SiRF unveils A-GPS receiver

SiRF Technology Holdings Inc., a provider of GPS-enabled silicon and software location platforms, unveiled a small multimode A-GPS chip, the GSCi-5000, which aims to address the space and cost constraints of cellular handsets.

"In the mobile arena today, thin is in; the ultra-slender phones are jumping off the retail shelves. GSCi-5000's small footprint makes it ideal for these applications and its low-cost GPS subsystem implementation will help us expand our multimode A-GPS penetration into the midrange segment of the market," said Kanwar Chadha, founder and VP of marketing for SiRF.

The ROM-based GSCi-5000 receiver is packaged into a 77-pin BGA chip measuring 4-by-6-by-1mm. An integrated low noise amplifier and fractional synthesizer claim to reduce overall system cost and size, while SiRF's proprietary patent-pending technology minimizes the impact of RF jamming and compression issues which can hinder the late stages of the cellphone development cycle. The company added that overall average power consumption is minimized using a combination of self-managed periodic fix modes and a 5μA sleep mode. The new architecture utilizes the 90nm CMOS and 0.18μm SiGe process technologies.

The product uses a protocol based around the 3GPP A-GPS messages. Production availability is expected in August 2006.