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We’re all familiar with the idea that as hardware gets older, its performance starts to dip. We see it with mobile phones, computers, and cars – which is partly why we maintain cars through services and MOTs.
In this blog we are talking about the equivalent of an MOT and service for your inertial navigation system: a calibration. Calibrations are an important part of your hardware’s lifecycle, and shouldn’t be ignored if you want to ensure that your GNSS/INS continues to perform. We’ll cover why calibrations are needed, and what types of calibration OXTS offers.
Why is INS calibration important?
Just like any other piece of hardware, over time the performance of a GNSS/INS can start to deviate from what you expect. When you’re taking measurements that are accurate to tenths of a degree, or to the centimetre, even small deviations from expected performance can introduce errors into your data that affect your overall outcomes.
OXTS calibrations
OXTS offers a few different calibration services. One important difference about our calibrations, compared to those done by third parties, is that ours include adjustments.
Other calibration services will certify the level of accuracy that your GNSS/INS can achieve at that point in time. This means that you can ensure your data is valid, but you can’t stop the degradation in performance. OXTS actively adjusts your components so that your GNSS/INS continues to perform at the highest level possible.
Our calibration services include:
– Standard IMU calibration
This is a quick calibration that ensures the IMU inside your GNSS/INS performs within its specification. This is ideal for most users who want to ensure optimum performance from their device.
– SuperCAL calibration
This calibration reduces the linearity of the gyros in the inertial measurement unit to 0.05%. It is designed for highly dynamic use cases where high levels of accuracy are required.
– ISO 17025 IMU calibration
This calibration ensures that the IMU inside your GNSS/INS meets BS EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standards. It’s for anyone who needs to know their results conform to (and are traceable to) the highest standards.
– ISO 17025 speed calibration
This calibration tests that the speed output of your GNSS/INS is accurate and traceable to BS EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standards. We are one of only a few organisations offering calibration of the whole GNSS/INS system, rather than just the IMU.
Boresight calibration
Though it’s not a calibration of a GNSS/INS, our boresight calibration tool is also worth a mention here. Boresight calibration is vital for anyone using a GNSS/INS and a LiDAR together. It precisely aligns the coordinate frames of the two sensors, ensuring that the final point cloud produced is crystal clear and accurate.
Calibrate to stay great
By getting your GNSS/INS calibrated every two years, you can ensure that its performance stays at the levels you need to do your work effectively – getting more value from your initial investment.
Coming back to OXTS for your GNSS/INS calibration offers a number of advantages compared to using third parties:
- We offer calibrations that others don’t, including speed calibrations and ISO 17025 calibrations.
- We don’t just benchmark the current performance of your device – we make adjustments to return your GNSS/INS to its original specification.
- We know our hardware better than anyone else, so we can get the best results out of it.
Book a calibration today
To book a calibration service for your OXTS device, contact your channel partner or OXTS representative. Alternatively, click below to contact us directly.
