Atmel Showcases Two New GPS Chips

Realizing the need to improve on its GPS receiver devices which were
launched some three years ago, the ATR0630 and ATR0635, Atmel Corp.
has launched two chips for the GPS receivers and each was named after
the device into which they are to be incorporated; ATR060P1 and
ATR06035P1 respectively.
Several factors were said to have been considered by the manufacturer
and these include a 45 percent reduction in footprint, a simplified
board layout, and a minimal external component count. The chips each
measure about 7 x 10 millimeters and the ATR06035P1 can allow for
weak-signal acquisition and tracking in urban canyons because it has a
sensitivity of 158 dB which is powerful enough to pick any weak
signals.
These new P1 versions can be re-used in the existing modules because
they are made of full pin-to-pin and functional compatibility to the
industrial-graded standard variants ATR0630 and ATR0635. The company
claimed that the devices meet the AEC-Q100 automotive quality
standard.
The company however suggested that the GPS chips could be used in
in-vehicle navigation systems, telemetries, fleet management, dynamic
car insurance fee systems (pay-as-you-drive), and after-market
navigation products. They have the samples in small-outline, 96-pin
ball grid array packages.
They are sold at $13 for the ATR0630P1 and $15 for the ATR0635P1 for
10,000-piece quantities each and a complete evaluation kit, including
ultra-small footprint sample designs, is also available.