New GPS Receiver Modules - Fastrax

Fastrax announced the new iTrax310 GPS receiver module, enabling high-performance navigation in the stringent applications and in extreme GPS environments. iTrax310 receivers are ideally suited for both battery operated consumer products and industrial navigation systems such as vehicle navigation devices, handheld computers, mobile phones, and sports accessories. The iTrax310 GPS receiver provides low acquisition sensitivity (-143dBm), navigation sensitivity (-158dBm) and power consumption (110mW at 3.0V).

Fastrax iTrax310 and uPatch300 GPS Receiver Modules

Fastrax iTrax310 and uPatch300 GPS Receiver Modules

Fastrax also announced its new uPatch300 and uPatch130 ultra small GPS receiver module with an integrated patch antenna. uPatch300 includes an 8-pin system connector and a UFL antenna connector for an external antenna (optional). The new uPatch130 GPS receiver has also an already integrated and optimized patch antenna and the same form factor and connectors as uPatch300, but is based on the Sony CXD2985 single chip. The uPatch 130 GPS receiver can be programmed by using iSuite 3 SDK, facilitating customer cost savings by enabling the programming of applications on the existing ARM 7 core.

Taneli Tuurnala, Fastrax, said:

The three products now introduced significantly strengthen the Fastrax iTrax and uPatch GPS receiver offerings. The iTrax310 reduces the size of surface mount GPS receivers even further and is definitely one of the smallest GPS receivers available on the market. The uPatch300 and uPatch130 expand Fastrax's Multiplatform concept, which is the first in the industry to provide a common form factor between multiple OEM GPS receivers based on different chipsets. Customers have varying requirements and by strengthening our GPS offering we are able to serve more customers even better than before…

As all uPatch GPS receivers, the uPatch300 and the uPatch130 are ideally suited for navigation and recreational devices as well as GPS Mouse type applications in which high performance and low cost are key issues. The new uPatch receivers are form factor and pin compatible, which further extends the Multiplatform concept introduced within the iTrax family.

Trax310 GPS Receiver Module

Fastrax iTrax310 GPS receiver module enables high performance navigation and solid fix even in harsh GPS visibility environments. The iTrax310 receiver is ideally suited for both navigation systems and battery operated consumer products like mobile phones, personal navigation devices, handheld computers and sports accessories.

Market Leading Performance Extremely fast TTFF enables fast re-acquisitions in harsh urban canyon or blocking environments. It also enables low power consumption in special power management operating modes. User configurable power management makes iTrax300 one of the lowest power consuming, complete 12-channel OEM GPS receivers on the market. E.g. the SiRF Adaptive TricklePower mode enables low power consumption but which adapts itself to weak signal conditions with full power acquisition and tracking.

The addition of an antenna and power supply is all that is required to make the iTrax310 operational. The module supports also dedicated control inputs for external control for the operating state.

Key Features of iTrax310:

• SiRFstarIII chip GSC3f/LP
• Low power consumption: 110mW @ 3.0V
• Tiny size (13.1mm x 15.9mm x 2.3mm)
• Ultra High Sensitivity: 158 dBm (Navigating)
• NMEA & SiRF binary protocols
• Timesync input
• External clock input
• Wakeup interrupt input
• 1PPS output
• Two serial ports
• GPIO available for custom purposes

The uPatch300 GPS Receiver Module

Fastrax uPatch300 GPS receiver module with embedded GPS antenna offers high performance navigation in  harsh GPS visibility environments. The uPatch300 receiver with embedded antenna is ideally suited for both navigation systems and battery operated consumer products like mobile phones, personal navigation devices, handheld computers and sports accessories. External GPS antenna connector with automatic antenna sense allows the uPatch300 to be used in various GPS applications.Fast TTFF enables fast re-acquisitions in harsh urban canyon or blocking environments.

User configurable power management makes uPatch300 one of the lowest power consuming, complete 12-channel OEM GPS receivers on the market. E.g. the SiRFAdaptive TricklePowerTM mode enables low power consumption but which adapts itself to weak signal conditions with full power acquisition and tracking. The SiRFPush-to-FixTM mode keeps the GPS time and satellite data valid allowing fast navigation fix on demand.

Key Features of uPatch300 :

• SiRFstarIIIchip set GSC3e/LP
• Embedded patch antenna 18.4 x 18.4 x 4.2 mm
• Tiny form factor: 19mm x 27mm x 7.2mm
• Ultra High Sensitivity: 158 dBm(Navigating)
• Low power consumption: 120mW @ 3.0V
• NMEA & SiRFbinary protocols
• One serial port
• Extenal GPS antenna connector, automatic antenna sense and switching
• 1PPS output
• Control input for re-programminguPatch300OEM

The new iTrax310, uPatch300 and uPatch130 samples are scheduled to be available in July to August 2007.

More info: GPS receiver module Fastrax