Assisted-GPS device is first fruit of acquisition

Automatically alters sensitivity and tracking based on signal strength, multipath and velocity, delivering first-rate acquisition and tracking sensitivity, time to first fix and accuracy.

Hot on the heels of its acquisition of GPS technology provider GloNav, NXP Semiconductors has released its first single-chip Assisted-GPS (A-GPS) device, designed for use in both mobile phones and stand-alone personal navigation devices (PNDs).

Built on an advanced architecture, NXP's GNS7560 is billed as the industry's smallest, lowest power, lowest system cost GPS solution.

To take these design advantages a step further, NXP has also integrated this best-in-class GPS technology into its existing Nexperia Cellular System Solution 7210 for 3G.

This integration accelerates overall ease of use, system performance, time to market and cost effectiveness for mobile handset OEMs wanting to integrate powerful GPS capabilities in support of today's growing trend toward location-based services on mobile phones.

"NXP believes that location-based services are the next killer application in wireless, and our recent acquisition of GloNav is a testament to our belief in the endless possibilities that will arise with increased adoption of location-aware technologies", says Dennis Kish, Senior Vice President of Connected Entertainment, Business Unit Mobile and Personal at NXP Semiconductors.

"We are excited that just two weeks after closing the transaction, the quick synergy between GloNav's technology and our existing product portfolio has allowed us to almost immediately offer our customers full access to an industry-leading GPS solution".

"Advances in GPS chipset development will significantly facilitate the low-cost integration of GPS technology with greater reliability and precision of satellite positioning in tomorrow's mobile devices", says Dominique Bonte, Principal Analyst, Telematics and Navigation at ABI Research.

"By 2013, we can expect to see more than 900 million GPS-enabled devices in the market; each offering an array of new and innovative location-based services beyond traditional navigation, such as automatic geo-tagging of pictures taken with digital cameras, road toll systems, and social networking applications".

The NXP GNS7560 is implemented on a 90nm architecture and features a high performance CMOS RF front end plus correlator engine to significantly reduce system cost and power.

Advanced power management modes reduce power consumption to less than 13mW for 1s map updates - beyond any alternative GPS solution on the market today.

With a package size of less than 9mm2, the GNS7560 is the smallest GPS chip available, and when integrated with NXP's Cellular System Solution 7210, also provides the smallest overall solution.

Unlike other GPS solutions, the GNS7560 automatically alters sensitivity and tracking based on signal strength, multipath and velocity, delivering first-rate acquisition and tracking sensitivity, time to first fix (TTFF) and accuracy to ensure deep-indoor sensitivity and reliable coverage even in dense metropolitan areas known as "urban canyons".

The host software for the product is structured for easy OS integration with Microsoft Windows CE, Windows Mobile and Linux standard drivers, as well as a variety of real-time kernels in support of today's Smartphone designs.

The high-performance GPS single-chip solution is integrated with NXP's Nexperia UMTS/Edge Cellular System Solution 7210, which supports a broad set of multimedia applications and connectivity options for 2G and 3G mobile handsets.

A demonstration of the Nexperia Cellular System Solution 7210 with integrated GNS7560 will be shown at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

The stand-alone GNS7560 A-GPS solution is sampling now.

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