Septentrio Supplies to Oregon Department of Transport

TORRANCE, Calif. – Aug. 18, 2016 – The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Geometronics Unit is deploying 19 Septentrio PolaRx5 GNSS reference stations to augment and update its statewide real-time GNSS network.

The Septentrio receivers are being integrated by ODOT into the UNAVCO EarthScope Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO), which measures Earth deformation from the motion of tectonic plates in the western United States. UNAVCO selected Septentrio as the preferred vendor for next-generation GNSS reference stations for EarthScope under a multi-year agreement after a competitive evaluation in 2015.

ODOT and UNAVCO have a history of collaboration dating to 2005. In April 2016 the organizations executed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to foster cooperation, coordination and partnership in support of the long-term operation of the PBO and ODOT GNSS networks. The MOU stipulated that ODOT would supply the UNAVCO-specified Septentrio PolaRx5 sensors at the 19 PBO sites.

The PolaRx5 incorporates Septentrio’s most advanced multi-frequency GNSS engine. With 544 hardware channels, the PolaRx5 tracks all major satellite signals including GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou, as well as regional satellite systems such as QZSS and IRNSS. It incorporates Septentrio’s field-proven AIM+ and APME+ technologies to provide superior interference rejection and multipath mitigation, and it provides industry-leading low-power consumption for long life in the field. Septentrio has also developed a comprehensive web interface that integrates easily into existing network management systems.

Ken Bays, ODOT lead geodetic surveyor and technical manager of the Oregon Real-Time GNSS Network, said, “The PolaRx5 installations are going very smoothly. It takes just a few hours to deploy the new units and bring them online. Septentrio’s web interface makes it easy to integrate them into our central monitoring and control network, and Septentrio provides excellent technical support.”

UNAVCO is a non-profit university-governed consortium that facilitates geosciences research and education using geodesy. UNAVCO operates the EarthScope facility for the National Science Foundation with additional support from NASA. The Septentrio receivers can be purchased by UNAVCO member organizations and affiliates like ODOT at special pricing.

“Oregon is one of the first state DOTs to deploy the new PolaRx5 technology under the UNAVCO purchasing facility,” said Neil Vancans, vice president of Septentrio Americas. “The PolaRx5 is an ideal solution for DOTs to modernize their aging CORS infrastructure. The multi-constellation reference station is virtually ‘future-proof’ due to its ability to track all current and foreseen GNSS satellite systems.”