Defining the Problem

For years Inertial Labs has produced high accuracy Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) at the world’s best price-performance ratio. An INS estimates the position, attitude, and velocity using the gyroscopes and accelerometers contained inside an inertial measurement unit (IMU). Position accuracy can be greatly improved when the INS is aided by Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). However, GNSS is not always available. Customer requirements demand for better performance of an INS during a GNSS outage. Outages can be caused by tunnels, urban canyons, roads under bridges, etc. 

Affordable and Hassle-Free Solutions for Obsolete Sensors

Companies that adopted the first microelectromechanical (MEMS) accelerometers and inertial measurement sensors in the 1990s have struggled to find affordable solutions to replace sensors that have been discontinued due to the advent of newer technologies. Although the newer generations of sensors feature exponential performance improvements and are available at a drastically reduced cost, they often are not configured to work with existing software, interfaces, or housing. However, with MEMS devices now being able to compete with many fiber-optic systems, a new market is on the rise for replacing dated sensors that may or may not be commercially available anymore. Inertial Labs offers options to customize sensors so that customers don’t need to invest time to make them fit into existing systems

Introduction

A shift towards a new generation of advanced Command Post Terminals (CPT) is happening gradually on several frontiers. This new generation, known as the Family of Advanced Beyond-Line-of-Sight Terminals (FAB-T) is expanding upon existing foundations by adding new software and hardware. The Inertial Labs Antenna Reference Unit (ARU) is used on FAB-T and currently belongs to the Air Force Command Post Terminal (AFCPT) program. The upgrades are to enhance the performance of satellite control functions. The United States Air Force purchased the Inertial Labs AHRS for antenna modification kits, in order to keep the AFCPT systems at a state of Initial Operating  Capability (IOC).