Building on its Nexperia mobile multimedia processor PNX1090, NXP Semiconductors has readied a low cost portable GPS navigation solution with advanced multimedia capabilities. To be demonstrated at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, the new offering features both NXP software, as well as from ALK Technologies in Princeton, NJ. Consequently, the navigation solution includes NXP mobile multimedia processor PNX0190, the NXP swGPS Personal software with the NXP UAF1572 GPS radio IC and ALK’s CoPilot navigation software. According to NXP, the integrated navigation solution offers hardware and software needed to build a low-cost, multimedia-rich portable media player (PMP) with GPS navigation capability.
Unlike traditional GPS solutions, the NXP method eliminates the costly GPS baseband silicon to deliver low bill of material, while its software-based approach provides flexibility and future-proofing in an evolving market, enabling for example, in-the-field upgrades to offer new features and improvements as soon as they become available, noted NXP.
According to Michael Kornhauser, vice president at ALK Technologies, “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.”
While swGPS Personal software leverages the PNX0190 processor to provide continuous position updates every second to ensure smooth tracking, cold start times of below 35 seconds with the algorithms tuned to suit automotive or pedestrian use, ALK's CoPilot navigation software includes maps for the U.S. and Canada with turn-by-turn directions.
While the solution is expected to cost below $4.00 in production quantities, the end product based on this solution is estimated to cost around $240, according to NXP. The Nexperia multimedia-enabled navigation device solution will be available in Europe, U.S. and APAC in the second half of 2007.
