NaviGadget

Company develops system that uses GPS, GLONASS and Galileo Satellites

Feb 17, 2006 gps navigation, misc news

Topcon Positioning Systems, a developer and manufacturer of positioning equipment recently announced the Paradigm G3 chip, a new technology that sets the standard for the future of satellite positioning.

The new Topcon G3 technology adds the soon-to-be-available European Union Galileo satellite constellation, which will eventually have a total of more than 30 satellites. The G3 chip with its patented Universal Signal Tracking capabilities has 72 universal channels that can receive signals from up to 36 satellites simultaneously.
The advantages of Topcon’s Paradigm G3 are numerous and include:
• Tracks all signals from all available satellite positioning systems now and in the future to provide seamless positioning information.
• Patented new generation firmware is designed to dynamically adjust to satellites with best signal strength.
• High rate signal sampling delivers industry leading performance and accuracy.
• Streamlined chip profile – 75 percent smaller than current chips, enabling small, lighter receiver design.
• Unmatched tracking capabilities in difficult environments reduce signal degradation.
• G3 incorporates more channels and uses less power, guaranteeing full workdays on a single charge.

The first Galileo satellite, a demonstration and testing model launched December 28, sets the stage for additional satellite launches in 2006 and beyond. In a related development, users of Topcon Positioning Systems GPS+ technology and equipment can now access three additional navigational satellites in the GLONASS system following a Christmas Day launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
The launch, which increased the number of GLONASS satellites to 17 (with GPS, the total number of satellites available to Topcon customers to 41), is the first of a series of satellite placements the Russian Federal Space Agency has scheduled in the next two years to bring the GLONASS satellite system to full deployment.
Two of the satellites are the new M-series, which has a longer orbit-life – seven to eight years – compared to about three years for older models. Future launches will include GLONASS satellites that are designed to orbit for up to 10 years.
How does “more satellites” relate to assisting Topcon customers on the job site? Having access to all satellites available virtually eliminates job site downtime, making workdays more productive, and adding to a company’s bottom line.
The development of the G3 technology and Paradigm chip further solidifies Topcon’s reputation as the global leader in designing and manufacturing the most innovative satellite positioning technologies to meet the constantly changing demands facing the civil engineering and construction industry…read