Powerful long-range RTK, heading and relative positioning for harsh environments

Nantes, France, February 8, 2010 -- Ashtech (formerly Magellan Professional) today announced the introduction of the ProFlex™ Lite Duo, a dual GNSS board sensor designed for heading, relative positioning, and long-range RTK computations. The ProFlex Lite Duo uses GPS, GLONASS and SBAS constellations to offer powerful real-time capabilities to suit a wide array of precise positioning needs in aircraft, UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), ships and earth moving equipment, including tasks such as vessel or machine guidance and heading determination, antenna pointing, or structure deformation monitoring.  The ProFlex Lite Duo is a further development of the Ashtech® ProFlex product line, which also includes the ProFlex 500 and ProFlex Lite.

ProFlex Lite Duo is available in a variety of configurations to meet up to the most demanding
application needs with optimal cost-efficiency. Embedded BLADE™ technology secures the best possible measurements from the GPS, GLONASS and SBAS constellations to deliver outstanding L1 and L1/L2 heading or relative positioning while securing RTK accuracy and fast initialization. The combined GPS and GLONASS computations are recommended for applications in shaded environments or in high latitudes.

Heading and Relative Positioning
In the heading mode, the ProFlex Lite Duo delivers highly accurate heading information (0.1 degree accuracy for a two-meter baseline) and pitch or roll.  Fast and secure automatic calibration relieves users of tedious pre-adjustments or settings.  In relative positioning mode, the ProFlex Lite Duo allows a robust moving baseline RTK solution to be computed between the two antennas connected to it.  When connected to an external demodulator, such as a radio or GSM/GPRS, the ProFlex Lite Duo provides heading or relative positioning at the same time as it delivers centimeter-level RTK precision for machine control in mining, earth moving or dredging applications.

Dual RTK Flexibility
Each GNSS board embedded in a ProFlex Lite Duo can process GNSS data independently from one another.  The two boards may be receiving two different sets of corrections to compute two independent RTK solutions while using the same GNSS antenna. This dual RTK processing is ideally suited for positioning back-up on large scale sites with multiple reference stations or for safety reasons, such as in offshore applications calling for redundancy with the constant collection of two independent fixes. ProFlex Lite Duo can even provide dual RTK solutions to enable heading computation via specific data acquisition software. The boards will be connected to two different antennas, using the same set of corrections to compute independently two RTK solutions.

Rugged and Easy to Integrate
The ProFlex Lite Duo is housed in a compact, impact-resistant aluminum enclosure rated to MIL-STD 810F for shock and vibration, waterproof and dustproof to an IP67 rating, and designed to withstand a large temperature range. Integrated mounting brackets enable easy incorporation in limited spaces and with existing equipment installed onboard ships, machines, UAVs, or any vehicle.  ProFlex Lite Duo also features low power consumption (3.5W) and offers a wide variety of output messages and data formats for extensive solution interoperability. Additionally, industry standard and independent I/O connectors simplify cabling for application developers.
 
About Ashtech
Recognized as an industry innovator, Ashtech has been developing GNSS technology for more than 25 years.  Ashtech is the creator of BLADE technology, which introduces a unique patented method to the market using multiple GNSS constellations for high-accuracy positioning.  Ashtech has also introduced the MobileMapper® series of products for GIS and mapping, as well as the ProFlex 500 and ProMark™ series, including the ProMark 500, ProMark3 RTK and ProMark 3, a well-recognized GNSS Land Survey product line currently on the market. Ashtech S.A.S. is privately held and headquartered in Carquefou, France, with offices in Beijing, China, and Singapore, as well as affiliates in Santa Clara, California (Ashtech LLC) and Moscow (Ashtech A/O LLC). For more information on Ashtech, visit www.ashtech.com.

Media contact:
Claire Geffroy,
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