Wayne A. Soehren

A Prototype Personal Navigation System

Honeywell Laboratories recently funded the development of a prototype personal navigation system based on MEMS technologies. The system components include a MEMS inertial measurement unit, a three-axis magnetometer, a barometric pressure sensor, and a SAASM GPS receiver. The system also uses Honeywells human motion-based pedometry algorithm. The navigation process is based on a strap-down inertial navigator aided by feedback from a Kalman filter using typical measurements from the GPS, magnetometer and barometer when available. A key innovation is the addition of an independent measurement of distance traveled based on the use of a human motion algorithm. The navigation system combines the best features of dead reckoning and inertial navigation, resulting in positioning performance exceeding that achieved with either method alone. Subsequent to the Honeywell effort, DARPA funded an individual Personal Inertial Navigation System (iPINS) seedling program. Honeywell worked to improve the baseline personal navigation system with the objective of demonstrating the feasibility of reliably achieving navigation accuracy < 1 % of distance traveled in GPS-denied scenarios. In addition, an analysis was conducted to determine the benefit of incorporating terrain correlation into the personal navigation system. The results of this analysis indicate that overall navigation accuracy can be significantly improved through the application of terrain correlation. This presents an are presented. In addition, conclusions from the terrain correlation analysis conducted under the iPINS seedling program are included.

Prototype personal navigation system

Honeywell Laboratories recently funded the development of a prototype personal navigation system based on MEMS technologies. The system components include a MEMS inertial measurement unit, a three-axis magnetometer, a barometric pressure sensor, and a SAASM GPS receiver. The system also uses Honeywells human motion-based pedometry algorithm. The navigation process is based on a strap-down inertial navigator aided by feedback from a Kalman filter using typical measurements from the GPS, magnetometer and barometer when available. A key innovation is the addition of an independent measurement of distance traveled based on the use of a human motion algorithm. The navigation system combines the best features of dead reckoning and inertial navigation, resulting in positioning performance exceeding that achieved with either method alone. Subsequent to the Honeywell effort, DARPA funded an individual Personal Inertial Navigation System (iPINS) seedling program. Honeywell worked to improve the baseline personal navigation system with the objective of demonstrating the feasibility of reliably achieving navigation accuracy < 1 % of distance traveled in GPS-denied scenarios. In addition, an analysis was conducted to determine the benefit of incorporating terrain correlation into the personal navigation system. The results of this analysis indicate that overall navigation accuracy can be significantly improved through the application of terrain correlation. This presents an are presented. In addition, conclusions from the terrain correlation analysis conducted under the iPINS seedling program are included.

ECTOS-reusable software for navigation, guidance and control applications

Honeywell has developed the Embedded Computer Toolbox and Operating System (ECTOS), a reusable software approach for design and development of applications for use in aircraft navigation systems, land-based navigation systems, and navigation, guidance, and control of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), missiles, standoff weapons, and munitions. ECTOS provides the user with a custom Ada run-time system, tasking executive, I/O drivers, built-in-test (BIT), navigation and Kalman filtering, and mode control. In addition, ECTOS provides the user with the Embedded Computer Toolbox (ECT) software, a core set of interfaces with Honeywells Embedded Computer Operating System (ECTOS), allowing the user to reduce the time required to develop application specific software and provides greater flexibility in easily accommodating various mission requirements. This paper describes the ECTOS architecture and the benefits this architecture provides Honeywell and Honeywells customers in the development of avionics systems. The role of ECTOS in two sample avionics developments (McDonnell Douglas Delta Clipper Experimental and Sikorsky Cypher UAV) is also described.

A MEMS-based guidance, navigation, and control unit

Honeywell Laboratories, in conjunction with Honeywell Sensor and Guidance Products (SGP) operation, has developed a next generation guidance, navigation, and control unit based on MEMS sensor technology occupying less than 25 in./sup 3/. This product, known as the micro Flight Management Unit (/spl mu/FMU), has applicability across a wide variety of military and commercial applications, including low cost military gun hardened projectiles, personal navigation systems, and commercial AHRS. When coupled with Honeywells second generation C++-based Embedded Computer Toolbox and Operating System (ECTOS/sup TM/ IIc), the /spl mu/FMU can be utilized easily and effectively for rapid prototyping demonstrations (including customer generated guidance and control software), as well as full production systems. Utilizing a Motorola PPC745 (G3) processor, the /spl mu/FMU has been designed to accommodate next generation GPS/INS ultra-tightly coupled integration algorithms. The /spl mu/FMU electronics have been high G tested to 6,300 Gs (non-operating), successfully demonstrating that the hardware survives and operates after exposure to high G shock. This paper presents an overview of the /spl mu/FMU and ECTOS/sup TM/ IIc software. The hardware architecture and technical specifications of the /spl mu/FMU will be presented, along with the process used to validate the /spl mu/FMUs high G survivability. The software architecture, capabilities, and customer usability /programmability features of ECTOSTM IIc will also be described.