Trimble is preparing GNSS users for a possible disruption from Solar Cycle 2025.
Referred to as solar activity, ionospheric disturbances peak every 11 years. The next major disruption, Solar Cycle 25, is expected to peak between 2024 and 2026. Trimble recently introduced IonoGuard to mitigate ionospheric disruptions in positioning and navigation by minimizing performance impacts caused by scintillation or signal noise.
Ionospheric activity can directly impact the quality of GNSS signals, leading to the degradation of position accuracy. While this type of disturbance has the greatest impact on high precision GNSS users operating around equatorial and high latitude regions, global disruptions are possible during the height of the solar cycle.
“IonoGuard is Trimble’s newest innovation on the path to raise the bar on positioning integrity and performance worldwide,” said Stuart Riley, vice president of GNSS technology at Trimble. “It brings our customers closer to uninterrupted and robust positioning data on every project, around the clock. Whether it’s mitigating the impacts of Solar Cycle 25 or another ionospheric event, we’re building advancements into Trimble GNSS technology to deliver accurate and reliable positioning solutions today, tomorrow and beyond.”
Available as a downloadable firmware update on Trimble GNSS receivers using Trimble’s ProPoint GNSS positioning engine, the company said IonoGuard leverages the latest developments in its high-precision receiver hardware design and signal tracking to deliver improved positioning performance in challenging environments. This will minimize the probability of a complete loss of GNSS signals and improve the quality of the signals’ accuracy and integrity.
