satellite-connected UAVs to inspect even the most remote sites.

“Geospatial satellite data has not only transformed environmental monitoring, but also provides essential business analytics from monitoring remote infrastructure to analyzing supply chain performance. When integrated with geolocation data provided by Global Positioning System, AI can be used in real time to redirect resources and optimize output.”

Stroup also said satellites are critical for disaster response as they aren’t susceptible to damage, can communicate with terminals and networks on the ground, and can employ synthetic aperture radar that can see through clouds and map damaged regions while storms are still under way.

And, as the title of Latta’s bill would suggest, satellites can aid farmers practicing precision agriculture.

“Satellite technology is transforming agriculture across America. Satellite broadband, for instance, enables remote farms with livestock sensors, soil monitors and autonomous farming equipment in rural America, far beyond where terrestrial wireless and wireline can reach or make economic sense to deploy,” Stroup said. “Precision GPS technologies allow farmers to increase crop yield by optimizing use of fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, and applying site-specific treatments to fields. Earth imaging satellites provide regular high-resolution imagery that allows farmers to determine when to plant, water or fertilize crops and can be used to provide crop yield estimates and monitor global food security. Satellite advances in weather forecasting help farmers prepare for drought, floods and other adverse weather conditions.”

Latta introduced his bill after those hearings, highlighting the need for reliable, fast internet for broad swaths of the economy.

“Farmers in rural Ohio also know that broadband connections are essential to their operations,” he said on the House floor. “After all, it helps deploy technologies that increase their productivity, produce higher yields and minimize operating costs. Today’s smart agriculture technology from autonomous tractors and distributed soil sensors rely on internet connections to share data. In fact, farmers use information in real time to make smarter decisions on how to optimize inputs in whether and when to plant and harvest. And when terrestrial or cellular networks are not available, satellite broadband steps in to make these technologies work.”

Latta noted Earth observation satellites also produce data useful for farmers, as they “help identify visual trends that need immediate attention.”

Dr. Simerjeet Virk, an assistant professor and extension precision agriculture specialist for the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at the University of Georgia-Tifton Campus, and a member of the International Society of Precision Agriculture, said connectivity continues to become more and more important for farmers.

“It’s not me taking a flash drive anymore to a tractor or sprayer or fertilizer spreader, it’s where I can sit in my office on my computer and I’m connected to all the displays in the tractor,” he said. “I can see in real-time on my phone which operator is doing what, and how much seeding they are applying.”

GPS accuracy with corrections has also improved immensely, Virk said. “We’re not working in feet and meters anymore, we’re working in sub-centimeter, sub-inch, plant-by-plant application,” he said. As those systems get more precise, farmers also need them to be repeatable, meaning they need access all the time.

“We still have a lot of areas where we don’t have connectivity,” he said. “Or, there are different ways of getting the GPS accuracy and a lot of times you have to be out there for a longer time before you can utilize the high accuracy systems. I think that’s where some of this [legislative push] is coming back to, is improving the overall connectivity between the systems.”

Possible Outcomes and Challenges

So, what are the problems and what could the FCC do about them?

Witnesses at the hearings had some ideas. Julie Zoller, head of global regulatory affairs for Amazon’s Project Kuiper, said the growth of the satellite industry is “straining the ability of regulators to process a wave of license applications under the current rules.” Kuiper is a $10 billion-plus planned constellation of 3,236 satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), with the first service expected to begin in late 2024.

Zoller did praise the FCC because it has “proposed rules that would provide more spectrum for non-geostationary satellite orbit [NGSO] services and greater clarity for spectrum sharing between NGSO systems. Not only will this ensure American leadership, but it will bring the benefits of investment, innovation and choice to customers.”

And, as her title would indicate, Zoller has to keep an eye on international rules as well. “Outdated rules are also a challenge outside of the United States. Many of the International Telecommunication Union rules for NGSO satellites favor incumbent technologies,” she said. “At the World Radiocommunication Conference later this year, it is essential that the U.S. set forth key priorities to ensure that the rules for NGSO systems, and satellites more generally, support the success of this U.S.-led technology and service.”

The WRC, held every three to four years to review or revise the international treaty governing the use of radio-frequency spectrum and geostationary and NGOS satellite orbits, is scheduled for this fall in Dubai. This year’s conference will consider a range of issues aimed at facilitating new terrestrial and space-based connection technologies, “including spectrum for next-generation mobile broadband systems, satellites, maritime and aeronautical services, and scientific applications,” according to the FCC.

