Software-based GPS solution is optimized for mobile devices

RF Micro Devices has readied a new software-based GPS solution labeled RFMD GPS RF8110. It is an optimized end-to-end solution to enable the integration of high-performance GPS applications in smartphones, wireless PDAs, digital cameras, gaming devices and other cost-sensitive, battery-operated mobile devices. Until now, mass deployment of GPS in mobile devices has been hindered by the high cost and size of conventional hardware-based GPS implementations. The RFMD GPS RF8110 redefines the boundaries of cost, power and size - enabling accelerated, widespread adoption of GPS in cost-sensitive mobile devices.

The RFMD GPS RF8110 is a highly scalable and flexible solution, allowing it to be optimized for a wide variety of product platforms. The solution eliminates the need for a dedicated baseband ASIC by leveraging the available host processing power and memory resources in feature-rich smartphones, wireless PDAs and other consumer devices. It is based on a mixed-signal 0.18 ｵm CMOS RFIC bundled with the developer痴 proprietary core GPS software. The RFIC has a hardware accelerator on-chip to offload the system's applications processor and to minimize the data transfer rate to the host CPU. Low power consumption is achieved through various hardware and software-controlled power save modes.

The solution supports push-to-fix, location-based services (LBS) applications, as well as automotive and pedestrian navigation in outdoor and low signal strength environments. Designed to be used in "best-in-class" portable devices, this solution can be easily integrated into a variety of leading host platforms powered by ARM-based applications processors like Intel's XScale processor, Texas Instrument's OMAP, Freescale's i.MX and Samsung's S3C. It is operating system-agnostic and supports a variety of mobile platforms including Linux, Windows Mobile 5.0 and Symbian. The RFMD GPS RF8110 supports both autonomous as well as standards-based assisted modes of operation. The RFMD GPS RF8110 reduces the total bill-of-materials (BOM) and leads to significant cost and size savings. In large volumes, the price of the RFMD GPS RF8110 RFIC bundled with core GPS software is approximately $3.