Vehicle Positioning with GNSS — at the Speed of Sound

A team led by led by Seattle, Washington–area aerospace and computer experts is attempting to break the sound barrier to surpass the world land speed record of 763 miles per hour — and they’re using GNSS technology to help them do it.

Vincotech Announces First SiRFstarIV Modules

Vincotech GmbH, based in Unterhaching, Germany, has announced its first module based on CSR’s new SiRFstarIV technology introduced earlier this month.

CSR Unveils Newest SiRFstarIV Family Member

CSR plc. introduced the SiRFstarIV GSD4e GPS location processor, the newest member of the recently launched SiRFstarIV architecture, at the company’s Location 2.0 Summit in San Diego, California, earlier this month.

The GSD4e adds a built-in CPU and innovations such as SiRFGeoRecov technology that are optimized to ensure continuous location awareness in a new breed of digital cameras, portable game consoles, wearable platforms and other consumer devices, without loading the host processor.

CERGAL 2010, GNSS Certification Symposium, Issues Call for Papers

The 2010 CERGAL symposium will take place in the Baltic city of Rostock, in northern Germany, next April 28-29.

This year, the Symposium on Certification of GNSS Systems and Services will concentrate on maritime and inland waterways applications and GNSS testing infrastructure.

In addition to those topics, papers are invited on GNSS system aspects and aviation, road, rail and other special applications. Abstracts are due on November 30, 2009. 

China Will Release Draft Compass/Beidou-2 ICD on ‘Step-by-Step’ Basis

Chinese- and English-language versions of a draft Interface Control Document (ICD) for China’s Compass open service signals have been written and will probably be released within a year, a speaker at the Stanford PNT Symposium said in an October 22 presentation.

Another eLoran Reprieve in the Works?

And then again, maybe not. . . .

The enhanced Loran-C (eLoran) project, which appeared doomed by plans to eliminate the Loran program) following a House-Senate Conference Committee report on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Act, 2010 (H.R. 2892/S. 1298), may have a new lease on life.

Interstate Electronics Introduces New OEM Military GPS Receivers

L-3 Interstate Electronics Corporation IEC) has announced two additional configurations of its miniaturized, hardened GPS TruTrak Evolution receiver and a new configuration of its GPS-based guidance & navigation unit (GNU) Evolution board.

eLoran Appears Doomed Despite Possible GPS Backup Role

Enhanced Loran (eLoran), the proposed backup to GPS that has made a career out of surviving efforts to eliminate its Loran-C foundation, now appears to be only two signatures away from extinction — and both appear likely.

A House-Senate conference committee version of the fiscal year 2010 (FY10) appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) approved October 7 allows for termination of the Loran-C signal on January 4, 2010.

Navman Wireless OEM Launches Jupiter3 GPS Module

Navman Wireless OEM Solutions, based in Foothill Ranch, California, has announced the availability of its new Jupiter3 Ultra-Small GPS Receiver Module, the company’s smallest GPS module (11 x 11 x 2.2 millimeters) and the basis of its next generation of GPS receiver solutions.

Based on SiRF’s GSC3f/LPx chipset, the Jupiter3, is expected to eventually provide the core for all future Navman wireless GPS modules, offering low power consumption (11.5mA ATP), high sensitivity (-159dBm) and modest pricing.