Broadcom announces two new system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions with support for GLONASS (the Russian Navigation Satellite System), in addition to GPS, marking the first cost-effective, commercially-available, single die SoC solutions that support both GLONASS and GPS simultaneously.
- The BCM47511 is the latest generation of standalone GPS SoC solutions, adding GLONASS functionality, while remaining pin-compatible to the BCM4751 GPS SoC solution.
- The BCM2076 is a combo chip featuring GPS and GLONASS support, as well as Bluetooth and FM tuner functionality.
Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced two new GPS system-on-a-chip solutions that include support for the GLONASS Russian Navigation Satellite System, which almost doubles the number of satellites that are available for navigation.
Broadcom introduces its most advanced GPS solutions to date for smartphones, mobile handsets, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable media players and portable navigation devices (PNDs). The Broadcom® BCM47511 standalone GPS receiver and the Broadcom BCM2076 combo receiver with Bluetooth and an FM tuner feature dual constellation support of both GPS and GLONASS satellites.
GLONASS is the Russian equivalent to the U.S. GPS system, and is a complementary and alternative satellite navigation system. By adding GLONASS support, the BCM2076 and BCM47511 GPS receivers will have the ability to use an additional 21 GLONASS satellites currently (24 projected in the future), on top of the existing 30 U.S. GPS satellites, nearly doubling the number of satellites that can be used for navigation. In urban areas, many GPS satellites are blocked by buildings, so the additional 21 satellites offered by the GLONASS system will provide significant improvements in location performance and accuracy over currently available GPS receivers.
Highlights/Key Product Points:
The BCM47511 SoC solution is Broadcom’s latest generation of standalone receiver, featuring both integrated GPS and GLONASS. Since it is pin-for-pin compatible with Broadcom’s popular BCM4751 SoC solution, customers can quickly upgrade their products to include GLONASS navigation support.
The GPS core of the BCM47511 uses a host-based system architecture that splits processing functions between the GPS chip and the CPU on the host system, significantly decreasing system cost, while allowing customization or optimization of GPS/GLONASS navigation software algorithms on the host. This software is compatible with Broadcom’s existing GPS solutions, the BCM4750 and BCM4751, enabling rapid adoption while accelerating time-to-market.
The processing tasks for the BCM47511 GPS receiver have been divided so that it performs most of the computationally intensive operations, leaving the host software to implement the final calculations that may be affected by carrier and platform specific requirements. As a result, processing demands on the host CPU are minimized and no real time requirements are imposed.
The BCM47511 provides low power consumption and an ultra low power tracking mode.
The BCM47511 also includes on-chip low drop-out (LDO) regulators to supply the GNSS TCXO and optional low noise amplifier (LNA), reducing overall bill-of-materials (BOM) cost.
Broadcom provides GPS Location Library software API and GPS protocol client software that gives designers complete access to the BCM47511’s advanced capabilities.
The BCM2076 combo chip is a cutting edge Bluetooth + FM + GNSS solution for portable and wireless devices that require Bluetooth, GNSS, and a FM receiver/transmitter. It offers audio, Bluetooth 4.0 and improved audio compression that reflects Broadcom’s ongoing focus to improve the user experience. The BCM2076 combo chip is backwards compatible with Broadcom’s popular BCM2075 Bluetooth + FM receiver/transmitter.
Features dual constellation support for both GPS and GLONASS. In addition to these supported satellites, the BCM2076 combo chip also supports and uses assistance satellites such as SBAS (Satellite Based Augmentation System) and QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System).
The Bluetooth core is optimized for low power while maintaining high receiver sensitivity and is fully compliant with Bluetooth 4.0.
Also integrated is Broadcom’s popular SmartAudio® technology that enhances voice quality by supporting Packet Loss Concealment (PLC) and Wide-Band Speech.
Its FM+RDS/RBDS receiver core is enhanced to support an internal or external FM antenna.
It also includes on-chip low drop-out (LDO) regulators to supply the GNSS TCXO and optional low noise amplifier (LNA), reducing overall bill-of-materials (BOM) cost.
Additional features include:
– Integrated InConcert® collaborative WLAN coexistence technology mitigates potential radio interference between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and reduces the complexity of designing them into mobile devices
– Burst buffer operation (allows the host to sleep for 90% of the time during music playback, recording and A2DP operation)
– MP3, AAC+ on-chip decode for low power music playback
– Programmable 5-band audio equalizer
Quote:
“As consumer use of location based services grows, we are seeing an incredible level of interest from our customers in the cellular and personal navigation device markets for GPS and assisted-GPS technologies. As a technology leader in the GPS chip market, we now offer our new BCM47511 and BCM2076 solutions with GPS and GLONASS, which provide the industry’s best overall sensitivity, lowest average power consumption and the most complete portfolio of software, and are complemented by our AGPS LTO data service.” Scott Pomerantz, Vice President & General Manager, Broadcom’s GPS line of business.
