SiRF’s Multifunctional Chipset – SiRFprima
July 1, 2009
These days almost every vehicle comes with a satellite navigator and people are becoming more addicted to navigational units. Last year SiRF announced its multifunctional chip-set and named it SiRFprima. This multifunctional platform was introduced to enhance the customer experience in the navigational sector. With the GPS systems likely to fail by 2010, it is mandate that the navigational chip-set must be compatible with the other navigational satellite systems such as Galileo. This factor was taken into consideration while designing SiRFprima, thus this new chip-set has been configured to be compatible with both American GPS and European Galileo systems.
The SiRFprima platform is made up of a powerful application processor and good multimedia features that include not just audio and video recording but also playback abilities. Furthermore, it is also believed to be capable of handling high resolution 3D graphics. All these applications have been programmed to run concurrently. It supports both Win CE and Linux operating systems. This makes SiRFprima a highly flexible and cost-effective navigational platform that has been designed to meet the customer experiences when it comes to performance and accuracy.
The SiRFprima platform is equipped with a very-high speed multifunction processor that includes the advanced ARM11 core and a good performance engine compatible with Galileo and GPS satellite systems along with an on-chip digital signal processor (DSP) and a satellite tracking circuit. For providing multimedia functionalities, multimedia encoding and decoding engines have been incorporated along with a hardware accelerated 3D graphics system. Its hardware scalable engine consists of more than 1,000,000 correlators. Besides it is one of the first applications that is capable of simultaneously working with GPS and Galileo signals. It has been specifically designed to support SiRF’s patented GPS technology, hence it includes a dedicated accelerator for the SiRFInstantFixII technology.
As this SiRFprima platform is integrated with lot many applications, it has eliminated the need of many additional coprocessors, thereby reducing the bill-of-material (BOM) cost for all of its customers. Along with cost reduction, the integration of various applications into one single chip-set has reduced the complexity of the board design. SiRFprima is believed to be capable of delivering all the necessary technologies with increased amount of user flexibility.
Owing to all these qualities it has currently become one of the most sought after navigational platforms.
Navigator 7 – TomTom’s Navigational Software for Smart Phones
June 27, 2009
Are you ready to convert your smart and high end phone into a dedicated navigational unit. Then all you need to do is get the Navigator 7 software from TomTom installed on your unit. This navigational software provides you with tried and trusted TomTom experience, hence leaving a lasting impression as far as navigation is concerned. This software can either be downloaded into your unit directly at a charge of £35 or get a microSD card with the software pre-installed in it for £90.
The Navigator 7 consists of Map Share Technology that includes the maps of entire Western Europe, which allows you to make your own map corrections as well as view and access the corrections made other TomTom users on a daily basis. Corrections include editing the names of streets, add any missing poi, reverse the direction of traffic, block or unblock any street, etc. This facility is available absolutely free of charge. Its Help Me menu aids you in finding the local emergency service data at any given point of time. This guide can provide you with information regarding hospitals, roadside assistance or local emergency services.
Another feature offered by this Navigator 7 software is the ability of the navigational and route information to remain visible while you are either making or receiving calls. You can view the route information in pedestrian or 2D format for having a better idea of the road or street. To enable you to focus better on your driving and concentrate more on the road, it comes with clear spoken instructions along with visual directions. As it supports many European languages, you can opt for a language of your choice.
This software recommends driving breaks, reminds you of road rules and regulations, alerts you when approaching places of worship or schools as well as about unpaved roads. For further safety, it alerts you about the upcoming safety cameras occurring en-route. Also it warns you whenever you exceed the specified speed limit, hence preventing you from being pulled over for speeding issues.
With this software installed in your phone, your unit gets a clear overview of the density of traffic along with a choice of alternative route in case of congestions. It includes a wide range of preloaded points of interest that can withhold additional information such as the appropriate phone numbers and descriptions. You can test your planned route before you are out to set for on it. The Navigator 7 software provides you access to the TomTom home service, that gives you the permission to download the latest software, maps as well as access free content from the TomTom community along with subscribing to their services.
Furthermore, you are entitled to receive the up-to-date information about the safety cameras, traffic congestions and weather. You can also locate your buddies on the maps and send them free message as well as share your favourite locations. With so many functions incorporated on the gadget, your Windows based smart phone works like a dedicated sat nav unit rather than a phone.
SiRF’s InstantFixII GPS Technology
June 15, 2009
SiRF Technology is a well known GPS location provider for almost all the navigational units across the world. It efficiency is intensified by the wireless connectivity and multimedia capabilities. SiRF’s technology has been incorporated into a number of mobile consumer devices as well as many navigational application systems. This technology has also been widely used by many commercial applications programme such as fleet management, asset tracking, location servers, etc. The other applications where this technology finds a good market include personal digital assistants, notebook computers, UMPCs, telematics systems, mobile phones, etc. to name a few.