Defense Issues

There’s more to the issue than just commercial interests, said Kari A. Bingen, director of the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington think tank, also testifying at the first hearing.

Bingen said building and launching satellites has gotten much cheaper and faster—satellites that were once the size of buses are now the size of “microwaves and loaves of bread” and can be produced in months or even days, not years.

These changes have drawn more interest from governments, Bingen said, as more than 85 nations are now operating in space, far beyond the longstanding space powers. China is pursuing the most expansive program, she said, aiming to take the space race lead by 2049.

“In our 2022 report, we highlighted China’s increasingly robust space capabilities, including advanced positioning, navigation and timing; satellite communications; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and missile warning; in-space logistics; and space situational awareness,” Bingen said. “China’s proficiency in areas like space-based imagery capabilities, paired with its advances in AI, means that it will be able to detect and locate U.S. forces from space in near-real time. China also has a robust arsenal of counterspace capabilities able to target U.S. space assets, ranging from cyberattacks, to reversible GPS and SATCOM jammers, to direct ascent anti-satellite missiles and co-orbital satellites that kinetically impact their targets.”

The use of those counterspace weapons isn’t hypothetical, she noted, as Russia targeted GPS, Starlink and Viasat in Ukraine with jamming and cyberattacks. “As space capabilities increasingly show their value to national security, especially in areas like imagery and communications, adversaries will seek to deny their use,” Bingen said.

On the commercial side, at least, Bingen said there are some things the FCC and other agencies could do, namely “strike the appropriate balance between burdensome regulation and market development.”

For instance, in the United States, space operators go to the FCC for spectrum, the FAA for launch, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for commercial remote sensing licenses, and the State Department and Commerce Department for issues relating to exportability.

Quoting the market analysis firm Quilty Analytics, she said, “The most difficult aspect of building a [LEO] broadband system is acquiring the spectrum, not building and launching satellites…navigating an onerous regulatory process—while also facing narrow profit margins and unforgiving business models of LEO broadband systems—can make it impossible for all but the largest, most well-resourced companies to obtain licenses.”

Pushing Forward

As for the latest legislative push, in the end, the FCC may discover it can’t do anything more to foster precision agriculture or other satellite broadband or PNT uses. Latta said he’ll keep trying.

“I’m committed to ensuring our farmers have the tools needed at their disposal to help increase productivity while minimizing costs,” he said. “This legislation is a good step forward in that mission.”

The post Washington View: FCC Again Urged to Aid Satellite Precision Agriculture appeared first on Inside GNSS - Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design.

The ESA-funded SSRoverDAB+ project delivered its final results in June 2023.

Speaking from his company’s headquarters outside Berlin, Alberding GmbH Owner Jürgen Alberding explained the project’s rationale: “Our aim is to increase the availability of high-accuracy GNSS corrections in rural regions using DAB+ [digital audio broadcasting] transmission. This means overcoming computational and bi-directional communication limitations of network RTK as well as computing and comparing different SSR [state space representation]-based GNSS positioning solutions.”

Modern applications in precision agriculture and in the automotive and other industries all need continuous, highly accurate GNSS position information in real time. GNSS correction data required for this is typically transmitted to users via mobile internet. Due to dead spots, the corrections are often not available to users over a wide area.

“The growing demand for precise real-time corrections puts an increasing computational and bi-directional communication burden on network RTK service providers,” Alberding said. “The provision of GNSS corrections to an unlimited number of users without significant investments into the service infrastructure therefore requires a transition to a unidirectional broadcasting approach.”

Going about it in a new way

Along with project partners Fraunhofer, Geo++ and inPosition, Alberding set out to generate a broadcast-capable PPP-RTK correction data stream in an open data format with optimized bandwidth based on an existing GNSS reference station network. They established a reliable DAB+ data transmission channel and developed and adapted precise real-time PPP-RTK positioning and sensor fusion algorithms. The Alberding A10-RTK sensor served as a development and demonstration platform for extensive testing of the overall solution.

“The A10-DAB prototype sensors have been successfully used in practical field tests,” Alberding said, “and we got a very clear impression of the complexity of future interoperability tests for the SSR data format standardization.” Also speaking at the project final presentation was Fraunhofer’s Christian Fiermann, who said, “The developed hardware works as expected. The overall performance of the system is comparable to state-of-the-art automotive solutions. Decoding is possible even under weak signal conditions, and we were able to reactivate application type for SSR data in the DAB+ standard.”

