GNSS suite pinpoints positions to the cm
Two GNSS (global navigation satellite system) correction service receivers and the firmware-upgraded ZED-F9P high precision GNSS receiver enable scalable positioning systems with centimetre-level accuracies in seconds, says u-blox.
The positioning and wireless communication technologies and services company has unveiled the suite of products which feature additions that simplify access to centimetre-level positioning accuracies for the industrial navigation and robotics markets.
The upgraded ZED-F9P GNSS receiver module and the corresponding NEO-D9S
and NEO-D9C GNSS correction data receivers offer flexibility in assembling scalable systems for specific use case, including robotic lawnmowers, unmanned autonomous vehicles (UAV), and semi-automated or fully automated machinery, says u-blox.
The company has also add correction service receivers which offer broad geographical coverage across Europe, the continental US and Japan
The software-upgraded u-blox ZED-F9P-04B GNSS receiver is the first to support a secure SPARTN GNSS correction data format. It connects seamlessly to the NEO-D9S and NEO-D9C GNSS correction service receiver modules that stream correction data from communication satellites. The u-blox NEO-D9S will initially cover the European and US markets before rolling out to the other areas of the globe. Meanwhile, the u-blox NEO-D9C will cover Japan.
The NEO-D9S receives correction data using the SSR SPARTN data format over the satellite L-band channel. It uses cryptography to securely deliver PPP-RTK GNSS correction data, such as that offered by u-blox’s PointPerfect service.
The NEO-D9C leverages the subscription-free Centimetre-Level Augmentation Service (CLAS) broadcast over mainland Japan and provided by the Japanese QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System) constellation on the L6 band channel.
Pairing the ZED-F9P with the NEO-D9C or the NEO-D9S correction data receiver enables customers to save data transmission cost and operational efforts, advises u-blox.
ZED-F9P-04B offers a new feature called protection level, which increases the trust applications can place in its position output. By continuously outputting the upper bound of the maximum likely positioning error, referred to as the protection level, the receiver lets autonomous applications, such as UAVs, make efficient real time path planning, increasing the quality of their operations.
In the case of robotic lawnmowers, the increased accuracy and reliability of the position will, for example, allow to do away with boundary wires, which are buried under the turf to delimit the mowing area. The ZED-F9P-04B will allow lawnmowers to systematically cover a plot based on a digital map, as opposed to the random mowing approach that is commonly used today, says u-blox.
First samples of these products are available today, in professional and automotive grade. The correction data receivers will be available in automotive grade for the automotive markets.
