Hexagon brings expertise to mitigate ionospheric scintillation impacts to Agrishow 2024

A global leader in providing positioning solutions for agricultural machinery, Hexagon's Autonomy & Positioning division, which includes the NovAtel brand, will participate in the 29th edition of Agrishow, the main technology fair for agribusiness in Latin America. One of the company's objectives at the event in Ribeirão Preto (SP) is to increase awareness among agribusiness producers and manufacturers about the availability of solutions to reduce the impact of problems caused by ionospheric scintillation. 

"Brazil is a market with immense growth potential for  precision agriculture,  positioning and autonomy solutions, however, the impact of ionospheric scintillation, especially in the Southern Hemisphere, can hinder technology adoption. Our presence at Agrishow is of utmost importance to establish Hexagon as a provider of a unique set of technologies for the sector," says Bernardo de Castro, vice president of agriculture strategy at Hexagon's Autonomy & Positioning division. 

Ionospheric scintillation 

Ionospheric scintillation is a phenomenon that involves rapid and irregular variations in the intensity of radio frequency signals travelling through the ionosphere, the region of the Earth's atmosphere containing ionised particles. This property allows it to reflect and refract radio signals, such as those used in satellite communications and Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). This year, it has been exacerbated by entering a new peak of solar activity and has been causing headaches for those who rely on satellite positioning technologies to operate agricultural machinery. 

To mitigate the impacts of the phenomenon, Hexagon has released new firmware improvements that when combined with their  precise point positioning (PPP) solution, TerraStar, reduces the position error and downtime due to scintillation. Powered by an expansive global network, TerraStar corrections offer continuous worldwide coverage, providing data for safe and reliable positioning anywhere, anytime, and under all weather conditions.  

Presence at Agrishow 

Precision agriculture and machine control solutions – which monitor and manage operations to automate equipment and operate at different stages of the agricultural process – will be showcased at Hexagon's booth at the fair. There, the team of experts will be able to explain how technology is essential to add value to machinery, which comes from the factory better prepared to meet the needs of the rural producer. 

Positioning technologies through satellite signals will also be showcased, which can be used separately by agricultural machinery manufacturers but can complement each other for greater autonomy and positioning accuracy. Two examples are: the SMART7 antenna, which functions as a primary receiver for multi-constellation and multi-frequency GNSS signals; and the SMART2 antenna, a Hexagon entry-level solution, which offers benefits such as, dual-frequency tracking and terrain compensation. Attendees can explore the full range of the company's services and products at booth A5c, located on the Precision Agriculture Street, throughout the entire fair.