» MASS MARKET OEM
Broadcom Ranked Top, But Does Not Locate iPhone
Media — including GPS World — picked up a blogger’s rumor and got it wrong.
Market research firm ABI Research ranked Broadcom at the top of its GPS vendor matrix analysis (see list), noting that Broadcom’s Global Locate unit had the contract to supply the GPS silicon in the second-generation Apple iPhone. However, reputable sources now indicate that German chipmaker Infineon supplies the GPS chip for iPhone 3G, though Broadcom has non-GPS parts in it.
Additionally, other analysts’ findings question the iPhone’s GPS functionality, regardless of the chip maker. “Initial reviews of the iPhone’s GPS functionality haven’t exactly been overwhelmingly positive,” said Patrick Connolly, IMS Research senior GPS analyst. “However, much of the frustration is borne from the lack of sat-nav functionality, particularly as many reviewers do not appear to be that GPS-LBS savvy.” For more on GPS in the iPhone 3G, read Kevin Dennehy’s July 23 LBS Insider column (www.gpsworld.com/iphone).
ABI’s vendor-matrix analytical tool examines vendor positions in specific markets. ABI analyzed company products in terms of multiple RF integration, ICs, and single-chip implementations; assisted GPS; market share; consumer market focus; professional, industrial, and military market focus; fabless; and key customer wins.
» AVIONICS & TRANSPORTATION
Moto Survey: GPS Saves Time, Fuel Costs
Nearly 50 percent of businesses using GPS technologies cite a reduction in travel distance by an average of 231.2 miles per week, saving $51,582 in annual fuel savings. That is according to a Motorola, Inc., survey of those in the transportation, manufacturing, and trucking/warehousing industries.
The study, commissioned by Motorola, also revealed that employees of businesses deploying GPS-enabled technologies saved approximately 54 minutes per day, realizing annual labor savings of $5,484 per employee, or $5.4 million per surveyed enterprise. Survey respondents also credited location-based services with improving the organization of employee routes.
Surveyed enterprises indicated GPS technology enables mobile workers to spend less time in traffic or finding routes, while increasing the amount of time spent with customers. When asked why they would consider investing in GPS or other new technologies, those surveyed cited customer service as the number-one priority, Motorola said.
The survey also identified other key applications, namely navigation for improved on-time performance and route optimization. These functions address mobile workers’ difficulties in locating new stops during the course of their shift and also serve to streamline deliveries, respondents said.
» MASS MARKET OEM
Ceva, u-blox Settle License Dispute
Silicon Valley-based Ceva Inc. and Swiss GPS chipmaker u-blox AG have settled their legal dispute over licensing fees, with u-blox agreeing to pay $2.5 million, the companies announced July 16.
The settlement follows a preliminary hearing in the Court of Commerce in Zurich on July 10. Ceva first filed on October 30, 2007, alleging that u-blox refused to allow Ceva to complete a routine royalty audit of its books and records in accordance with the terms of a license agreement it had with Ceva, according to the company. In a defense filing, u-blox asked the Swiss court to dismiss Ceva’s claims.
Ceva frequently licenses its digital signal processor (DSP) technology to GPS chip makers. At one time it was directly involved in GPS silicon, but in June 2006 it spun out its GPS business, creating GloNav Inc. Ceva retained its core DSP technology however, and continued to license it to GPS receiver makers, including GloNav. GloNav, incidentally, is the object of a pending acquisition by European chip maker NXP.
u-blox said the $2.5 million payment to Ceva would not impact its financial numbers in 2008, as the figure was accrued in 2007.
» MASS MARKET OEM
Rakon Embarks on JV with China’s Timemaker Crystal
Crystal oscillator supplier Rakon Ltd. has released further details about its planned expansion in China, announcing in July a joint venture (JV) agreement with China’s Timemaker Crystal Technology Ltd.
Auckland, New Zealand-based Rakon will hold a 70 percent share in the JV and will also take a 40 percent share in Timemaker. Rakon first announced in August 2007 that it was looking to build a facility in southern China with a partner that was already part of the domestic Chinese supply chain.
Timemaker is a manufacturer of high-specification quartz crystal blanks, a key component in crystal resonators. Production of these blanks is technically demanding and labor intensive, according to Rakon.
“Although we maintain the capability to manufacture our own quartz blanks in Auckland, we have been outsourcing the manufacturing of our high volume production for many years,” said Brent Robinson, Rakon managing director. “Our investment in Timemaker allows us to take greater control of our overall supply chain.”
Rakon expects to begin construction on the Chinese factory in the fourth quarter with production beginning in late 2009. The facility will focus on manufacturing quartz crystal resonators and temperature compensated crystal oscillators (TCXO) for high-end and high-volume consumer applications, including the GPS-enabled cell phone market. Timemaker will continue to focus on the supply of high-specification quartz blanks, according to Rakon.
