Dead-reckoning sensors and GPS will be the shape of things to come, IMO. SiRF is blazing a trail that others will follow. However, the latest DigiWalker 269 offering from Mio ranks 20th out of 21 PNDs tested by Consumer Reports.
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SiRF Says DR Sensors, Software Boost PND Capabilities
Jun 5, 2007 - GPS World
GPS chip maker SiRF Technology today introduced its SiRFDiRect technology, claiming that it achieves navigation performance in portable navigation devices (PND) that was previously achievable only in permanently-installed in-vehicle systems.
The company further announced that European PND maker Mio Technology, Ltd., will be the first to deploy the technology to consumers. Mio will unveil its own SiRFDiRect-based Navsteadi high-precision navigation technology at the Computex Taipei 2007 trade show, taking place this week.
SiRFDiRect employs algorithms that take advantage of closely coupled GPS and dead-reckoning (DR) sensor measurements to provide positioning data even in the worst GPS signal conditions, such as such as in dense urban canyons and tunnels, the company says. The first implementation of SiRFDiRect technology integrates the company's SiRFstarIII chip architecture with low-cost heading and acceleration sensors to give portable devices continuous and accurate navigation capabilities, according to SiRF.
"SiRFDiRect gives our portable navigation device customers a competitive edge by enabling them to provide in-car system navigation accuracy at lower cost while retaining the advantages of portability and transferability," stated Kanwar Chadha, SiRF founder and vice president of marketing.
Transitions between combined GPS/DR and dead-reckoning-only operation are seamless and accurate without operator intervention, according to the company. SiRFDiRect also continuously auto-calibrates the heading and acceleration sensors, enabling high performance with low-cost, small-footprint sensors, SiRF says. The sensors can be located in the portable device or in an external dashboard mounting cradle.
SiRFDiRect technology and complete reference designs will be available in Q3 of this year in conjunction with SiRF's GSC3e/LP and GSC3f/LP chipsets, and will migrate to future SiRF hardware platforms, the company said. |
