GPS World articles from March 2005

GPS World archives from March 2005

On second thought.(policy for global positioning system)(Editorial)
March 1, 2005... A couple of months ago I expressed generally favorable sentiments regarding the recent presidential policy on Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Time (PNT)--for all practical purposes, management of the Global Positioning System and its...

Advisory Board update.(Jingnan Liu joined GPS World Editorial Advisory Board)
March 1, 2005... Professor Jingnan Liu, president of Wuhan University and director of the China National Engineering Research Center for Satellite Positioning Systems, has joined the GPS World Editorial Advisory Board. Prof. Liu graduated from the former...

L2C, M-code signals will appear soon.(new civil and military )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... If all goes as planned, the first GPS Block IIR-M (replenishment-modernized) satellite will soon be in orbit, providing new signals for civil and military users. The first of the Lockheed Martin-built GPS space vehicles has reached the...

Alcatel, Finmeccanica combine space businesses.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Alcatel and Finmeccanica have signed a final agreement to merge their space activities through the creation of two joint ventures companies, combining their respective satellite-focused industrial and service activities. The two companies are...

Galileo concession decision expected.(launch of global navigation satellite system, Galileo Joint Undertaking)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... A decision is expected soon from the Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU) as to which of two consortia will receive the opportunity to negotiate for a concession contract to deploy and operate the European global navigation satellite system (GNSS)....

Got game? GPS-enabled mobile gaming blurs the fantasy/reality line.(global positioning system, SiRF Technology Inc. )
March 1, 2005... Bleep.... Bleep.... Bleep. Old enough to remember Pong? With Pong came the advent of TV-based gaming, a multi-million dollar industry that today occupies the days, minds and hearts of millions of children (and of quite a few so-called...

C-MAC has low-cost 'off-the-shelf' TCXOs at [+ or -]0.5 ppm: -40[degrees] to +85[degrees]C temperature range.
March 1, 2005... Highly cost competitive, lead-free TCXOs, stable to [+ or -]0.5 ppm from -40[degrees] to +85[degrees]C, have been introduced by C-MAC. Packaged as 7 X 5 and 5 X 3.2 mm SMDs, the new CFPT-126 and CFPT-127 come in standard frequencies from 10 to...

Experienced manufacturing partner, trusted across the world.
March 1, 2005... Most electronics innovators need to outsource some or all of their manufacturing, but finding a suitable partner is a major challenge. A particular EMS provider may appear cost effective, but can it provide the co-development support and...

70 years in frequency control pays dividends!
March 1, 2005... C-MAC Frequency Products' 70-year history in the manufacture of quartz-based components gives it an understanding of crystal performance that is unrivalled in the electronics industry. Besides being an acknowledged world leader at the high end...

A new policy for GPS.(global positioning system)
March 1, 2005... Following a year of interagency review and deliberation, U.S. President George W. Bush has issued a Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) policy focused on the Global Positioning System and its augmentations. Jeffrey N. Shane,...

Highlights of a new GPS policy.(global positioning system)(Editorial)
March 1, 2005... Editor's note: The following text represents key passages from the U.S. Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Policy (PNT) issued by President George Bush on December 15, 2004. A fact sheet on the new directive, which contains the...

Interoperability on time: GPS-Galileo offset will bias position.(global positioning system)
March 1, 2005... The offset between GPS and Galileo system timescales will cause a bias between GPS and Galileo measurements in combined navigation equipment and, consequently, lessen the accuracy of user position and time solutions. This article reviews...

The enemy inside GPS jammed by room, host, self.(global positioning systems)
March 1, 2005... To utilize signals transmitted through or reflected off walls, indoor GPS receivers require sensitivities 20dB below that of older, conventional receivers. At these levels, jamming may come from low-power sources in the room, in the equipment,...

Summit back talk: the audience turns up the heat.(GNSS Summit 2004)(Panel Discussion)
March 1, 2005... The rapid convergence of location and telecommunication technologies, and market aspects of impending GPS-Galileo interoperability--these were the hot topics among attendees at the GNSS Summit, hosted by GPS World and SiRF Technology. The...

Future GNSS performance: predictions using GPS with a Virtual Galileo constellation.(global positioning system, global navigation satellite system)
March 1, 2005... THE GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM IS A MARVEL OF 20TH CENTURY ENGINEERING. WITH IT, WE CAN FIND lost children, track shipping containers, and navigate aircraft. However, it has limitations such as the difficulty in acquiring signals in natural or...