Over the next five years Rakon plans to invest between $45 million and $70 million (New Zealand) in China to meet market growth; the actual timing and amount of investment will depend on the speed of market growth and Rakon’s success in capturing it, the company said.
Rakon said that it remains committed to New Zealand, and that the Chinese expansion does not mean it was moving away from its home country. “We have recently expanded our Auckland manufacturing plant. The installment of a fifth crystal line in our clean room and the commissioning of our next-generation TCXO test system are significant investments in our future here,” Robinson said.
» SURVEY & CONSTRUCTION
Hemisphere Debuts OEM Compass Board
Hemisphere GPS has introduced its LV100 GPS Compass Board, a GPS compass and positioning assembly built on a single carrier board with integrated GPS antennas and designed for OEM customers.
Based on the company’s Crescent Vector technology, the LV100 integrates two GPS antennas, an NMEA 2000 communication processor, a single axis gyro, a tilt sensor, and a power supply. The dual integrated antennas provide both heading and position data, and the gyro and tilt sensor improve system performance and provide backup heading information, if the GPS-based heading is lost, according to Hemisphere. The Crescent technology provides highly accurate code phase management and multipath mitigation.
Hemisphere suggested that the LV100 GPS Compass Board is an alternative to gyro and fluxgate compass sensors; it provides precise positioning and speed measurements while being immune to magnetic interference, and requires no maintenance or calibration. The LV100 also incorporates GPS COAST technology, which is less affected by blocked or weak differential GPS (DGPS) signals, as it can also use older DGPS correction data for up to 40 minutes without affecting position data quality.
» SYSTEM DESIGN & TEST
LitePoint Unveils Embedded Testers
LitePoint Corp. is now offering three new wireless test systems, including one for testing embedded GPS hardware, dubbed IQnav. IQnav is available in 1- and 6-channel models, both supporting L1 GPS frequencies (1575.42 MHz) over a power range of 160 to 1145 dBm, according to the company. The IQnav also features specialized trigger capabilities that support testing of assisted GPS, as typically found in GPS-enabled CDMA one and CDMA 2000 handsets, LitePoint said.
The multichannel IQnav enables both C/No measurements and location-fix test to be performed simultaneously with a single connection to the device under test. This reduces testing time up to 50 percent compared to sequential testing, according to LitePoint. The IQnav also offers synthetic power sweep (SPS) capabilities where up to six C/No measurements are made simultaneously.
The six-channel IQnav has a single-unit price of $12,500; the single-channel version will sell for $9,500.
» SYSTEM DESIGN & TEST
Raytheon Prepares to Take GAGAN Beyond Demo Phase
Waltham, Mass.-based Raytheon Co. is leading a team that’s bidding to build and implement the finalized GAGAN system, India’s satellite based augmentation system (SBAS).
This will complete the final phase of GAGAN’s development, Raytheon said. It also leads the team that developed the technology demonstration system for GAGAN, or GPS-Aided Geosynchronous Augmented Navigation system. GAGAN is designed to monitor GPS satellite signals for errors and then generate correction messages to improve positioning accuracy for users. Raytheon completed the final system acceptance test of the demonstration phase of the GAGAN project in November 2007.
GAGAN will provide SBAS service for civil aviation across South and East Asia, according to Raytheon. The company was also instrumental in developing and implementing the Wide Area Augmentation System SBAS in the United States, which was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration in 2003, and the MTSAT Satellite Augmentation System certified by the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau in September 2007.
Working with Raytheon on GAGAN are: Accord Software and Systems Pvt. Ltd. of Bangalore, India — GPS-based user receiver prototype development optimized for the equatorial region; Elcome Technologies Pvt. Ltd. of Gurgaon, India — logistical and on-site support; and Naverus Inc. of Kent, Washington —performance-based navigation route design, procedure flight validation, and other related services.
» SURVEY & CONSTRUCTION
Trimble Locator for Construction Manager
Trimble has unveiled its TrimTrac Pro Locator for its Trimble Construction Manager, the company’s system for managing construction assets.
The TrimTrac Pro device uses GPS technology, a motion sensor, and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) cellular technology to monitor equipment activity. Data is transmitted to the Trimble Construction Manager data center for access to a variety of charts and reports, including display of daily activity, asset utilization, and hours of use for preventative maintenance, according to Trimble.
Users can drill down to see detailed information for one asset or view multiple assets for side-by-side analysis. In addition, users can be notified by email and text message when certain conditions exist, such as a movement alert with a curfew time period for theft recovery, or when the power source has been disconnected, the company said.
In addition to supporting the TrimTrac Pro hardware, Trimble Construction Manager version 2.1 has been enhanced with several features including a report that supports the requirements for the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for off-road machinery emission reporting.
