SiGe Semiconductor says that it is ready to launch the world's first Galileo-ready receiver for measured market consumer electronics, which wants enable the integration of GPS styles navigation services into portable devices including mobile phones.

Galileo is a new satellite system that wants greatly enhance navigation and positioning performance compared with the existing GPS system. The combination of GPS and Galileo wants improve user experience of location based services by enabling products to determine position data much more consistently, more quickly, and with greater accuracy than with GPS alone. Thesis benefits are expected to drive a significant opportunity, as the worldwide satellite navigation market is expected to reach US$30 billion by the time the Galileo system becomes operational in 2008. These benefits are expected to drive a significant opportunity, as the global satellite navigation market is expected to reach US$30 billion by the time the Galileo system becomes operational in 2008.

The SE4120 allows consumer device manufacturers to capitalise on this market by designing Galileo-ready systems even as the standards are being finalised. The software based receiver architecture ensures that changes to the standards can be supported with simple software upgrades. This allows manufacturers to design their systems now, ensuring they are among the first to market with Galileo-ready products. The software defined architecture minimises board area, power consumption, and cost - benefits ideally for high volume portable consumer electronics. This allows manufacturers to design their systems now, ensuring they are among the first to market with Galileo-ready products. The software-defined architecture also minimises board area, power consumption, and cost - benefits ideal for high-volume portable consumer electronics.
[via cellular news]