[SatNews] Two manufacturers combining efforts result in...

IFEN, manufacturer of GNSS navigation products and services, working in partnership with WORK Microwave, European manufacturer of advanced satellite communications and navigation equipment, today announced an enhanced version of its NavX®-NCS Professional, a multi-frequency simulator, which is optimized for research and development of GNSS safety and professional applications. The NavX®-NCS range of simulators also includes the NavX®-NCS Essential, a multi-GNSS version which is designed for system integration and production testing of mass market applications, including automotive sat-nav, mobile phone apps, chip-sets, and handheld personal navigation devices (PNDs).

By adding new features to the NavX®-NCS Professional, IFEN and WORK Microwave now provide the most flexible and capable RF signal generator for GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, and SBAS constellations on the market. With up to nine L-band frequencies and 108 channels, it redefines the current state-of-the-art in RF signal simulation by offering modular hardware that delivers more than twice the number of channels compared with competitor products.

The three key enhancements to the NavX®-NCS Professional include:

• Multi-RF Outputs — While most standard GNSS services can only simulate one or two simultaneous reception antennas, the NavX®-NCS Professional provides the ultimate flexibility by giving users the capability to simulate two, three, or four multi-GNSS receptors from a single unit. Users can also upgrade to additional RF output options later.
• Ultra Smooth Doppler Shift Update — Simulated Doppler shift is now capable of operating at a rate greater than 15 MHz, allowing for unparalleled smooth signal simulation even when simulating high-dynamic trajectories.
• RTCM Correction Data — The receiver can be integrated with the control computer, enabling users to receive RTCM information on the fly. RTCM minimizes the effects of atmospheric and satellite errors on position determination by using the radio signals from each of the GPS satellites to measure pseudo-ranges to these satellites. Because the exact locations of the satellites and the reference receiver are known, NavX®-NCS Professional determines the difference between the actual and the expected pseudo-ranges, providing highly accurate, simultaneous RTCM information at a user's fingertips.

In addition to the new features listed above, the NavX®-NCS platform includes a two-year maintenance contract, the broadest range of frequencies and satellite navigation systems per chassis, as well as the flexibility for users to easily install software updates when they become available, making it the most cost-effective multi-GNSS available today. "The NavX®-NCS Professional is used by many satisfied customers in universities and research bodies, receiver manufacturers, and defense organizations," said Dr. Guenter Heinrichs, head of customer applications at IFEN. "Its advanced technology features and flexibility enables users to fulfill their needs in testing high-precision professional applications across a very wide range of fields." IFEN will demonstrate the enhanced NavX®-NCS Professional at the Satellite Navigation Summit in Munich, March 13-15. Look for IFEN at booth 7.