Search by company

Slimline module embeds frugal GPS capabilities

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Jul 28, 2004

A novel slimline GPS module makes it easy for volume manufacturers of consumer products to add location capability with minimal impact on device size while retaining power efficiency.

The latest GPS module from Xemics has been designed to be as easy as possible for volume manufacturers of consumer products to add location capability with minimal impact on device size while retaining power efficiency.

The ultra-low-power SlimGPS RGPSM202 receivers are fully autonomous modules that provide position, speed and time information derived from the Global Positioning System.

The modules have excellent speed accuracy performances and a position accuracy of better tnan 5m.

The tracking sensitivity of -143dBm leads to excellent capabilities in outdoor conditions, including urban areas.

Their "slim" small form factor and power consumption turn out to be key advantages for several target applications, including personal handheld receivers, palmtops, PDAs and similar mobile information devices, car navigation, car accessories, and fleet management systems.

They can easily be interfaced with any application controller through a simple serial interface.

These low cost solutions come in a small and slim form factor as a drop-in surface mount board that facilitates integration into portable equipment.

With their 38 x 26.5 x 3mm dimensions, the SlimGPS are designed to simplify the embedded system integration process.

Using just 25mA at 3.3V on full power, the SlimGPS has additional low power modes to maximise energy usage and extend battery lifetime.

The SlimGPS are based on the Xemics XE1610 mixed hardware/software solution with an embedded 32bit MCU, onboard RAM for GPS navigation data and an onboard Flash memory backup.

Samples are available now.