Spirent supports all 3GPP AGPS testing, provide A-GPS testing for China
Spirent UMTS Location Test System now supports full certification testing of the 3G Partnership Project's, Assisted GPS, RF Minimum Performance test cases for both W-CDMA and GSM devices. Those AGPS testing standards include RF performance, signaling conformance
and Secure User Plane Application Enabler. Spirent has signed with China Telecommunications Technology Labs for assisted-GPS testing in China. CTTL will use the Spirent ULTS Location Test System as its standard platform for various testing. www.spirent.com

Fast, affordable scanning solution by Contex
Contex, and VIDAR, a Contex Group company, have launched the SD Series user-friendly scanners with all-new enhanced CIS technology. It is ideal for customers who primarily scan technical documents and maps. The SD Series’ ability to separate fine lines and details in technical documents delivers the sharpness that customers in architecture, AEC, GIS, and copy and reprographics shops require.

GPS Industries signs master supply agreement with GPSi Asia
GPSi Asia and GPS Industries has signed a Master Supply Agreement for sales in China. It will purchase 15 or more systems or up to 1,750 Inforemer HD Mobile Display Units.As per the agreement, it has advanced an initial deposit to GPSI to initiate production of the first 5 systems and to obtain preferred pricing. www.gpsindustries.com

New Asia-Pacific office for Rolta
The Indian geospatial company Rolta has opened an office in Sydney to be the headquarters of its Asia Pacific operations. The company track record spans 25 years and has market capitalisation of over a billion dollars and now operates on six continents.

NAVTEQ signs new deal with MapQuest
NAVTEQ has agreed with MapQuest, to have access to all 73 countries in the NAVTEQ map database, as well as future country releases. MapQuest will utilize NAVTEQ data in both its Internet and mobile applications.

TomTom wins EU approval for Tele Atlas acquisition
TomTom and Tele Atlas have received unconditional clearance from the European Commission for the proposed acquisition by TomTom of Tele Atlas. This merger "would not significantly impede effective competition” stated EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes.

Optech lidar technology delivers weather reports from mars
The Phoenix Mars lander made a dramatic landing on the Red Planet on Sunday, May 25th after a journey of 10 months and hundreds of millions of miles through deep space. The first lidar results from Mars arrived late in the evening of May 28th, amid cheers and applause from NASA officials .The Phoenix lidar was designed and built by Optech in partnership with MDA Space Missions, with funding from the Canadian Space Agency. The analytical lidar, which probes the atmosphere above the lander, is the first of its kind to be sent to another world.

A new receiver with exceptional navigation capabilities

NovAtel Inc. has recently launched SPAN-CPT™, a powerful GPS/ INS receiver. It has fiber optic gyro and MEMS accelerometer inertial components from KVH Industries in one compact unit. Comprised entirely of commercial components, it has no special export restrictions, minimizing the operational complexities for customers whose products cross international boundaries. Mr. Jason Hamilton, product manager for SPAN group talks more about the receiver.

What is so unique about SPAN -CPT receivers
SPAN-CPT brings together NovAtel’s high-accuracy, dual frequency GPS
technology with high-performance Fiber Optic Gyro IMU to create a combined GPS/INS product. Unlike some products that have the GPS and INS as separate hardware components, SPAN-CPT has the GPS and IMU combined into a single, compact enclosure. The product will have the tightly-coupled GPS/INS integration already familiar to users of our SPAN technology which gives customers an optimal combination of GPS and IMU data. SPAN allows for faster satellite reacquisition during difficult GPS tracking scenarios and excellent absolute solution accuracy in challenging conditions. Solution data will be available at up to 100Hz.

What kind of applications these receivers will be best used for?
The product will be usable for applications that require robust positioning in environments thatare traditionally difficult for GPS, like urban or forested locations; applications that require a full attitude output (roll, pitch, heading) and high output data rates. Applications for the product include manned or unmanned navigation, antenna pointing, mapping, aerial or ground survey and machine control. For applications where a local base station is not feasible, L-Band corrections using the Omnistar correction service is available.

What is your collaboration with KVH Industries in developing these receivers?
NovAtel is providing the GPS side the product in the form of our OEMV receiver. KVH is providing the IMU for the system using their patented FOG IMU technology. The software in the system will leverage NovAtel’s tightly coupled SPAN GPS/INS integration.

The companies are both OEM-focused and have a strong track record in providing robust, high-quality products to their customer bases. Both parties are excited about the opportunities this new product provides for our customers.