Vehicular navigation system designers and integrators understand the importance of the technology known as Dead Reckoning or DR. DR is the algorithm that derives the likely current position of a moving vehicle from a known previous position fix and adjusting it based on displacement information not originating from the satellite signal. It boosts position accuracy under poor satellite signal receiving conditions that may exist in urban canyons, tunnels, parking garages and severe overcast.

The latest weapon in the designer’s arsenal is autonomous DR technology. These are module components integrating a high performance satellite receiver as well as an embedded array of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors that allow them to derive DR position coordinates strictly from the sensor array when satellite signal is compromised. This wahite paper outlines five points to drilldown in the component selection process.