“We now want to continue this work, to develop a DAB+ receiver module in a smaller form factor,” Alberding said, “and we want to add more processing power, to allow us to run the DAB+ decoding and processing in parallel.”Next steps for the consortium include production of second generation hardware prototypes in higher volume, to expand testing to a larger number of participants, as well as development of a highly integrated board that can be produced in numbers and sold to end users and system integrators.

SSRoverDAB+ is funded under the ESA NAVISP program, aimed at supporting the development of innovative competitive products in satellite navigation and other areas of positioning, navigation and timing.

The post SSRoverDAB+ Demonstrates New GNSS Corrections Approach appeared first on Inside GNSS - Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design.

LIVERMORE, Calif.—Topcon Agriculture has introduced Transplanting Control, a new system for specialty farmers. Designed to reduce labor, boost efficiency and increase production, the turnkey system provides global navigation satellite system (GNSS) based guidance, auto-steering and control, benefitting producers of permanent and perennial trees, fruits and vegetable crops, the company said.

“Manual measurement is still common practice in areas where specialty and permanent crops are grown,” said Michael Stone, vice president of product development at Topcon Agriculture. “Our precision GNSS-based guidance and control allows for more elaborate planting patterns, and has been proven through countless industries and applications. This now-affordable transplanting technology can help growers increase crop production by up to 15%, if not more.”

Use cases include growing Christmas trees, cherry trees, strawberries and lettuce, as well as digging post holes and conducting soil sampling, the company said.

The solution eliminates manual labor required to physically outline fields and provides streamlined setup through an easy-to-use task planning interface. Farmers can also expect reductions in fuel and other inputs through the reliability of GNSS, resulting in fewer mistakes and corrections.

“Crops placed in an optimized space maximize available resources like soil nutrients, water, sunlight; this also allows more accessible angles for maintenance, like cleaning and weeding, which will further improve output,” Stone said. “More uniform transplanting executed through GNSS generates a healthier crop for increased production and quality. This technology can even improve efficiencies with tasks like soil sampling and post hole digging.”

The post Topcon Launches Transplanting Guidance and Control Technology for Specialty Farmers appeared first on Inside GNSS - Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design.

Hemisphere GNSS’s new Vega 34 OEM heading and positioning board enables users to upgrade to multi-frequency GNSS without changing pinouts. Integrators who use predecessor Hemisphere 34-pin products such as Crescent Vector H220 and Phantom 34 OEM boards can now transition to improved positioning performance and satellite tracking capabilities of the Vega series.

The product gives access to the company’s global reference station network and L-band satellite distribution supplying corrections for GPS, Galileo, GLONASS and BeiDou.

The Vega 34 board connectors have no circuitry changes and are identical for all Vector users who can now add Atlas H10 and H30 PPP in their solutions. “Vega 34 gives our integrators an easy path forward to enrich their own product offerings,” said Miles Ware, Director of Marketing at Hemisphere. “They can take advantage of other standard features like over 1100 tracking channels, Cygnus interference mitigation technology and spectral analysis.” 

The Vega 34 uses dual antenna ports to create a series of additional capabilities including fast, high-accuracy heading over short baselines, RTK positioning, onboard Atlas L band, RTK-enabled heave, low-power consumption, and precise timing.

Scalable Solutions

With the Vega 34, positioning is scalable and field upgradeable with all Hemisphere software and service options. Utilize the same centimeter-level accuracy in either single-frequency mode, or employ the full performance and fast RTK initialization times over long distances with multi-frequency multi-constellation GNSS signals. High-accuracy L-band positioning from meter to sub-decimeter levels available via Atlas correction service.

Key Features

• Extremely accurate heading with long baselines
• Available multi-frequency position, dual-frequency heading supporting GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, IRNSS, and L band (Atlas®)
• Atlas L band capable to 4 cm RMS
• Athena GNSS engine providing best-in-class RTK performance
• Excellent coasting performance
• 5 cm RMS RTK-enabled heave accuracy
• Strong multipath mitigation and interference rejection
• New multi-axis gyro and tilt sensor for reliable coverage during short GNSS outages

The introduction of the Vega 34 board brings a new firmware release. Version 6.05 extends several features and improvements and introduces NavIC (IRNSS) tracking and positioning across the Vega and Phantom product lines. Both RTK and Atlas positioning solutions are enhanced with an improved performance in challenging environments. Users of the BeiDou satellite systems and B2b PPP integrators will see significant advances in their solutions.

