Multi-constellation satellite global positioning receivers

Paul Boughton

Telit Wireless Solutions has announced the introduction of the Jupiter SE868-V2 compact multi-constellation receiver module for positioning and navigation applications in the automotive, commercial, industrial, and consumer segments including wearable and handheld devices.

The small 11x11mm CSR SiRFstarV 5e-based, QFN packaged receiver module supports American Global Positioning System (GPS), Russian Globalnaya navigatsionnaya sputnikovaya sistema (Glonass) and Japanese Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS).

The company plans to ship market samples of the product’s second version which is ready to receive satellite signals from European Galileo, and Chinese BeiDou Compass (BDS) sat-navigation systems later this year as standards for these constellations are completed. The SE868-V2 receiver module was created to shorten time-to-market, make the chipset-versus-module decision easy to make for new designs and to provide a pin-compatible path for devices based on the Jupiter JF2 GPS module to upgrade to the latest and most robust multi-constellation support available in the market.

Telit’s Jupiter SE868-V2 excels in all positioning tasks and foremost in applications requiring high reliability navigation. Because of its ability to track GPS and Glonass constellations simultaneously it remains in navigation for a much higher percentage of time with no interruptions in the stream of position fixes. It also requires no external management for switching among the different satellite systems. The product features ultra-high sensitivity, up to -165dBm in tracking and -148dBm in acquisition. The SE868-V2 also reduces bill-of-material (BOM) costs of the customer device with an internal low-noise amplifier (LNA) which eliminates the need for costly active antennas.

The SE868-V2 also features very low power consumption as well as advanced power saving modes. It operates on a 1.8V supply at 3.2 mA current when in push-to-fix (PTF) mode and up to 45 mA typical current when engaged in simultaneous GPS and Glonass tracking. For devices upgrading from the JF2 GPS-only receiver, the new receiver is capable of delivering all its enhanced functionality while consuming power levels equivalent to the JF2.  That allows JF2 customers to adopt the SE868-V2 without having to upgrade the device’s power supply which is particularly critical in battery powered products.

Helping deliver high-value features and robustness, the device’s RF front-end includes and advanced jamming detection and in-DSP removal system allowing it to reject continuous-wave (CW) jamming interference.  It can interface with the host device via standard UART SPI or I2C, hot start in less than one second or cold start in less than 35 seconds. The SE868-V2 also supports the industry’s top assisted GNSS standards allowing the customer solution to reap benefits from faster fixes in obscured or partly obscured sky conditions. Jupiter SE868-V2 is a multi-constellation GNSS product enhanced for maximum sensitivity with minimal sky-visibility – indoors, garages, urban canyons, etc. Its advanced power saving modes make it extremely battery-power friendly and ideal for wearable and personal navigation applications.

For more information, visit www.telit.com