Low Cost Software based GPS Solution from NXP

NXP Semiconductors (previously Phillips) offers low-cost solution for portable GPS devices. Based on Nexperia™ mobile multimedia processor PNX0190, the new offering includes NXP Software’s swGPS™ Personal, a groundbreaking software solution for GPS, along with ALK Technologies’ industry-leading CoPilot® navigation software.

You can see the product at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, January 8-11, 2007.

Traditional GPS solutions require hardware GPS baseband processors. In contrast, NXP’s solution utilizes swGPS Personal running on the PNX0190 multimedia processor to efficiently perform GPS calculations. This software approach delivers a low bill of material and provides flexibility and future-proofing in an evolving market, enabling in-the-field upgrades.

NXP’s solution successfully pairs high-quality navigation capability with rich multimedia processing, including MP3 playback, standard and high-definition video playback and recording, FM radio, image tank, and gaming. The solution also incorporates navigation software from ALK Technologies. According to Michael Kornhauser, Vice President at ALK Technologies, Inc.:

“The combination of NXP’s PMP/GPS technology and ALK’s CoPilot GPS Navigation software provides a highly integrated, ready-to-go solution for the delivery of portable navigation systems that are finally both practical and affordable for the average consumer. What’s more, our close collaboration with NXP has resulted in a vibrant and easy-to-use navigation experience, complete with powerful trip calculation, smooth transition and visually appealing overlays for safe and reliable GPS navigation anywhere in the world.”

The video playback function provides a visually enhanced user experience. For example, a user seeking a particular Point of Interest (POI), such as a restaurant, movie theater or retail outlet, can not only obtain turn by turn directions to the POI, but can also obtain external and internal visuals of the building/location itself. Lastly, in addition to allowing entertainment applications to be viewed on the move, NXP’s PMP solution also allows viewing from home when docked to an HDTV.

“In addition to navigation capability, our solution also offers exceptional image quality and a vast array of rich multimedia features – which many expensive GPS alternatives cannot support,” said Cor Hovius, director of marketing and strategy, Business Line Personal Entertainment Solutions at NXP Semiconductors. “This distinctive blend of high-quality navigation and multimedia with superior value allows both OEMs and ODMs the opportunity to produce a new breed of low-cost, GPS-equipped PMP devices – catering to a much wider audience and helping to expedite the mass adoption of location-based services within the wireless industry.”

NXP’s solution is based on the NXP mobile multimedia processor PNX0190, the NXP swGPS Personal software with the NXP UAF1572 GPS radio IC and ALK’s CoPilot navigation software.

Availability
The Nexperia multimedia-enabled navigation device solution will be available in Europe, U.S. and APAC in the second half of 2007.

Source: NXP