Atmel and u-blox AG have announced a new GPS weak signal tracking technology, called SuperSense, supporting Atmel’s Antaris GPS chipsets and GPS modules from u-blox. According to the companies, with this new GPS software, accurate GPS navigation becomes possible in building interiors, deep urban canyons, covered roads and other locations where GPS reception has previously been impossible. Previously such areas prevented effective GPS navigation due to systems’ inability to effectively receive faint GPS tracking signals.
SuperSense targets mass-market, automotive and handheld, FCC E-911 Phase II-compliant GPS product applications. Because of Antaris SuperSense- based products’ sensitivity, antennas can be moved to a vehicle’s interior, allowing products with integrated antennas mounted in glove compartments and under seats, thus reducing automotive GPS installation costs when compared with systems requiring a separate, external antenna.
The Antaris GPS engine, jointly developed by Atmel and u-blox, is suited for indoor GPS reception. The 16-channel Antaris features 8,192 simultaneously operating time/frequency search windows. This improves acquisition sensitivity for stand-alone and A-GPS operation, enabling satellite search and position calculation in previously GPS-dead areas.
