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Technologies

iXBlue builds its technologies from the ground up using in-house expertise and control of all critical elements. These technologies deliver ultimate precision measurements, robust underwater acoustic signal processing and optimal data fusion, and enable rapid access to georeferenced data in hostile environments. Significant and sustained research and development investment and the skills of world-class scientists have enabled iXBlue to produce numerous patented innovative solutions that enable its customers to operate their systems for exploration and survey projects while increasing productivity and carrying out better, faster and safer technical operations.

 

Fiber-Optic Gyroscope

The fiber-optic gyroscope (FOG) uses optical waves propagating in a fiber-optic coil to accurately measure a rotation rate. Its apparently simple design takes full advantage of the reciprocity principle in the propagation of light. This fundamental principle enables a perfect device to be created from imperfect components.

 

iXBlue FOGs are the result of more than 30 years of research and development, and they address the most demanding applications and performance from 0.1 deg/h up to 0.001 deg/h.

 

Learn more about iXBlue ultimate performance FOG

PRODUCTS AND SOLUTIONS:

Optical fibers and components

iXBlue unrivaled in-house expertise in optical fiber and fiber Bragg grating technologies is key to its excellence and prowess in the manufacturing of optical fibers and components. We can draw on over 20 years of experience in the optical fiber and fiber based component business. Working closely with our customers, we can customize iXBlue technology to meet their exact specifications. We take on the full range of customer projects, from a one-shot, 50-m custom fiber to the planned high-quantity 1km production of reduced cladding fiber. We offer a wide range of custom-made specialty optical fibers (polarization-maintaining fibers, reduced cladding fiber, photosensitive fibers, large mode area double-clad fiber, etc.) with fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) ranging from standard mirrors to complex profiles.

PRODUCTS AND SOLUTIONS:

OPTICAL MODULATION

iXBlue has exceptional capabilities throughout the production process for LiNb03 modulators: from computer-assisted design, through wafer processing to final testing. This know-how allows us to offer the most comprehensive portfolio of modulation solutions and to address the specific needs of customers, whether for research laboratories or demanding industrial systems.

 

We also design radio-frequency modules for 10G, 20G and 40G telecom networks and for high-speed analog applications. We have extensive know-how in packaging functionalities such as modulator drivers and amplifiers in compact connectable modules.

PRODUCTS AND SOLUTIONS:

INERTIAL NAVIGATION

ASTRIX

Inertial navigation systems use instantaneous rotation and acceleration measurements to provide orientation, position and speed. They are used in the most severe environments because they are essentially unaffected by the environment and will provide the necessary information where other solutions do not work.

 

At iXBlue, we have vertically integrated the design and production of high-performance inertial navigation technology: from fiber-optic gyroscopes and quartz accelerometers to data fusion filters. With thousands of systems in the field, we have an extensive track record of high performance and reliability, and low maintenance requirements. Our systems are deployed in critical applications such as earth observation satellites, nuclear submarines and deep-sea exploration vehicles.

PRODUCTS AND SOLUTIONS:

Underwater acoustics

iXBlue has been a major player in the acoustic technologies market for several decades and has developed solutions for applications as diverse as underwater tracking and positioning, wireless remote activation of underwater devices, sub-bottom profilers, very-low-frequency transducers and synthetic aperture sonars.

 

iXBlue has comprehensive in-house, research, design and manufacturing capabilities for transducers and hydrophones. We use an advanced wideband spread spectrum coding scheme along with innovative pulse-comprehension and detection techniques. This unique expertise means that our systems can operate and provide optimal results in the most difficult and noisy offshore environments or in reverberating and multipath acoustic conditions.

PRODUCTS AND SOLUTIONS:

Seabed mapping

Survey projects can be challenging tasks because they use a large variety of sensors and generate enormous volumes of data. iXBlue provides turnkey imagery solutions for water column and seafloor surveys, including sub-bottom profilers, 3D-multibeam sonar and synthetic aperture sonar systems.

 

Our knowledge of market requirements and customer community needs has helped to guide our design work and enabled us to create valuable tools and solutions from our proprietary technologies. This, in turn, leads to project execution that is more efficient and effective, thanks to the ease of setup for turnkey integrated systems, high data quality (image resolution and georeferencing accuracy), advanced graphics tools for 3D map display and productivity-boosting interpretation tools.

PRODUCTS AND SOLUTIONS:

DATA FUSION

DATA FUSION

Data fusion is the process of integrating several sources of information to produce a data resource that is clear and more useful than the individual components.

 

Our expertise in this area is based on detailed knowledge of advanced techniques such as Kalman filter, unscented Kalman filter, point mass, likelihood and particle filters, and various in-house techniques.

PRODUCTS AND SOLUTIONS:

GEO database

iXBlue has put significant effort into developing a powerful map-processing framework. This accommodates different data formats and translates them into a coherent form stored in a relational database.

 

In conjunction with our map-processing capability, we have developed a powerful 2D/3D rendering engine that provides visualization capabilities to end-users. This rendering engine uses the homogeneous data scheme defined in the database, so it is independent of the original data format.

 

A software development kit (SDK) sits on top of the framework, which enables us and our partners to seamlessly insert new features.

PRODUCTS AND SOLUTIONS:

Advanced control

iXBlue has extensive expertise in developing motion simulators and positioning systems. At the heart of these technologies, lies an unrivaled multi-axis controller that uses a model-based approach. This approach represents a significant breakthrough in motion systems with either an iXBlue NGine multi-axis controller or an iXBlue advanced control board (for embedded applications).

 

Our system uses a model-based approach, the mathematical model of the physical system with MATLAB-Simulink™, to give flexibility and accelerate design. It is fully integrated into the real-time control algorithm, which provides several benefits for our clients: auto-tuning process, fault detection, improved rate and acceleration estimation, auto-adaptive bandwidth enhanced in sinus mode and anti-cogging.

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