The robots' great race: a $2 million DARPA derby in the desert.(United States. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency)
March 1, 2005... Double your money, double your fun. That rationale seems to work for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). When the $1 million Grand Challenge 2004 prize for autonomous navigation of a 150-mile course went unclaimed, the agency...

Enhanced GPS from Trimble, Cambridge.(Cambridge Positioning Systems Ltd., Trimble Navigation Ltd.)
March 1, 2005... Sunnyvale, California-based Trimble has partnered with the United Kingdom's Cambridge Positioning Systems Ltd. (CPS) to develop Enhanced GPS (E-GPS) location solutions for wireless networks and mobile device markets. E-GPS technology will...

Leica, NovAtel SmartStation.(Leica Geosystems AG new service station)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Leica Geosystems AG of Heerbrugg, Switzerland, has developed a high-performance total station with integrated RTK GPS technology. Leica's SmartStation consists of a TPS1200 total station and SmartAntenna located collinear with the vertical axis...

u-blox TIM-LL low-power mod.(new global positioning system receivers)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Thalwil, Switzerland-based u-blox has released its TIM-LL GPS receiver module with Antaris positioning technology. An upgrade of u-blox's TIM-LP module introduced in 2003, the 16-channel TIM-LL delivers high sensitivity and DGPS and WAAS/EGNOS...

Cobra upgrades in-vehicle Nav.(Cobra Electronics Corp.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Chicago-based Cobra Electronics Corp. has upgraded its NavOne 3000 Mobile Navigation System embedding a 12-parallel channel SiRFstarlle/LP GPS receiver with SiRFXTrac high sensitivity software for stated position accuracy within 10 meters....

Maptuit geofencing.(new global positioning system)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Maptuit Corp. of Burlington, Massachusetts, has integrated geofencing capabilities into its FleetNav and TrackServ ASP technologies. Designed for hazardous material transporters requiring security of their assets at all times, the geofencing...

Fugawi software Map of America.(GPS INSIDE)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Toronto-based Fugawi has released its Map of America GPS mapping software, with versions for Palm OS and Pocket PC handheld devices. With United States Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps covering the continental United States, Map of...

Ricoh GPS-ready digital camera.(GPS INSIDE)
March 1, 2005... Ricoh Corp. of San Bernardino, California, has developed a GPS-enabled 3.34 megapixel digital camera designed to provide GIS users with a way to integrate images into mapping applications. The Pro G3 automatically embeds captured images with...

WebTech acquires GlobeTrac LBS.(WebTech Wireless Inc., location-based services)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada-based WebTech Wireless has acquired GlobeTrac Inc.'s location-based services (LBS) and fleet telematics services accounts in Europe for an undisclosed amount. Formerly a distributor of WebTech solutions and...

CBSi to Bounce GPS with Panther Trak.(global positioning system, CBSi Holdings Inc., Irvine Sensors Corp. contract)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... CBSi Holdings Inc. has ordered $3 million worth of Panther Trak GPS tracking devices with embedded GPS receivers from Irvine, California-based DataLogic International Corp. to support the launch of startup subsidiary BounceGPS. Panther...

LSI Logic licenses Athena Technology.(GPS INSIDE)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... LSI Logic Corp. of Milpitas, California, has executed a license agreement with Athena Group of Gainesville, Florida, giving LSI and its clients access to Athena Digital Excision Processor Technology. Athena's ADEPT is designed to remove GPS...

EasyPocketNav.com selling OnCourse.(GPS INSIDE)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... EasyPocketNav.com will sell OnCourse Navigator 4 GPS software. Based on Navigon's technology platform, OnCourse turns Microsoft-powered Pocket PCs into voice-guided navigation systems for in-vehicle and pedestrian applications. Navigon...

CSI Wireless Inc.(new wireless device)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... CSI Wireless Inc., a Calgary, Alberta, Canada-based manufacturer of wireless and GPS systems, recently shipped its 500,000th wireless device.

ICECom 2005.(EVENTS)
March 1, 2005... The 18th International Conference on Applied Electromagnetics and Communications (ICECom 2005) will be held in Dubrovnik, Croatia, October 12-14, Organized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Royal Institute...

Call for papers IEEE-UFFC/PTTI.(EVENTS)
March 1, 2005... The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' (IEEE's) Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control Society (UFFC) holds its international frequency control symposium and PDA exhibition jointly with the Precise Time and Time...

Erratum.(Correction Notice)
March 1, 2005... The GPS Receiver Survey published in the January issue incorrectly attributed L2C capability to the 5700, 5800, 5800 Rover, 5700 Total Station, and BD950 Trimble receivers. That capability is featured only on Trimble R8, R7, and Net RS...

