Performance of a deeply coupled commercial grade GPS/INS system from KVH and NovAtel Inc.

Abstract

NovAtel Inc. and KVH Industries have jointly developed a commercial grade, single enclosure GPS/INS system. The integrated KVH CG-5100 IMU features fiber-optic gyros and MEMs accelerometers, and provides inertial data at 100 Hz. NovAtelpsilas OEMV3 receiver is the GPS engine. Weighing 5.2 lbs, the combined system will feature the tightly coupled architecture that is a key characteristic of NovAtelpsilas SPAN (Synchronized Position Attitude Navigation) technology. The GPS receiver provides aiding information for the INS, and is reciprocally aided by feedback from the INS to improve signal tracking. The feedback from the INS to the GPS engine is the deeply coupled aspect of the system. It is also tightly coupled. GPS measurements are used to update the INS filter, providing high quality aiding information whenever there are least two satellites available. The combined system has an optional wheel sensor, which is used to further aid the INS during times of reduced GPS availability in land vehicle applications.