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NUS Team Bumblebee Competes in International Events Using Sparton Solutions

Acoustic Sensors, Blog Post, Inertial Sensor Systems

The oceans span over seventy percent of the Earth’s surface and are one of the biggest contributors to human civilization. Learning to navigate its waters has provided exploration, resources, food, trade and migration. Much of the oceans still remain unexplored and untapped due to its hostile environment, unpredictability, and high operational costs. The National University […]

Representing Orientation in 3-Dimensions

Blog Post, Inertial Sensor Systems, NorthTek

There are a number of ways to represent the orientation of an object in 3-dimensions.  One common way is to use Euler angles (like pitch, roll, and yaw). Euler angles were developed by Leonhard Euler, a brilliant 18th century Swiss mathematician.  There are, however, ambiguities that arise when using this convention.  If the pitch happens […]

What is NorthTek™?

Blog Post, Inertial Sensor Systems, NorthTek

The Sparton NorthTek™ application platform is a powerful, industry-leading feature that positions Sparton’s inertial sensors as the world’s only fully programmable digital compasses – allowing virtually limitless customization and application. NorthTek™ was developed as a hardware software integration tool and expanded to be a full runtime environment. While most inertial systems only allow the user to modify […]

Common Issues with Magnetic Compasses and How to Minimize Risk

Blog Post, Inertial Sensor Systems

Most common issues when using a magnetic compass Calibration Calibration has long been a source of error in the eventual heading readings of a magnetic compass. With many systems, the calibration is tedious and is often referred to as the “Chicken Dance” due to its complexity requiring the user to rotate to multiple positions while […]

Kalman Filters – Errors and Correction

Blog Post, Inertial Sensor Systems

Many navigation systems today rely on the use of Kalman filters.  The Kalman filter is an algorithm that uses a series of measurements over time, even those containing “noise” and other errors, and produces estimates that tend be more accurate than those based on a single measurement. The Kalman filter was developed back in the […]

RoHS Compliance – Inherent Risks and Mitigation Strategies

Blog Post, Inertial Sensor Systems

RoHS Compliant Compasses Sparton RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) compliant digital compasses are fully compatible with systems that require high-reliability standards due to extreme-environment operating conditions. The materials and chemicals used in the design, assembly, and manufacture of Sparton digital compasses do not exceed the thresholds set forth in the RoHS Directive 2002/95/EC for Lead, […]

Compass Terminology 101

Blog Post, Featured, Inertial Sensor Systems

There is so much terminology when talking about navigation products that it can be confusing. What is an Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS) and how does it differ from an Inertial Navigation Systems (INS)? Some products have GPS integrated and others don’t.  Welcome to Compass Terminology 101. Let’s go over the basics of these terms […]

Military Targeting Systems and the Development of Inertial Systems

Blog Post, Inertial Sensor Systems

Problem Military targeting systems require maximum accuracy at all times and under all conditions. These systems can be hand-held or mounted on various vehicles or weapons, but they all must perform reliably and consistently in order to meet the needs of the warfighter. Heading and elevation are critical factors in accurate targeting systems. The complex […]

Adaptive Calibration Technology in Digital Compasses and Inertial Systems

Blog Post, Calibration, Featured, Inertial Sensor Systems

Summary: Conventional digital magnetic compasses require a complex and cumbersome “in-field” calibration process. This calibration, commonly referred to as the “Kabuki Dance”, is not embraced by most users including the military and is often performed improperly, incompletely, or sometimes not at all. This results in diminished sensor performance and poor overall accuracy, in targeting and […]

Sparton AHRS Wins Again

Blog Post, Inertial Sensor Systems

Sparton Corporation was recently selected by another major government contractor to be the inertial system supplier for their navigation system. During the selection process, the contractor performed extensive testing of multiple MEMS-based (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) AHRS (Attitude Heading Reference Systems). The Sparton AHRS-8 system achieved the design win, having distinguished itself from the competition by demonstrating […]