Everyone wants their GNSS-aided inertial navigation system (GNSS/INS) to stand up to the rigours of everyday use. But when everyday use involves high altitudes, freezing temperatures, and the risk of lightning, water, ice, or impacts, you need something a little bit more specialised, like a DO-160 certified navigation system.
That’s why, when we released the newest RT3000 GNSS/INS earlier this year, we also introduced an aerospace-grade version, the RT3000 v4 DO-160. And today, we’re excited to share that the RT3000 v4 DO-160 has passed 18 of the 23 tests of the DO-160 avionics standard, giving it the widest coverage of any MEMs-based GNSS/INS on the market.
In this article we’re explaining a little more about what that means for organisations working in the aerospace and intelligence gathering spaces.
The DO-160 standard – a quick recap
DO-160, Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment is a standard for the environmental testing of avionics hardware. It ensures that hardware can withstand a variety of extreme conditions, including:
Altitude
Extreme Temperatures
Fungus
Humidity
Salt Fog
Sand and Dust
Vibration
Waterproofness
The standard also ensures hardware is protected against disruption from magnetic forces, power interruption, and voltage spikes.
The RT3000 v4 DO-160 has passed 18 of the 23 tests in the standard, meaning that it can take almost anything the world can throw at it. It’s ideal for aerospace applications, as well as other hazardous environments such as mining.
Centimetre-level accuracy in all but the harshest of conditions
Like the RT3000 v4, the DO-160 version uses a mixture of cutting-edge technology, precise calibration, and advanced processing algorithms to deliver performance normally associated with fibre-optic gyroscope (FOG) or ring laser gyroscope (RLG) technology. It does this using a MEMS-based IMU making the RT3000 v4 DO-160 far more affordable than other GNSS/INS systems typically used in these applications, without compromising on accuracy.
IMU10 technology – The RT3000 v4 DO-160 uses our latest IMU10 to deliver very precise measurements. Combined with the dual GNSS antenna capabilities of the GNSS/INS, this technology gives centimetre-level position accuracy, and heading, yaw, pitch and roll accuracy to tenths of a degree. Crucially, each GNSS/INS is individually calibrated based on its own unique characteristics (rather than running through a uniform calibration process). So, if you’re looking to outfit a fleet of airframes, vehicles, or autonomous platforms, you can be confident that each RT3000 v4 DO-160 will behave the same.
Preserving accuracy in GNSS-denied areas
Whether you’re trying to operate in urban areas, underground, or in areas where GNSS-jamming technology is being used, there’s never been a greater focus on navigating accurately without GNSS data. The RT3000 v4 DO-160 has been designed to support GNSS-denied navigation in multiple ways:
The OxTS GAD Interface enables you to connect additional sensors and feed their data into the INS’ navigation engine to provide an alternative to GNSS position updates. Just about any aiding sensor can be integrated, including airspeed sensors, wheelspeed sensors, LiDAR, and camera-based odometry.
gx/ix tight-coupling is an algorithm that helps preserve accuracy in situations where not enough satellites are available to provide a standard position update to the INS. Ideal for urban canyons or mountainous regions where satellites are obscured.
ITAR-free and scalable
Crucially for those looking to ship their products worldwide, the RT3000 v4 DO-160 is ITAR-free, so you can export it with no additional paperwork or record-keeping. Combined with its affordable price, the RT3000 DO-160 is ideally suited for creating commercially viable UAVs, drones, or autonomous vehicles that need to provide high levels of accuracy in extreme environments.
An INS built for UAV innovation
OxTS already has extensive experience supporting autonomous vehicle projects, so when we started working on DO-160 compliant GNSS/INS we were conscious of the applications for the technology beyond manned aircraft. To support that, we’ve built a MAVlink interface that allows you to seamlessly connect your GNSS/INS and sensors to autopilot systems such as Pixhawk.
Download the RT3000 v4 DO-160 datasheet
