Analysis - Satellite-rich GPS sets mobile agenda
GPS navigation has been one of the success stories of recent years, writes David Manners in the latest Electronics Weekly Analysis piece, with the number of bright screens visible in cars on the road continuing to increase.
The question he asks, however, is: with so many out there working already on the US' GPS, then what is the point of the European Galileo system or the Russian's Glonass system?
One reason, he explains, is that adding Galileo and Glonass satellites to the existing GPS satellite constellation will substantially reduce the time it takes to get a fix, so improving user experience.
But from a semiconductor perspective - the article cites Mark Cetto, executive v-p for the mobile and personal business unit at NXP Semiconductor - GPS, Bluetooth, FM, USB and NFC will be in 60 per cent of mobile phones within the next five years. Cetto says this is "high attach rate connectivity". Adversely, "low attach rate connectivity" will mean less than 30 per cent of mobile phones will include WiFi, mobile TV and wireless USB in the next five years.
This certainly makes GPS an attractive option for chip firms, writes David, and NXP will be adding the technology to its Nexperia wireless platform this year...
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GPS satellite
Glonass