The post New OEM Heading and Positioning Board Upgrades to Multi-Frequency GNSS appeared first on Inside GNSS - Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design.

The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) has published its Earth Observation (EO) & GNSS Market Report, an outgrowth of its annual GNSS Market Report now that the agency has also taken on Earth observation among its administrative responsibilities. The Report is compiled and written for all those making these technologies part of their business plan and developing downstream applications.

In 2021, GNSS and EO downstream market generated over 200 billion euros revenues and are set to reach almost half a trillion over the next decade. EO and GNSS data have become increasingly important in the big data realm and paradigm responding to natural and man-made disasters, curbing the spread of disease and strengthening a global supply chain, among many other goals.

The Report provides analytical information on the dynamic GNSS and EO markets, along with in-depth analyses of the latest global trends and developments through illustrated examples and use cases. Using advanced econometric models, it also offers market evolution forecasts of GNSS shipments or EO revenues spanning to 2031.

With a focus on Galileo/EGNOS and Copernicus, the report highlights the essential role of space data across 17 market segments including,

• Agriculture; Aviation and Drones;
• Biodiversity, Ecosystems and Natural Capital;
• Climate Services; Consumer Solutions, Tourism, and Health;
• Emergency Management and Humanitarian Aid;
• Energy and Raw Materials; Environmental Monitoring;
• Fisheries and Aquaculture; Forestry;
• Infrastructure;
• Insurance and Finance;
• Maritime and Inland Waterways;
• Rail;
• • Road and Automotive;
• Urban Development and Cultural Heritage;
• and Space.

Some report highlights:

• Global annual GNSS receiver shipments will reach 2.5 bn units by 2031, dominated by the applications falling under the Consumer Solutions, Tourism and Health segment contributing roughly to 92% of global annual shipments;

• In EO, aside from the largest markets like Agriculture, Urban Development and Cultural Heritage or Energy and Raw Materials, the Insurance and Finance segment is expected to experience the fastest growth over the next decade (21 % of CAGR) for both EO data and value-added service revenues;

• From a supply perspective, the European Industry holds over 41% of the global EO downstream market and 25 % of the global GNSS downstream market.

“The flagship EU Space Programme, driven by Galileo and EGNOS on one side and Copernicus on the other, has become a major enabler in the downstream space application market. As a user-oriented agency, we provide this inside information on markets evolution to our users, being innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, academic researchers, chipset manufacturers, or simply anyone who looks into space to bring value to their activities. The added value and key differentiators of European GNSS and EO are showcased, both separately and in synergy with each other. I know that the report will be of great use and inspiration for those who are contributing to the EU economic growth,” concluded EUSPA Executive Director Rodrigo da Costa.

The report is available for download here.

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Case New Holland (CNH), a global provider of equipment and services in precision agriculture and construction, has selected the Tallysman VeraChoke antenna for the modernization of its high-precision European GNSS Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) network.

The antenna features:
• Low axial ratio from zenith to horizon
• Geo++ calibrated
• Very tight phase centre variation (< 1.0 mm)
• Invariant performance from 2.7 to 24 VDC
• IP67, REACH, and RoHS compliant
• Space in housing for integrated PPP, RTK receiver, or other OEM system

The Verachoke VC6150 provides low axial ratios (horizon to horizon, over all azimuths) across all GNSS frequencies (<0.5 dB at zenith, < 3.0 dB typ. at horizon). It also has an exceptional front to back ratios, a tight phase centre variation (PCV), and near constant phase centre offset (PCO) for all azimuth and elevation angles, over all in-band frequencies.

The VC6150 provides high-reception gain over the full GNSS spectrum and has a robust pre-filtered Low Noise Amplifier (LNA), with high third order intercept point (IP3) to minimize de-sensing from high-level out-of-band signals, including 700MHz LTE, while still providing a low noise figure.

Michiel Jochims, CNH Industrial RTK Manager EMEA: “The objective of the GNSS antenna update is to enable the tracking of all GNSS constellations and signals, thus improving the robustness, convergence time, and accuracy of positioning within CNH Industrials’ European RTK network. At this stage, with only 25 stations updated, we are delighted to observe a significant performance improvement. We look forward to continuing the network update and bringing enhanced positioning to all of our European customers.”

Temo Wubbena, CEO of Geo++ : “We are pleased to support the update and upgrade of CNH Industrial’s European RTK network. After detailed analysis, we have recommended Tallysman’s VeraChoke antenna to CNH Industrial. It provides excellent multipath suppression and repeatability of PCV and Group Delay Variation (GDV), making it an ideal antenna for GNSS reference networks”

The post Geodetic Reference Station GNSS Antennas Deployed for European Network appeared first on Inside GNSS - Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design.

