Garmin Integrates STMicro Chipset

Garmin designed STMicroelectronics' Teseo GPS engine into some of its portable navigation devices (PNDs) and handheld GPS receivers. ST's Teseo platform is a turn-key solution whose TTFF (Time To First Fix) values (the time it takes a GPS receiver to find satellites) rank among the fastest in the industry, according to a company release. A "warm start"—the acquisition of time, satellite positioning and velocity data lost during the switch-off—takes less than 34 seconds. ST's new GPS chipsets support satellite-based augmentation systems like WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) and EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service), and are in compliance with Galileo, the upcoming European version of GPS. The Teseo platform can also be used in personal navigation devices, handheld GPS receivers, in-car navigation, telematics and electronic toll collection. "ST is one of the few players in this market that can offer high-performance and cost-effective GPS solutions based on robust silicon technology, experience in the automotive market, and know-how developed in collaboration with leading navigation manufacturers," Domenico Rossi, general manager of ST's car radio and multimedia division, said in a statement.