I. Introduction

GNSS Inertial Navigation System (GNSS/INS, Global Navigation Satellite System/Inertial Navigation System) is a navigation technology that combines the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) with the Inertial Navigation System (INS). GNSS determines position, speed and time information by receiving satellite signals, while INS uses inertial sensors (such as accelerometers and gyroscopes) to measure motion status. The combination of the two can complement each other's advantages, overcome the limitations of a single system, and provide high-precision and high-reliability navigation and positioning services.

II. Working Principle

The core of the GNSS Inertial Navigation System lies in the complementary fusion of GNSS and INS. GNSS has high-precision positioning capabilities in open environments, but it is prone to failure under signal obstruction (such as urban canyons, tunnels, indoors) or interference. INS can achieve autonomous navigation by measuring acceleration and angular velocity, but it will accumulate errors during long-term operation. Therefore, by fusing GNSS and INS data, the shortcomings of the two can be effectively compensated to achieve high-precision and high-reliability navigation.

How GNSS works

GNSS receives signals from multiple satellites and uses the ephemeris data and ranging information broadcast by the satellites to calculate the position, speed and time of the receiver. Common GNSS systems include GPS (USA), GLONASS (Russia), Galileo (Europe) and BeiDou (China). Multi-system fusion (such as GPS+BeiDou) can further improve positioning accuracy and reliability.

How INS works

INS measures the acceleration and angular velocity of the carrier through inertial sensors (accelerometers and gyroscopes), combines the initial position and attitude information, and calculates the position, speed and attitude through integral operations. The advantage of INS is that it is completely autonomous and does not require external signals, but the positioning accuracy will gradually decrease due to the accumulation of sensor errors during long-term operation.

Data fusion

GNSS inertial navigation system optimally fuses the measurements of GNSS and INS through Kalman filter or other data fusion algorithms. GNSS provides high-precision absolute position information for correcting INS errors, while INS provides continuous relative motion information to make up for the gaps in GNSS when the signal is lost. This complementary fusion can significantly improve the navigation accuracy and reliability of the system.

III. Market prospects

With the rapid development of global positioning technology and the advancement of inertial sensor technology, the market demand for GNSS inertial navigation systems continues to grow.
With the miniaturization, low power consumption and high precision of GNSS chips, as well as the cost reduction and performance improvement of MEMS inertial sensors, the application of GNSS inertial navigation systems in consumer electronics, autonomous driving, drones and other fields has gradually become popular. In the future, with the integration of technologies such as 5G and artificial intelligence, the application scenarios of GNSS inertial navigation systems will be further expanded.

IV. Application scenarios

Transportation field

In the transportation field, GNSS inertial navigation systems are widely used in vehicle navigation, autonomous driving and logistics transportation. GNSS can provide precise position information in road environments, while INS provides continuous navigation capabilities in signal-blocked environments such as tunnels and urban canyons. This combination can significantly improve vehicle navigation accuracy and reliability.

Smart Wearable Devices

In the field of smart wearable devices, GNSS inertial navigation systems are used for sports tracking, health monitoring and outdoor navigation. GNSS can provide users with precise location information, while INS provides continuous motion tracking capabilities indoors or in weak signal environments. This combination can significantly improve the navigation accuracy and user experience of smart wearable devices.

Robotics and Automation

In the field of robotics and automation, GNSS inertial navigation systems are used for navigation and control of industrial robots, service robots, and automated logistics systems. GNSS can provide precise position information of the robot, while INS provides continuous navigation capabilities in dynamic environments. This combination can significantly improve the navigation accuracy and work efficiency of the robot.

Ⅴ. Product Recommendation

The Ebyte EWM108-GN05 series is a high-performance dual-frequency GNSS positioning module equipped with the HD8040D chip solution of Huada Beidou. The module supports the new generation Beidou-3 signal system and all global civil navigation satellite systems including BDS, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, SBAS, QZSS, etc. It provides high-precision, high-sensitivity, and low-power solutions for GNSS navigation applications, and can customize SPI, USB, CAN, and I2C interface outputs.