By Miguel Amor, Chief Marketing Officer
Hexagon’s Autonomy & Positioning division

I had my first interaction with a geodetic GPS receiver in the early ’90s. In my freshman year of college, a professor demonstrated how to use two single-frequency receivers to achieve centimeter accuracy for post-processing observations. I didn’t know at the time that I would spend the next 30 years deeply involved in and contributing to this innovative positioning technology.

At the time, it seemed revolutionary to me that we could obtain centimeter-level coordinates in a global reference framework without the labor-intensive traditional methods of geodetic and topographic observations. I remember how groundbreaking it was when I heard that it was mathematically and technically possible to make these observations in real-time in kinematic mode—and that this theory would be a reality very soon.

At that moment, the possibility of what would become the RTK technique was thrilling, and I began to imagine what future work would be like for my fellow students and me. Consciously, I was witnessing the beginning of corrections technology that would revolutionize the science of geodesy and land surveying. I couldn’t have imagined the impact of corrections 30 years later for all kinds of sciences and activities requiring such precise positioning.

A few years later, the first RTK equipment was established for users to achieve centimeter positioning in real-time. My earliest experience working with an RTK system was only comparable to the first call I received on my first mobile phone—curiously, also in the mid-late ’90s.

More or less simultaneously, I experienced the benefits of the newly developed PPP technology using geostationary satellites. PPP was an exciting technology too, although the precision was far from that necessary for surveying and geodetic work, and the convergence time was still too long to be productive in many applications.

Despite the advantages of these emerging RTK and PPP technologies, geodetic and topographic work often still required direct observations of geodetic monuments. This work was both laborious and logistically complex. My legs still ache when I recall the long days carrying heavy GPS equipment, hiking for miles along the crest of a mountain range, conducting GPS observations of geodetic monuments and moving UHF radios to different areas to stake out locations of future wind turbines.

For corrections technology to best serve geodesy, we needed to answer the following question: How do we achieve centimeter-level coordinates instantly anywhere in the world within a global geodetic reference framework without local communication infrastructure?

It seemed the answer could be found in combining the benefits of RTK and PPP technologies. This was my dream and the dream of many geodesists and surveyors; easy to dream, but not so easy to achieve!

Fast-forward 30 years. In January, Hexagon’s Autonomy & Positioning division announced improvements to the TerraStar-C PRO correction service that makes it possible to obtain 2.5 centimeters in less than three minutes anywhere in the world.

Between that early dream and today, GNSS technology has evolved, including developments across GPS L2C and L5, network RTK, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou and others. PPP technology is reaping the benefits of these innovations. By leveraging all new GNSS constellations and all frequencies available while overcoming significant and challenging new developments in the PPP algorithms in both the server and client, the dream has come true. We call it RTK From the Sky technology.

What would the person writing these lines have given during one of those mountain hikes to be able to obtain a point with 2.5 centimeter precision with a global reference framework in less than three minutes without external communications?

A lot!

I never would have imagined how the same GNSS technology now enabling instant centimeter positioning would also be a critical innovation for the development and future of our society. The reliability, productivity and safety of agricultural tractors, construction machinery, hydrographic vessels and many other autonomous vehicles across innumerable applications are now possible, thanks to that dream of geodesists and surveyors.

Billion-dollar investments in autonomous technologies, arguably one of the biggest revolutions in human history and the key to a sustainable future, will rely on this technology that originated from the dream of instant centimeter positioning anywhere in the world.

My congratulations and heartfelt thanks to my colleagues for making it possible for this dream to come true: RTK From the Sky!

(Top image: Wind turbine locations staked out by Miguel Amor in the mountains of Spain.)

The post Surveyors’ Dreams that Changed the World: A Personal Recollection appeared first on Inside GNSS - Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design.

Quectel Wireless Solutions, a supplier of IOT modules and antennas, and Point One Navigation, a supplier of precision location technology, announced the LG69T-AM addition to the LG69T GNSS Module Series.

The module targets high precision markets including agriculture, robotics and autonomous vehicles.

Point One’s positioning engine powers the LG69T-AM and enables centimeter-level global accuracy by integrating augmented GNSS in a module with open-source API.

