Image: Sapcorda

GNSS augmentation solution targets North America and Europe with safe and precise centimeter-level accuracy performance from two geostationary satellites.

Sapcorda Services GmbH is now testing its GNSS augmentation services for the L-band signal in North America and Europe. The testing lays the foundation for a Dec. 1 launch of what Sapcorda said will be the strongest, most reliable GNSS augmentation signal for safety-critical navigation in autonomous vehicles and machinery.

Available in areas without GSM coverage or mobile internet signal, the new Sapcorda L-band beam solutions from two geostationary satellites provide PPP-RTK data-feed redundancy in real-time by swapping to a second data feed when internet connectivity is not available. This automated swapping significantly improves reliability for life-critical applications such as autonomous cars.

“To use GNSS in mass-market safety-critical applications, manufacturers need GNSS augmentation services that provide correction data with safety-critical positioning,” said Botho zu Eulenburg, CEO, Sapcorda. “By expanding our SAPA services with L-band transmission, we enable a high-power correction data stream for homogeneous performance and end-to-end data security with continental coverage in the United States and Europe — thus improving accuracy, reducing convergence time, and enabling the use of lower-cost receivers and antennae.”

The Sapcorda L-band signal will be transmitted in the open SPARTN format, a format specifically developed for IP-based and geostationary satellite distributions. It will be invaluable for safety-critical applications in automotive (such as V2X and autonomous driving, AD/ADAS) and maritime, as well as a wide variety of uses across sectors such as industrial, robotics and drones.

The L-band satellite beam coverage will be available on December 1, 2020. Sapcorda’s safe and precise augmentation (SAPA) service will broadcast SAPA Basic and SAPA Premium correction data streams.

These data streams feature:

• 99.9% service availability with fast convergence and an accuracy of less than 10 cm, delivering the precision required for safety- and life-critical applications
• Redundancy through dual data streams when internet connectivity isn’t available, ensuring uninterrupted broadcast streaming
• Demodulation by any L-band demodulator on the market, simplifying hardware design and reducing bill of materials
• Availability of service coverage areas in North America and Europe, allowing manufacturers to use a single GNSS augmentation services’ solution for major global regions
• Distributed in the same open format as IP-delivery channels (SPARTN)

Sapcorda’s SAPA services are supported by experienced engineering teams dedicated to systems integrators and enterprise business customers. The Basic and Premium SAPA services for L-band signal operation begins in both regions on Dec. 1.