Within the next few years it is expected that 100% of all new devices will be multi-constellation capable, according to a new report that analyses the GNSS device market across mainstream, navigation and high accuracy GNSS applications.
The European GNSS Agency (GSA) last week unveiled its first “GNSS User Technology Report”, designed to help users understand today’s receiver technology and the trends transforming the GNSS landscape.
With four global positioning constellations now available, the leaders in multi-constellation capability are mass market receivers and high accuracy professional receivers. Nearly 65% of all chipsets and modules currently on the market support multiple constellations, while 30% support all four- GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and Beidou. This proportion is expected to rapidly grow, however the report also revealed that across both mass market and industry sectors, the majority of new development is held across only a handful of players.
Nearly 65% of all chipsets and modules currently on the market support multiple constellations, while 30% support all four, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and Beidou.
Even with the increased deployment of non-satellite positioning technologies, GNSS is expected to remain at the core of all positioning technology, thanks to its widespread and cost-effective source of location information.
With the increasing demand for better resilience across all applications, the need for higher accuracy and integrity that automation demands, adoption of dual frequency solutions (E1/L1 + E5/L5) is expected to grow.
Written with contributions from leading GNSS receiver and chipset manufacturers, the GSA GNSS User Technology Report (available for free download) is as a valuable resource to support planning and decision-making in developing, purchasing and using GNSS user technology.
“Now more than ever, GNSS user technology is experiencing a rapid and exciting evolution, answering the needs of ubiquity, automation and secure positioning,” said Carlo des Dorides, GSA Executive Director. “This pioneering report explores these new developments in detail and examines how they will bring continuous location service, reliability and robustness to users.”
“With changing user needs, in terms of expected positioning performance, the appearance of new and modernised GNSS signals, and advances in semiconductor technologies, we felt the need to take a closer look at the impact these changes will have on users and the role of GNSS in future positioning solutions,” added des Dorides.
Part of this process is to keep up-to-date independent analysis, which assesses the capabilities of receivers, chipsets and modules currently available on the market. For the analysis, each device is weighted equally, regardless of whether it is a chipset or a receiver, and no matter what its sales volume is. The results are therefore intended to be interpreted not as the split of constellations utilised by end users, but rather the split of constellations available in manufacturers’ offerings.
The report details the market players across three main segments: ‘mass market’, ‘liability and safety critical transport solutions’, as well as ‘high precision, timing and asset management applications.’
In the mass market, the chipset supply chain is extremely consolidated, with a few players worldwide driving innovation. For liability and safety critical transport solutions, a consolidated industry dominates innovation in automotive, maritime and aviation, while new players are expected to emerge in such new applications as autonomous vehicles. In high precision, timing and asset management applications, including surveying, the suppliers are specialised in various professional fields, although their products are based on a relatively low number of GNSS chipsets.
The analysis includes all major receiver manufacturers in Europe and worldwide, including: Avidyne, Broadcom, CSR, Esterline, Furuno, Garmin, Hemisphere GNSS, Honeywell, Infineon, Intel, Japan Radio Co., John Deere, Kongsberg, Leica Geosystems AG, Mediatek, NavCom Technology, Nottingham Scientific Ltd, NovAtel, Omnicom, Orolia, Qualcomm, Rockwell Collins, Septentrio, SkyTraq Technology, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments, Thales Avionics, Topcon, Trimble, U-blox, Universal Aviation.
