Software » Ultra low power sea mammal tracking system - Hynav - GPS - DSP

Ultra low power sea mammal tracking system.

Project name:		Sea mammal tracker

Language:		ANSI C

Abstract:		This solution tracks sea mammals by "grabbing" a small sample of GPS RF data when the mammal surfaces, and then processing the data underwater.

Key features and advantages:		This software extracts the GPS data from the raw RF signal on a low power TI DSP, in an environment where low power consumption is imperative and the GPS RF signal is only intermittently and briefly available.

Full Description

In partnership with one of the country's leading academic research institutions, Hynav have developed an exciting and innovative solution for tracking sea mammals. This is an extremely demanding application; the sea mammals being tracked typically only surface for a few seconds at a time, and the battery powered unit must last for as long as a year at a time, whilst being light enough to avoid impeding the mammal.

Hynav's solution "grabs" a short interval of raw RF data at the GPS frequency when the unit detects that it is out of the water (the GPS signal does not penetrate through water). As the mammal descends underwater again, the unit runs a software correlator on an ultra low power DSP in order to extract the raw GPS data from the RF signal, stores the data extracted in non-volatile memory, and then switches off until it is re-awoken by the sensor that detects that the mammal has surfaced again.

This solution may be applicable to many applications where intermittent GPS reception prevails, and low power operation is required. Such applications may include tracking, surveillance, theft prevention, and no doubt many more.

Our academic partners in the development of the sea mammal project retain an interest in the resulting IP for all non-human animal tracking applications, Hynav are sole owners of the GPS-related IP for all human and non-animal related applications. All enquiries for work based on this receiver may be addressed to Hynav in the first instance, and we will forward animal-tracking related enquiries to our partners.

If you have an application that you feel may benefit from our experience in this area, please do get in contact with us; GPS related consultancy is our core speciality.

Tel: +44 (0)1773 537631

Email: sales@race-technology.com

Overview of the Ultra low power sea mammal tracking system

Performance Parameters

Ultra low power sea mammal tracking system Application Programming Interface