Broadcom Limited, a leading developer of digital and analogue semiconductor connectivity solutions, recently announced the launch of the world’s first mass-market, dual frequency GNSS receiver device for smartphones, the BCM47755.

Equipped with the latest GNSS innovations, the new Broadcom BCM47755 receiver provides lane-level accuracy with minimal power consumption and footprint. As a result, it is set to enable an entirely new suite of high-precision LBS applications, including lane-level vehicle navigation and mobile augmented reality (AR).

Until now, mobile location based applications have been powered by single frequency GNSS receivers operating under stringent battery power and footprint constraints. The expanded availability of L1/E1 and L5/E5 frequencies in satellite constellations, in particular thanks to Europe’s Galileo constellation, makes it possible to use both frequencies to compute position much more accurately in both urban and open area environments.

Galileo stands ready

Galileo, which offers both the E1 and E5 frequency as a standard feature, is well positioned to be a major differentiator in this potentially huge market. With E5/L5 capability added to the E1/L1, chipsets and receivers benefit from better accuracy, ionosphere error cancellation, improved code tracking pseudorange estimates, and faster transition from code tracking to phase tracking, among other benefits.

“We are glad to see the industry recognising the advantages of dual frequency GNSS receivers, including Galileo E1 and E5,” says GSA Executive Director Carlo des Dorides. “We believe Galileo’s contribution is instrumental to reaching mass market GNSS centimetre-level accuracy.”

The strength of the Galileo signal, together with advanced code modulations, makes Galileo better at mitigating multipath effects – especially in E5. The Broadcom receiver’s combination of the E1/L1 and E5/L5 frequencies significantly contributes to reducing errors in urban environments, thus allowing location-based applications to offer a better consumer experience. 

“With the launch of the dual-frequency GNSS sensor hub, Broadcom continues the tradition of raising the bar for mobile GNSS,” said Vijay Nagarajan, senior director of product marketing at the Broadcom Mobile Connectivity Products Division. “Location-based consumer applications can be disruptively enhanced with centimetre-level accuracy. On the other hand, lower power consumption and smaller footprint continue to be defining requirements for any mobile phone chip. The BCM47755 achieves these twin objectives for a richer consumer experience.”

For example, turn-by-turn navigation performance will improve thanks to the provision of lane-level knowledge of a vehicle's location, and ride hailing applications can be enhanced to more precisely pinpoint driver and client location. What’s more, even while enjoying this improved navigation experience, consumers will also benefit from the fact that batteries on mobile devices using the BCM47755 receiver will last longer as, according to the manufacturer, it consumes less than half the power of previous generation GNSS chips.

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