GPS Receiver IC Draws 10 mA From 2.7-V Supply

The low power consumption of the PointCharger SE4100 GPS integrated receiver IC promotes longer battery life in peripheral devices used in automotive vehicle location (AVL), covert tracking, security, cellular, PDA, and personal navigation systems. It typically draws 10 mA from a 2.7-V supply. The SiGe-based (silicon germanium) device features about one-third the power consumption of competitive bipolar GPS radio solutions. When paired with many leading baseband circuits, the whole system consumes less than 120 mW in continuous operation. The SE4100 integrates an IF filter, a voltage-controlled oscillator, tank circuitry, and a low-noise amplifier (LNA) in a compact 4-mm² package. The unit's on-chip switchable LNA delivers a low typical noise figure of 1.3 dB. The SE4100's 4.092-MHz output suits industry-standard GPS baseband solutions. It comes in a 24-pin LPCC and costs $3.50 each in 10,000-unit quantities.