Global Positioning Systems (GPS)
USB GPS Module offers plug-and-play functionality.
Press Release Summary:
Delivering 10 position updates per second, plug-and-play 1040 PhidgetGPS provides position (longitude, latitude, altitude); heading; velocity; time and date; and satellite fix availability. Position accuracy is 2.5 m CEP, velocity accuracy is 0.1 m/sec, and timing accuracy is 300 nsec. Max altitude and velocity (Standard COCOM Limits) are greater than 18,000 m @ greater than 515 m/sec. GPS sensivity offers -161 dBm tracking and less than 1 sec re-acquisition (hot start).
Original Press Release:
Phidgets Inc. Enters the GPS Marketplace with the 1040 - PhidgetGPS
CALGARY, Alberta - Phidgets Inc. released today the 1040 - PhidgetGPS which provides position (longitude, latitude, altitude), heading, velocity, time and date and satellite fix availability.
"When designing the 1040 we paid special attention to the board size to insure that it could easily be mounted on top of PhidgetSpatial 0/0/3 - Accedlerometer and Phidgetspatial 3/3/3 (Compass/Gyroscope/Accelerometer" says Chester Fitchett, CEO of Phidgets.
Product Specifications
Position Accuracy (best case): 2.5m CEP
Velocity Accuracy: 0.1m/s
Timing Accuracy: 300ns
Max Altitude and Velocity - Standard COCOM Limits: >18,000m @ >515m/s
GPS Sensivity: Tracking -161dBm
Re-acquisition (hot start): <1s
USB Voltage: 4.35 - 5.25VDC
Battery Backup run-time: 1 month
Battery Charge Time: 24 hours
USB Current Consumption: 50mA
Position Updates per second: 10
Software Environment
"Unlike a lot of our competitor's products that require their users to write some firmware code in order to use their sensor, we are completely "Plug and Play" says Bernard Rousseau, Director of Marketing. "With Phidgets, you plug it in and start using it and when it comes to programming, the user, not us, decides which operating system and which computer language he wants to use", added Rousseau.
Users can program Phidgets using a simple yet powerful and well documented Application Programming Interfade (API) that is supported under Windows (2000, XP, Vista), Windows CE, Mac OS X, and Linux. Users can write programs in Visual Basic, VB.NET, C#, C/C++, Flash/Flex, Java, Labview, Matlab, ActionScript 3.0, and Cocoa.
Phidgets also provides programming examples for all its products to help programmers write their own programs. The API Libraries as well as the examples and the documentation are available at no charge on Phidgets.com.
Pricing and Availability
The 1040 - PhidgetsGPS is available now. The suggested resale price is $90.00 Canadian.
About Phidgets
Phidgets, Inc. is a technology leader in the design and manufacture of low-cost control and sensing modules connected to personal computers through the USB port. Phidgets products are ideally suited for fast prototyping. The privately held company is based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
