/EINPresswire.com/ -- SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - May 23, 2017) - Swift Navigation, a San Francisco-based startup building centimeter-accurate GPS technology to power a world of autonomous vehicles, today announced the first major firmware upgrade to its flagship product Piksi® Multi GNSS Module. The upgrade is available at no cost to Piksi Multi users and expands on dynamic RTK application support, increasing functionality for users, expanding use case applications and allowing users to better leverage existing infrastructure and facilitate post-processing.

Firmware Version 1.1 Updates Include:

• Increased Data Output Rates to Support Dynamic Use Cases
  
  • GNSS Measurements (Raw Data) - Up to 20 Hz
  • RTK Output Support
    • Low Latency Mode - Up to 20 Hz
    • Time-Matched/Heading Mode - Up to 5 Hz
  • IMU (Raw Data) - Up to 200 Hz
    
    
• Moving Baseline RTK Support - The capability to do real-time, precise relative positioning between two receivers where both receivers can now be in motion.
  
  
• RTK-Based Heading Support - The capability to do real-time RTK-based heading for direction finding -- even when stationary -- without the need for expensive navigational equipment such as gyrocompasses.
  
  
• Improved 1 PPS Support - The Piksi Multi Pulse Per Second (PPS) feature has been upgraded to support more customization, including:
  
  • Synchronization with GPS time on either the rising edge or falling edge
  • Pulse Offset - Ability to set an offset in milliseconds from GPS time
  • Pulse Length - Ability to change and set the length of the pulse
  • Polarity - Ability to change the pulse polarity
  • Pulse Time Period - Ability to output PPS at different epochs, such as once per second or slower

• Standalone Logging with USB Flash Drive - The capability to complete autonomous data collection using a USB flash drive without the need for an attached computing resource (such as the Swift Console GUI) to start and stop data logging.
  
  
• Standalone RINEX Conversion Utility Tool - The tool allows end-users using RTKLIB, such as those with UAV surveying applications, additional tools to support their post-process kinematic (PPK) needs.
  
  
• Improved Compatibility with Existing Infrastructure (RTCM 3.1 Input) - This added support enables end-users to better leverage existing base station infrastructure to receive RTK corrections (observations, station coordinates, etc.) from already deployed Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS).

"This firmware release incorporates robust improvements, fixes bugs and adds new features that make Piksi Multi even more useful for a wider array of applications," said Colin Beighley, Co-Founder of Swift Navigation. "For example, we now support USB data logging and RINEX conversion for survey and post-processed kinematic use cases. We've also made large improvements in fundamental receiver performance -- achieving Fixed Integer RTK after an outage is 10 seconds faster on average."

There are also additional third-party drivers available for Piksi Multi:

• The PolySync Core Piksi Multi Software Driver supports a more seamless integration of Piksi Multi within the autonomous vehicle sensor suite. For more information on PolySync's Core middleware and the associated Piksi Multi software driver, refer to the PolySync website.
  
  
• The ArduPilot Piksi Multi Software Driver supports Piksi Multi as the primary or secondary GNSS sensor on UAVs with ArduPilot-based autopilot software. With this release, Piksi Multi supports the Pixhawk flight controller in addition to other ArduPilot compatible hardware. This driver is available in ArduPlane 3.8.0 (and higher), ArduCopter 3.5 (and higher) and Rover 3.1 (and higher).

For more detailed information about these upgrades, please refer to the Piksi Multi Firmware 1.1 Release. For detailed instructions on how to upgrade your Piksi Multi device, refer to Section 7 of the Getting Started Guide -- entitled Piksi Multi - Upgrading Firmware. For firmware release binaries and product support documentation visit support.swiftnav.com.

ABOUT SWIFT NAVIGATION

Swift Navigation, Inc. was founded in 2012 to make GPS positioning technology more accurate and affordable. Today Swift Navigation has gained a reputation for defining a new category of GNSS systems as the industry's first low-cost, high accuracy real-time kinematics (RTK) receiver. Its GPS and GNSS positioning products are available at a fraction of the price of the competition and deliver 100 times better accuracy than the GPS in a cell phone. Swift Navigation's technology benefits a multitude of industries and applications -- including autonomous vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), precision agriculture, robotics, surveying and space. With its innovation and technology honored by Inc.'s 2016 and Forbes 2017 30 Under 30 lists, Swift Navigation is enabling a world where fields farm themselves, drones fly safely and autonomous transportation can take you home. Learn more online at swiftnav.com, follow Swift on Twitter @Swiftnav