Broadcom Releases New GNSS Location Chip with Access to Five Constellations

Photo: Nicola

[Via Satellite 12-10-13] Broadcom Corporation has introduced a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) chip, designated BCM47531, that generates positioning data from five satellite constellations simultaneously (GPS, GLONASS, QZSS, SBAS and BeiDou), totaling 88 satellites. The newly added Chinese BeiDou constellation increases the number of satellites available to a smartphone, enhancing navigation accuracy, particularly in urban settings where buildings and obstructions can cause interference.

The company’s new GNSS SoC is based on its widely deployed architecture that reduces the “time to first fix” (TTFF) and allows smartphones to quickly establish location and rapidly deliver mapping data. The SoC also features a tri-band tuner that enables smartphones to receive signals from all major navigation bands (GPS, GLONASS, QZSS, SBAS, and BeiDou) simultaneously.

The BCM47531 platform is available with Broadcom’s Location Based Services (LBS) technology that delivers satellite assistance data to the device and provides an initial fix time within seconds, instead of the minutes that may be required to receive orbit data from the satellites themselves.