GPS manufacturers report sales growth.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... Garmin, Leica, NovAtel, SiRF, and Trimble all reported revenue growth in their last fiscal quarters. San Jose, California-based SiRF Technology, Inc. reported a 60-percent hike in annual revenues ($117.4 million versus $73.1 million); net...

CMC takes NovAtel profit, divests.(CMC Electronics Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... CMC Electronics Inc. of Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada, the former majority owner of NovAtel Inc., has reduced its holding in the GPS manufacturer from approximately 55 percent to 16 percent. The change took place between January 3 and...

Stock tracker.(Illustration)
March 1, 2005... STOCK TRACKER JAN. 14, 2005 COMPANY STOCK MARKET SYMBOL ADJ. CLOSE CSI Wireless Inc. Toronto Stock Exchange CSY.TO 3.96 Garmin Ltd....

GPS + antenna.(RECEIVER TECHNOLOGY)
March 1, 2005... San Jose Navigation's stamp-size FV-28 GPS module has an integrated antenna, comes with built-in batteries and provides TTL, USB and RS-232 signal output levels. Offering high sensitivity (-139 dBm in acquisition mode and -149 dBm in tracking...

Dead reckoning GPS.(RECEIVER TECHNOLOGY)
March 1, 2005... Tyco Electronics has added dead reckoning (DR) capabilities to its smallest GPS modules, the A1029A and A1029B. After initially implementing DR on its A1030 GPS receiver supporting EGNOS, WAAS and data storage, the company upgraded its two...

EMI filters.(RECEIVER TECHNOLOGY)
March 1, 2005... Spectrum Control has developed a line of surface-mount electromagnetic interference (EMI) filters for GPS devices, RF amplifiers, PDAs, cell phones, and a host of other applications. Designed to address EMI at the printed circuit board level,...

Tracking Signal enhancer.(TRACKING & WIRELESS)
March 1, 2005... JDTeck's Dual Band Signal Amplifier improves reception on the cellular uplink for GPS tracking, The system picks up ambient signals in the area that tracking devices typically register as very weak reception or "no service" and boost the...

Asset tracking.(TRACKING & WIRELESS)
March 1, 2005... The Globalstar Quick Locate Service is designed to enable businesses and individuals to track assets that are remotely located or are in areas not covered by traditional wireless services. Companies can choose between one of two...

Mobile logging device.(TRACKING & WIRELESS)
March 1, 2005... Neve introduces its StepLogger mobile GPS-GSM-GPRS device delivering logging and/or tracking of positions up to four times per second. The 95 X 45 X 25-millimeter StepLogger utilizes a 16-channel u-blox TIM-LC GPS receiver and an internal...

Tilt Sensor.(GPS-RELATED HARDWARE)
March 1, 2005... Spectron's hermetically sealed SP5000 and AU6000 Dual-Axis Electrolytic Tilt Sensors are geared for OEMs and feature a PC board mountable design, no moving parts and a symmetrical pin architecture eliminating installation orientation issues. A...

Inspection system.(GPS-RELATED HARDWARE)
March 1, 2005... The GPS-enabled ike 100 from Surveylab adds pictures to GIS applications. The 260 X 110 X 70-millimeter, 957-gram device includes a 12-channel NovAtel GPS receiver, a Pocket PC 2003 computer, and an integrated digital camera. An embedded...

Inertial Measurement Unit.(GPS-RELATED HARDWARE)
March 1, 2005... The Multisensor Inertial Measurement Unit (MIMU) from BAE Systems provides fully compensated measurements of vehicle angular rates and linear accelerations that are suitable for stabilization, navigation, autopilot guidance, and control. The...

Positioning system simulator.(GPS-RELATED SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2005... Nottingham Scientific's NEMO is a software-based positioning system simulator that analyses the performance of systems across a geographic service area for expected accuracy, integrity, availability, and continuity. NEMO reportedly will analyze...

GIS tools.(GPS-RELATED SOFTWARE)
March 1, 2005... IBM's DB2 Geodetic Extender software manages geospatial information referenced by latitude-longitude coordinates. Providing GIS data storage and mining capabilities, the application supports global geographic queries without the limitations...

Calendar 2005.(Calendar)
March 1, 2005... MARCH 14-15 CGSIC European Meeting Prague, Czech Republic. European meeting of the International Subcommittee of the Civil GPS Service Interface Committee(CGSIC). See www.navcen.uscg.gov/cgsic/meetings/. MARCH 14-16 CTIA...