Date: 25/01/2011

GPS chip from ST Microelectronics for portable devices

ST Microelectronics has introduced single-chip stand-alone positioning receivers for Portable Navigation Devices, in-car navigation and telematics applications. The ARM 9 core based Teseo II can receive signals from multiple satellite navigation systems, including GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS and QZSS.

ST says the ability of its newest positioning devices to acquire the position, velocity and time data from all major global navigation systems greatly improves the user position accuracy and navigation in poor satellite visibility conditions, such as in urban canyons. The Teseo II chips also offer exceptionally short signal-acquisition times (Time To First Fix), leveraging ST's own Self-Trained Assisted GPS technology, which improves the startup performance of a positioning device in difficult signal conditions, claims ST.

ST targets this device for both consumer and automotive applications, including Personal Navigation Devices, GNSS modules, marine equipment, fitness devices, in-car navigation, telematics, eCall and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. The automotive grade version of Teseo II is qualified to AEC-Q100, a critical stress-test qualification for automotive integrated circuits.

"Teseo II is the world's first single-chip solution able to acquire and track signals from satellites of multiple global navigation systems, including GPS, GLONASS and QZSS that are operational today, as well as Europe's upcoming GALILEO," said Fabio Marchio, Automotive Product Group Vice-President and General Manager of ST's Automotive Infotainment Division. "The superior positioning accuracy, combined with powerful processing capabilities and open platform approach, makes ST's Teseo II chips an ideal choice for next-generation navigation and telematics applications, where cost-effectiveness meets uncompromised performance."

The set of peripherals in this chip include USB 2.0, CAN (Controller Area Network), A/D converter, I2C, MSP (Multi-channel Serial Port), UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter) and general-purpose I/Os.


Availability: Now in samples volumes in Q3 2011
Price: each $6 for 500K pieces
LMP90100: Each $4.95 per 1K pieces
LMP91000: Each $3.95 per 1K pieces

Editorial Product Rating: *** (High Value)