Global Locate retargets GPS range

Global Locate retargets GPS range
NEW ORLEANS, LA — Wireless chip specialist Global Locate Inc., came to the CTIA here with a novel Assisted-GPS chip set featuring 20,000 hardware correlators on a fully-integrated RF device with a time-to-first fix of just 250 milliseconds.

The company says the device, targeted at mobile wireless equipment, can also be easily adapted for more challenging indoor requirements.

The Global Locate A-GPS Chip Set includes the GL-20000 GPS baseband processor IC and a low noise integrated front-end IC, dubbed the GL-LN22. The part complements the existingfunctions on any wireless device, providing position fixes on demand by remaining in a near-zero power state until it is activated by the CPU to perform GPS signal requirements.

The device can acquire satellites with signal intensity as low as -158 dBm. For optimal performance, it performs server-aided starts using Global Locate's Assisted-GPS aiding information, which is delivered over a data link. The GL-20000 A-GPS can also operate without server aiding, and also provides multiple mode operation, either MS-Assisted, with position calculation at server, or MS-Based, with position calculated at terminal.

The compnay's original GL-16000 A-GPS Chip Set, an indoor global positioning system, was introduced in 2001. Fujitsu co-developed the ASIC technology incorporated into the part.

The new chip set supports a full range of serial interfaces, including SPI, UART and I2C, along with 8-bit parallel. The two devices are also available separately.