The LG69T-AM GNSS module features STMicroelectronics’ TeseoV positioning receiver platform with 80 tracking and 4 fast acquisition channels compatible with GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS and NAVIC. It is an advanced dual-band L1/L5 GNSS module supporting RTK with centimeter-level accuracy.

The LG69T-AM leverages Point One’s RTK and SSR technology for centimeter-level accuracy and ultra-fast convergence time. It is designed for easy integration with minimal e-BOM modification and is well-suited for mass market adoption without the need for an expensive external co-processor. Due to its small package size, light weight, and low power consumption, it is designed for applications such as micro-mobility and precision agriculture.

Embedded in the LG69T-AM is Point One’s FusionEngine and its Polaris correction service client. Polaris is Point One’s GNSS correction service that unlocks better than 10cm absolute accuracy, according to the company, with a coast-to-coast footprint in the USA and coverage across Europe. It offers a variety of connectivity options including delivery over cellular and L-Band. The network is purpose-built for precision agriculture customers and includes advanced anti-jam, interference mitigation, end-to-end security and automatic integrity monitoring. The LG69T-AM is also compatible with standards-based corrections services as well.

The module measures 22.0mm × 17.0mm × 3.15mm and weighs 1.9g.

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The European Union Agency for the Space Programme has published a 41-page Info Note on the Galileo Open Service Navigation Message Authentication (OSNMA).

The downloadable PDF covers OSNMA service characterization, target markets, an OSNMA roadmap and relevant documentation, with an annex on OSNMA Research and Development. It provides high-level details about the encryption keys’ authentication process, the OSNMA receiver compatibility and the user interface.

Following publication of the Info Note, an OSNMA Public Observation Test Phase now gets underway. The Test Phase will allow any interested users to access the OSNMA Signal In Space (SIS) and related products for testing purposes.

Target users for OSNMA are receiver manufacturers, application developers, members of research institutions, or similar. EUSPA and the European Commission will consider users’ feedback for future OSNMA service phases.

The OSNMA service is an authentication mechanism that allows Open Service users to verify the authenticity of GNSS information, making sure that the data they receive is indeed from Galileo and has not been modified in any way. It is an open-access and free-of-charge service, based on the provision of cryptographic data by the Galileo E1 signal (E1-B, data component) from a subset of the Galileo satellites, enabling receivers to authenticate the Open Service navigation messages.

OSNMA is authenticating data for geolocation information from the Open Service through the Navigation Message (I/NAV) broadcast on the E1-B signal component. This is realised by transmitting authentication-specific data in previously reserved fields of the E1 I/NAV message. By using these previously reserved fields, OSNMA does not introduce any overlay to the system, thus the OS navigation performance remains untouched.

Authentication is set to further strengthen service robustness by increasing the capability of detecting spoofing events. However, authentication does not prevent the occurrence of such an event, and does not protect against jamming. Nonetheless, this added layer of protection proposes to be one step ahead of evolving technological trends by amplifying the service’s overall robustness and resilience.

GNSS signal falsification can have disastrous impacts on applications and market sectors that rely on precise navigation such as aviation, maritime, or drones. For instance, erroneous data of a vessel’s position, speed, and direction poses real threats to its operations but also surrounding ships, especially those carrying dangerous goods.

The OSNMA Info Note is downloadable here and through the European GNSS Service Centre. Other materials available on the Service Centre website include:

• Galileo OSNMA User Interface Control Document (ICD) for the Test Phase that specifies the interface between the Galileo Space Segment and the Galileo User Segment. It also describes how the user can retrieve the OSNMA crypto material from the GSC web portal (refer to Annex D).
• Galileo OSNMA Receiver Guidelines for the Test Phase providing instructions for the user segment implementation of the OSNMA functionality, including requirements, interfaces, and steps to be followed in order to verify the authenticity of the Galileo navigation message.
• Technical presentation containing the OSNMA Typical Performance and foreseen changes to the Galileo OSNMA User Interface Control Document for Service provision phase.
• Service Notice #9 announcing the start of the OSNMA Public Observation.
• OSNMA products: the OSNMA crypto material needed to process the OSNMA SIS and verify the authenticity of the Galileo navigation message will be accessible under the GSC products tab only upon registration.
  • Public key: crypto material  for the verification of the root key of the TESLA chain provided within the Digital Signature Message (DSM-KROOT).
  • Merkle Tree: crypto material for the verification of Public Keys provided within the Digital Signature Message (DSM-PKR).

The post Info Note Available for Galileo Message Authentication (OSNMA); Public Observation Now Underway appeared first on Inside GNSS - Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design.