Aceinna has launched a $150 high precision navigation chip for autonomous vehicles that it claims rivals the performance of $10,000 systems.
The new Aceinna OpenRTK module is said to be “highly accurate, extremely reliable, smaller, easier to integrate, and far less expensive”.
Aceinna says its OpenRTK330L is the only solution on the market to integrate a triple-band RTK/GNSS receiver and a triple-redundant inertial sensor enhancing the safety of autonomous systems.
The company says the system greatly reduces the cost for developers creating mission-critical guidance and navigation systems for autonomous vehicles – robots, drones, industrial, construction, and agricultural machinery.
Aceinna says the OpenRTK330L can replace the expensive and bulky precision RTK/INS systems used in today’s autonomous systems. Available in quantity for about $150 each as compared to $10,000-plus systems currently utilized to generate the same result.
Dr Yang Zhao, CEO of Aceinna, says: “Remarkably accurate, compact, reliable and cost-effective, this GNSS/INS solution is the holy grail product that will enable the development, manufacturing and 24/7 operation of autonomous vehicles that are not only safe, but can accurately guide themselves from location to location.
“The OpenRTK Precise Positioning Engine optimizes satellite tracking and high RTK fixes rates while integrating seamlessly with Aceinna’s open-source, developer-friendly Open Navigation Platform.”
In addition, the new Aceinna OpenRTK330L is the only solution on the market to integrate a triple-band RTK/GNSS receiver and a triple-redundant inertial sensor enhancing the safety of Autonomous Systems.
Michael Murray, executive VP at Aceinna, says: “In January 2020, the Aceinna test vehicle drove from the Bay Area to the CES 2020 event in Las Vegas using this new module.
“Along the way, the Aceinna engineers tracked its path and accuracy. When later compared to the recorded location data generated by the $10,000 ‘industry gold standard’ system in the trunk of the car, the results were close to identical.
“This means that is finally possible for developers to create autonomous devices and vehicles at an affordable price point.”
Some technical details
Aceinna’s OpenRTK330L includes a triple-band RTK/GNSS receiver coupled with redundant inertial sensor arrays to provide cm-level accuracy, enhanced reliability, and superior performance during GNSS outages.
The OpenRTK330L integrates a very precise 1.5 Degree/Hour IMU to offer 10 to 30 seconds of high accuracy localization during full GNSS denial.
The OpenRTK330L’s embedded Ethernet interface allows easy and direct connection to GNSS correction networks around the world. OpenRTK330L’s CAN bus interface allows simple integration into existing vehicle architectures.
The multi-band GNSS receiver can monitor all global constellations (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, NAVIC, SBAS) and simultaneously track up to 80 channels.
The module has RF and baseband support for the L1, L2, and L5 GPS bands and their international constellation signal equivalents.
By integrating a triple-redundant IMU array, the OpenRTK330L is able to recognize and utilize only valid sensor data, ensuring high-accuracy protection limits and certifiability under ISO26262 standards.
Aceinna’s unique triple redundant 6-Axis IMU array uses a total of 9 accelerometer and 9 rate gyro channels.
The OpenRTK330L is supported by Aceinna’s Open Navigation Platform allowing custom embedded application development on top of Aceinna’s proven positioning engine and dead-reckoning algorithms.
The Aceinna OpenRTK330L hardware also includes, Ethernet, UART, SPI and CAN interfaces for versatile integration into a host system.
Additional specifications include operating temperature range of -40C to +85C, and qualification to standard automotive shock and vibration levels.
