GPS for mobiles

Cambridge-based CSR claims to have halved the cost of embedding GPS solutions in mobile devices through a collaboration with Samsung Electro-Mechanics.

CSR's software approach eliminates the need for a dedicated GPS baseband processor, reducing the cost of the module to less than half of what competitors are able to offer, and offers manufacturers a low cost route to take advantage of this high growth market.

The 9.8 x 9.8 x 2.15mm Samsung module is based on the SiGe Semiconductor SE4120S GPS RF IC and is a complete GPS RF subsystem, including voltage regulation, RTC and TCXO, SAW filter and LNA. When combined with CSR's GPS software running on a typical applications processor, the system achieves tracking sensitivity of -159 dBm and has a cold start acquisition time of under 40 seconds.

According to ABI Research, the market for GPS enabled handsets alone is set to generate $50bn in revenues in 2008, with that figure set to rise to $100bn by 2012.