OxTS (Oxford Technical Solutions), a global experts in inertial navigation and GNSS technology, has announced the recent release of NAVsuite 3.13, along with updated firmware for its GNSS/INS devices. Designed to maximize performance and functionality, the new updates include innovative features that address challenges in automotive testing, surveying, and autonomous vehicle development.
Key Features of OxTS NAVsuite 3.13
The latest release introduces several advancements aimed at improving positioning accuracy, reliability, and efficiency:
- Wheel Speed Aiding via CAN: Reduce position drift during open-road data collection without relying on external sensors like LiDAR or cameras.
- Enhanced GNSS Availability: Updates include:
- TerraStar-C PRO and TerraStar-X services for RT3000 v3 and RT3000 T v4 products, offering improved convergence time, accuracy, and recovery.
- Protection against ionospheric scintillation, enhancing GNSS signal strength around the equator during solar activity peaks.
- SBAS support for RT3000 v4, xNAV650, AV200, and xRED3000, providing sub-meter accuracy with satellite-based corrections.
- FTP File Transfer Restart: Minimize data loss by resuming interrupted FTP transfers, streamlining large-scale data retrieval.
- Indoor Hotstart Initialization: Enable INS initialization indoors for autonomous vehicles starting in covered depots or garages.
Improving Position Drift with Wheel Speed Aiding
NAVsuite 3.13 introduces the option to use wheel speed data from a vehicle’s CAN bus to aid the inertial navigation system (INS). This feature is particularly useful for mitigating position drift in challenging GNSS environments, such as areas with tree cover, tunnels, or urban canyons. The configurable feature in NAVconfig enhances navigation data quality without the need for external sensors.
Boosting GNSS Availability and Accuracy
OxTS systems are fully GNSS-aided, and the firmware update enhances receiver performance across multiple product lines:
- RT3000 v3 and RT3000 T v4: Access to TerraStar-C PRO and TerraStar-X correction services provides significant improvements in accuracy, recovery, and convergence time. Enhanced protection against ionospheric scintillation further ensures reliable signal strength in equatorial regions.
- RT3000 v4, xNAV650, AV200, and xRED3000: Support for SBAS and MSM3 receiver modes delivers greater correction availability and base station flexibility.
Streamlined Data Management
Long-term data collection projects benefit from FTP REST command support, which enables interrupted transfers to resume from a specified point. This eliminates the need for continuous sessions, improving efficiency and reliability in data retrieval.
Enabling Indoor Navigation for Autonomous Applications
The new hotstart initialization feature allows the INS to resume navigation indoors using generic aiding data (GAD) and PTP slave timing, ensuring accurate positioning even without GNSS. This is ideal for autonomous vehicles operating in depots or enclosed facilities.
OxTS: Two Decades of Navigation Expertise
Since its founding in 1998, OxTS has established itself as a leader in GNSS/INS solutions for industries ranging from automotive testing to surveying and mapping. OxTS systems provide critical measurements like position, roll, pitch, heading, and more for land, sea, and air applications.
The company’s flagship RT3000 series is widely adopted by automotive manufacturers for vehicle dynamics testing, ADAS validation, and autonomous vehicle development. Meanwhile, its compact GNSS/INS systems are essential for mobile mapping and airborne surveying, enabling precise georeferencing and sensor orientation.
For more details on NAVsuite 3.13 and OxTS products, visit www.oxts.com.
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