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All the latest news from Steatite
In another first for our new Leominster facility, we have just undertaken rigorous testing of the largest antenna to date to be put through it’s paces in our state-of-the-art RF chamber.
Designed and built in house, this bespoke reflector has been clipped to meet specific customer requirements. Measuring 2.7 metres in diameter, this is a large antenna, but well within the capability of our facility.
You can take a look at the video here
We have just released our latest case study. Focusing on the successful 2 year project to develop a pressure tolerant Lithium Sulfur (Li-S) battery pack for Marine Autonomous Systems (MAS), the case study looks at the reasons behind the project, as well as the benefits and overall outcome.
Heading a consortium including Oxis Energy, MSubs and the National Oceanography Centre, Steatite embarked on an ambitious development programme, which ultimately cemented it’s capabilities as a world class manufacturer of custom built battery packs.
You can read the case study here.
Steatite has long been a leader in the provision of highly ruggedised technology, including laptops, secure radio systems, printers and tablets. Our ethos is to provide the very best technology available. It is with this in mind that we have added the Hammer AXE Pro rugged smartphone to our product range.
Powered by the Android 7.0 Nougat OS, and loaded with features including 4Gb RAM, 64Gb internal storage, PCIe X16 expansion interface and a high performance Octa-Core CPU, all housed in a sleek armoured housing, the AXE Pro is a highly capable device.
Fitted with a 5.5″ full HD sunlight readable display, and IP68 rated for protection against water and dust ingress, the durability and resistance of the AXE Pro are raised to a whole new level.
Take a look at the full specification or download the datasheet here.
The two year program to develop a pressure tolerant Lithium Sulfur (Li-S) battery pack capable of powering autonomous vehicles to ocean depths of over 6,000 metres has successfully accomplished the objectives set down in 2015.
A consortium headed by Steatite and comprising OXIS Energy, MSubs and the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) completed the ambitious project with trials using the newly developed battery pack integrated into a deep dive autonomous vehicle (pictured).
The cells and Steatite’s brand new multi chemistry battery management system (BMS) can withstand the extreme pressure of 664 bars (equivalent to a water depth of 6,640 metres) and a temperature of 4°C without being compromised on integrity.
One of the objectives of the project was to use the neutral buoyancy of the cells to reduce the requirement of adding buoyancy foam to the vehicle. This proved successful, resulting in potential cost, weight and volume savings.
Discussing the project, Paul Edwards, Divisional Director of Steatite Batteries, said: “The project provided a number of challenges which have all been overcome though the hard work and determination of the consortium members. With valuable domain expertise and test resource provided by our academic partners at the NOC, through to successful sea trials and product integration by MSubs, the group can be proud of the world class achievements and capabilities it has delivered.
The Steatite Battery Management System and battery pack design enables a broad range of applications, and we are now looking toward the next phase which will see our battery packs successfully deployed in long term marine autonomous applications. “
A final project update will be released soon. If you would like to receive this please register your email address at https://steatite.co.uk/masupdates
We are proud to offer the new Dual Channel Push To Talk (Dual PTT) device from Persistent Systems for the MPU5 secure MANET radio. The Dual PTT will allow the MPU5’s audio capabilities to reach their full potential.
The Dual PTT allows the user to quickly and easily select between 16 talk groups as well as control volume levels for each talk group independently. When paired with a stereo headset, the two selected talk groups are heard in the left and right ears, and the volume level in each ear can be controlled independently.
With the MPU5 and Dual PTT, a single MPU5 can communicate on two talk groups either independently or simultaneously. In the past, when a user needed to communicate with two different groups (channels) of users, that user needed to carry two separate Land Mobile Radios (LMRs). Therefore, the MPU5 and Dual PTT significantly reduces size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) burdens on users.
This is possible because the MPU5 is an IP radio, where talk groups are multicast addresses, instead of an LMR radio, where channels are different RF frequencies.
The ability to carry one radio instead of two will not only save money, but will also reduce the load on the soldier, a critical advantage for today’s military personnel.
We are proud to announce that the new Spectracom VersaPNT has been added to our range of GNSS products.
If your application operates in GPS-denied environments or is subject to jamming and spoofing, the VersaPNT will make your system resilient against unwanted surprises.
VersaPNT offers assured positioning, navigation and timing in a compact, single solution. It is accurate in all conditions, even in GPS-denied environments, and ideal for airborne, ground and marine/naval applications.
For further details please take a look at the VersaPNT product page.
Development work on our new company website is now complete and we are delighted to announce that this is now live.
Designed to be quick and easy to navigate, the new website makes it much simpler to find the information you need with just a few clicks.
All sections can be accessed directly from the imagery on the homepage, and the main menu is now replaced with a slide out menu located to the top right hand side of the screen.
For added confidence the website has also been made more secure with the implementation of https, which means that all communications between your browser and the website are encrypted.
After 3 days of filming and many hours of editing, the brand new Steatite company video is now complete. The video aims to provide an overview of the company by focusing on each of Steatite’s business units in turn. If you have a spare two and a half minutes, please click the link and take a look. Steatite company video
Our parent company Solid State PLC has also been busy creating a group video. You can take a look at it here Solid State PLC group video
Steatite Ltd is pleased to announce the opening of its new Antennas facility in Leominster, Herefordshire.
The Antennas business unit at Steatite was created through the acquisition of Q-par Angus Limited in May 2013. Since the acquisition, the unit has developed ever more complex antenna solutions for its global client base through technological innovation and advanced design. To support the growth of Steatite Antennas and to enable advancements in antenna testing, the operations moved to the new site in January 2017.
The new facility has been purpose built to enable the design, manufacture and testing of complex systems and contains a specialist near-field RF test chamber large enough to accommodate antennas with dish dimensions up to 3 meters in diameter.
The site was opened by the current Conservative Party candidate for North Herefordshire, Bill Wiggin.
Commenting on the opening, Matthew Richards, MD of Steatite, said:
“This is a world-class facility, incorporating some of the most advanced near-field testing capabilities in the UK. It represents a significant investment by the Company into its antennas business and will enable Steatite to remain at the cutting edge of antenna design, manufacture and testing.”
With just 6 months remaining of a two year project, to develop a pressure tolerant battery pack capable of powering autonomous vehicles to ocean depths of 6,000m, the consortium, led by Steatite, has made tremendous advances in battery capability through extensive design and testing. The project is now moving towards full open water trials in two deep dive vehicles.
Take a look at the latest project update to find out more. https://steatite.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/MAS-Consortium-UPDATE-v2017_03_Rev1.pdf
