CSR is embedding its GPS software in Samsung hardware modules. The two companies are partnering to bring location-based services to more mobile phones, media players and personal navigation devices (PNDs).

The tie-up is intended to provide mobile device manufacturers with a short, low-cost route to the expanding GPS market. CSR's software approach removes the need for a dedicated GPS baseband and, according to the company, halves the cost of GPS modules

"With the market for location based services set to boom in 2008, it is crucial that our customers are able to keep apace with the demand," said v-p of Samsung, Sakwan Hong. "Samsung and CSR's software GPS solution meets customer performance expectations at a substantially lower cost, so it was a natural progression to partner on this GPS module."

The Samsung module measures 9.8 x 9.8 x 2.15mm and it is based on the SiGe Semiconductor SE4120S GPS RF IC. It provides a full GPS RF subsystem, including voltage regulation, RTC and TCXO, SAW filter and LNA. According to CSR, the system achieves tracking sensitivity of -159 dBm, when combined with a typical applications processor, and has a cold start acquisition time of less than 40 seconds.

"Our software architecture already allows the lowest cost design for embedding GPS in high volume applications and we've seen strong interest from tier one mobile handset and consumer electronics companies," said the v-p of CSR's Location Based Services Business Unit, Dr. Stuart Strickland. "By partnering with Samsung, we are now able to completely eliminate a complex, risk-laden, and time-consuming step in the product design and integration process, thus making this lower cost alternative available to a much broader range of customers."

In terms of the size of the GPS market, CSR quotes a study from ABI Research that calculates the market for GPS enabled handsets alone to generate $50bn in revenues in 2008, with that figure set to rise to $100bn by 2012.

See also: Electronics Weekly's Focus on Samsung Electronics, a roundup of content on three main areas of the technology giant's development: memory chips, LCD displays and mobile phone technology.