SBIR-STTR Award

escPNT™ is a commercially available, low SWaP-C (<6oz, ~3in x 4in) PNT solution that leverages patented, multi-sensor data fusion to provide highly accurate positioning in GPS challenged/denied environments. escPNT™ is designed to take advantage of any/all sources of position and timing information to derive a resilient, and accurate position. The base product utilizes external data sources that include 3 GNSS receivers, EO/IR data, odometry (for ground vehicles), cellular data and Real-time Kinematic (RTK) corrections. On-board sensors include a crystal clock, accurate Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), barometer, and temperature sensor. Our robust technology roadmap has been designed to continuously add reliability, accuracy and robustness for our existing customers and reach additional commercial and government markets. As an example, we are currently adding the use of LEO satellite signals (US Air Force LCMC Phase 2 SBIR) and Network PNT capabilities (US Army SBIR Phase 1), to enable accurate PNT in total GPS denial. In general, we have found that absolute time and time management are critical to any PNT solution. However, commercially available real-time clocks do not have the combination of accuracy, holdover time, power, and cost needed to provide the low SWAP-C characteristics required. To remove this barrier to implementation and provide affordable, long-lasting, accurate PNT in GPS-denied environments, esc Aerospace has partnered with researchers at Northeastern University to create the Ultra-Low Power (ULP) timing circuit. This circuit improves on previously published work to digitally compensate the oscillator for temperature variations. Preliminary estimates indicate that this approach can improve oscillator precision from the 3,000 parts per billion (ppb) by a factor of 20 to the 100-ppb level. Importantly, this circuit would have a power demand as low as 1 µW, equivalent to the standby power demand of contemporary automotive real time clocks, but 30 times more precise. This would allow the current escPNTTM to go from the current maximum holdover time of 50 minutes to 24 hours with virtually no increase in SWAP.

Ultra-Low Power Timing Circuit (ULP-TC) At the center of most operational systems is TIME. Time enables us to communicate, to synchronize, to control, and to position. An accurate, reliable, low size, weight and power timing source is critical to our esc Aerospace escPNTTM solution for accurate and reliable PNT in total GPS denial, but it is equally critical in a vast number of other military and commercial applications including communications, targeting, IoT, etc. Crystal Oscillators continue to be the de facto standard for timing. They are very affordable, small, and low power consumers. However, as technologies advance, and GPS signals are threatened, there is more and more demand for increased timing circuit performance. New technologies have been developed that provide superior performance, but at a significant cost. At the highest end are Chip Scale Atomic Clocks. Oven and Temperature Controlled Crystal Oscillators provide performance improvements but are larger power consumers. Our ULP-TC is a circuitry-based approach (vs. materials) that bridges the gap between XOs and CSACs. ULP-TC target performance: .1 ppm .1-1 µW Our proposed Phase II SBIR project: develop a ULP-TC prototype chip for performance evaluation. 100 sec video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MELtysgoa08(link is external)