Cellular Handsets not Ready for Software GPS Revolution Just Yet

location based services

Despite software-based GPS performance improving significantly over the past two years, hardware implementations will dominate the cellular market until 2010, according to a new report from IMS Research. In the report, IMS Research provides market forecast on each type of GPS implementation for each major geographic region. Hardware GPS implementations are currently the technology of choice for cellular handsets. This is largely due to falling prices, high sensitivity, relatively good performance and ease of implementation.
Patrick Connolly, Senior GPS analyst at IMS Research said that companies such as NXP, RFMD and Nordnav have taken software GPS implementations to new levels of performance. Software GPS addresses two of major design barriers to large-scale uptake in handsets, namely size and cost. Not only is it possible to reduce the silicon footprint, the bill of materials (BOM) is greatly reduced to a level where GPS will proliferate in handsets.
However, software GPS implementations are not without their problems. GPS signal processing requires a high CPU load and interrupt rate, which is only exacerbated by the demand for faster TTFF with greater sensitivity. While processors in handsets are improving, they are still not powerful enough to execute GPS software efficiently. As a result, current solutions cannot approach the level of sensitivity, TTFF or power consumption that are associated with advanced hardware solutions.
Another major inhibitor is handset manufacturers' reluctance to add anything to the baseband processor, as it involves much longer development cycles and can result in interference with voice communications.
However, IMS Research believes that software GPS is not technology for technology's sake, there is a long term market there. Currently, the high processor specifications of laptops and dedicated sat-nav devices will overcome many of the problems currently associated with handset implementation. Furthermore, more and more high-end handsets will be designed with a dedicated applications processor that is free of the cellular protocol stack and runs off a non-RTOS. These processors will give handset manufacturers more confidence to implement software GPS away from the baseband processor. As a result, IMS Research has forecast that software GPS implementations will begin to significantly impact the cellular market from 2009 onwards.