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GPS Modules
For customers looking to incorporate GPS location based services into their product lines, either a chipset or module based solution can be selected. To design a SiRF chip set into a product line requires significant human resources and capital equipment that may or may not be available internally.
A typical list includes:
Human Resources:
- Embedded Software Engineers
- RF Engineer
- Digital Hardware Engineer
- Test Engineer
- System Engineer
Capital Equipment:
- Oscilloscope
- GPS Simulator
- Spectrum Analyzer
- Logic Analyzer
- Emulator
In addition to the resources required, a chipset design effort delays the time to market by 12 to 18 months until the design is completed and certified for use by the FCC. Thus, it is usually more wise to incorporate a module into the product, test the product in the marketplace, and then optimize it as a solution. As such, market risk, technical risk and schedule risk are all mitigated to the maximum extent possible.
Modules incorporating SiRF chipsets are readily available with GPS only, GPS/GPRS, GPS/Bluetooth, GPS USB dongles, etc.
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