Where big is beautiful
08 September 2009
Supplier of telematics hardware, Vincotech, has extended its portfolio of GPS receiver modules.
Module A1088-A has been designed and manufactured to address requirements in the automotive industry. While in many areas of consumer electronics design the trend is towards further miniaturisation of devices, the key emphasis of product designs for the automotive industry is reliability and quality. In combination with the performance of a SiRFstarIII chipset, Vincotech addresses these requirements with its new model.
The automotive industry was amongst the first users of GPS technology, and before PNDs (Personal Navigation System), GPS navigation systems could be found in many vehicles, most typically luxury cars. While devices for consumer applications need to be very compact, the automotive industry puts emphasis on reliability and quality, long-term availability of products, and manufacturing characteristics that allow for 100% visual inspection during assembly. All applications are further driven by the need for high GPS sensitivity along with low power consumption.
The major feature of the A1088-A is the sole use of AEC-Q compliant components. AEC-Q (Automotive Electronic Council) is a council founded by the automotive industry defining stringent standards for the qualification of electronic components. Thus the reliability standard of the module is guaranteed. Design and manufacturing of the A1088-A is done according to ISO/TS 16949. This standard, recognised and applied by automotive manufacturers, addresses system and process quality and is often the basis for quality audits. The consequent implementation of this standard is a testament to the highest production quality combined with backwards traceability. An important aspect is also the utilisation of ‘mature’ technologies. Of note, the SiRFstarIII GPS chip set is well established in many consumer and automotive applications.
Vincotech’s A1088-A is completely shielded and the shield carries a bar code containing all the module’s relevant data, including a unique serial number.
The module is designed for use with active antennas, reaching an acquisition sensitivity of -145dBm. A good operating environment allows cold start conditions to calculate a first position within less than 35s (TTFF – time to first fix). In tracking mode the sensitivity goes down to -159dBm. Here the current draw is typically 32mA at 3.3V. The module features additional low power modes where the current draw can be reduced to only 10µA. The A1088-A is specified for the industrial temperature range from -40°C to +85°C.
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