They are always moving, faster in some geographic regions than in others. It seems someone is always coming up with a different method to interpret them. Once you start using a certain method, it’s very difficult to change. Updating them in a large-scale GIS can be a nightmare. What is it? Of course, I’m talking about coordinates: the G is... read more
Europe’s first two Galileo satellites have reached their final operating orbits, opening the way for activating and testing their navigation payloads, reports the European Space Agency (ESA). Marking the formal end of their LEOP Launch and Early Operations Phase, control of the satellites was passed on November 3 from the CNES French space agency center in Toulouse to the Galileo Control Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen in Germany. read more
I’ve been on a roll the past two weeks regarding intelligent transportation after my visit at the 2011 ITS World Conference in Orlando. Please allow me to touch on it once more and then morph into a highly related topic, sensor fusion. The 2011 European Satellite Navigation Competition announced the winners this week. The Special Topic Prize, the USA Regional... read more
The GLONASS-K satellite, transmitting a CDMA signal in the L3 band, inaugurates a new era of radionavigation signals for both the Russian system and for international GNSS interoperability. As demand for high-precision services through dual- or triple-frequency user equipment increases, GLONASS will come to the forefront. The 2014 GLONASS-K2 satellite will have an FDMA signal in the L1 and L2 bands and CDMA signals in L1, L2, and L3. The overall constellation update will be completed in 2021. Another 2014 launch will fill the Russian SBAS orbit constellation with three geostationary space vehicles. read more
The 21st century today faces and will continue to encounter many new societal challenges, all mutually interdependent: health, environment, agriculture, ageing population, personal security, public and civil protection, safe and efficient transport and mobility, citizen rescue, land management, energy (supply, security, and efficiency), full employment, new consumer services, high-tech industry, business security, connectivity, globalization, intellectual property management and protection. All these challenges have a common denominator: the economic health of Europe: growth, competitiveness, and job creation. read more
Cell-phone users are often more concerned about the speed of positioning than the accuracy, making time-to-first-fix the most important factor in a GNSS mass-market receiver’s perceived performance. However, TTFF is generally difficult to characterize and optimize because of the need to encompass a wide range of environments, including indoors. read more
Expecting guidance from FCC regulators by year’s end? LightSquared purports to do so, but a more measured evaluation finds a December decision unlikely. The current test cycle — hopefully not the final one — just reached its end on November 4 at White Sands Missile Range, under the Air Force’s watchful eye. That testing focused only on “cellular and personal/general navigation” receivers as specified in a September letter from the National Telecommunication and Information Agency. According to unconfirmed reports, this round of testing did not include the JAVAD GNSS precision receiver with a new filter prototype, although LightSquared lobbied strongly to have the potentially bacon-rescuing device included. read more
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