Following the line of their original SiRF InstantFix technology, they have launched the SiRF InstantFixII technology that has been specifically designed to eliminate the delay in start-up times in case of navigational devices. This new technology is compatible with the SirfstarIII GPS receiver as well as the SiRFatlas and SiRFtitan navigational processors. With the help of the InstantFixII technology, the satellite navigator is able start working is just about 5 seconds, it has been brought down from 30 seconds to 5 seconds, eliminating the unnecessary 25 seconds. Also it does not require any additional network connectivity or downloads, thereby improving the overall efficiency of navigational system.
The SiRF InstantFixII is able to accomplish this task by making use of sophisticated algorithms that enable a navigational unit to track the visible GPS satellites during the day and predict the location and position. It remains in constant touch with the satellites and keeps receiving data on a regular basis. Based on this data, it automatically keeps updating its information constantly. Thus your satellite navigational unit is sure to have the most updated and recent data at any given point of time. This has a very positive and enriching impact on the sat nav users.
Although, it has been believed since ages that the location determination process using GPS satellites is a simple triangulation process, in reality it is a much more complex and tedious procedure. Firstly, the GPS receiver has search and locate enough satellites for position determination and then lock onto those satellites. This process is known as acquisition. The SiRFstarIII GPS receiver comes with an architecture consisting of about 200,000 correlators, that makes the acquisition process a faster and quicker one. Calculating the accurate position is one of the most toughest task. This is because it needs to know the exact location of each of the satellites in the atmosphere that it has locked on to.
Now, it has been observed that every satellite takes 30 seconds to transmit its precise location (this location data is valid for about two to three hours). The GPS receiver must now be able to download this information. For this purpose it requires a fix. However, there is bound to be some kind of interruptions at times while the signal is being received like a tree, a tall building or unclear sky, which may weaken the resultant signal. Under such a condition, the GPS receiver will need to wait for an additional 30 seconds as it may not be able to effectively comprehend the signal. Thus the whole process may take a lot of time. With the SiRF InstantFixII technology and its ability to work efficiently with weak signals all this task is made quick and simple.
As network based updates is a very cumbersome and tedious process, this technology has been widely accepted and appreciated by the consumers. Also by using this technology, the user need not have to worry about instructing the unit to get the latest data, the portable navigational device autonomously performs the updation task. This gives you better control over the wheel and more concentration on the road.
This is a very useful tool in real-world situations. This is because consumers using satellite navigators are constantly on the move. Thus it is important that the receiver is able to lock onto the GPS satellites as quickly as possible, ideally it should be in a position to lock onto the satellites faster than the vehicle’s speed. Only then will it be able to provide the information that is required at that particular instant as information obtained at a later time is not going to be of any use to the commuter. The SiRF InstantFixII technology is not just able to provide timely and accurate location and position data, but is also able to work efficiently with weak signals, rendering it capable of being used in tough and varied terrain conditions as well.
The SiRF InstantFixII technology is capable of working with all types of SiRF multifunctional processors and SiRFstarIII based GPS receivers.
Speech Recognition Technology
May 20, 2009
Speech recognition technology is an application that converts spoken words to an input understandable by machines. The main motive of this technology is to be able to accurately and efficiently convert a speech signal into a textual message that is independent of the speaker, device as well as the environment. The main applications to make use of this technology include voice dialling, call routing, data entry, preparation of documents, etc. to name a few. The purpose of introduction of the speech recognition technology was to eliminate written text and thus it was not accepted in the first go.
Speech Recognition technology is an alternative to the conventional methods of interacting with the computer in the form of text input through a keyboard. This effective system is out to replace or reduce the reliability on a standard keyboard or the mouse. This technology is thus useful for people who possess less keyboard skills or are slow typists. It is also useful for dyslexic people who have issues with the usage of words or characters. Finally it is a boon for people with physical disabilities. Now this technology has been incorporated in many latest satellite navigators, laptops, mobile phones etc. so that you can control your unit with the help of voice commands.
A speech recognition system comprises of four major parts. First is a microphone for the person to speak into, secondly a speech recognition software for conversion of speech to machine language, third a computer for interpreting the data and finally a sound card for input and output purposes.
The crux of this technology is its software part that does the work of translation of words into machine readable text. The software breaks down the words into phonemes, which is nothing but the basic speech sounds that make up a character or word. These phonemes are then analysed to detect which string of input best fits into the list of phonemes in their dictionary. For this purpose, it is advisable to train the system before using it. The system needs to have a thorough understanding of the speed and pitch of the user. Nevertheless, the user needs to ensure to speak in clear and modified manner for the system to comprehend correctly.
Like many other technologies, although the speech recognition feature has come a long way from where it started, it is still far from perfect. There are several challenges that need to be tackled before it can be considered perfect. The biggest challenge is the voice matching system that performs a major role in the translation process. The voice matching system will compare a user’s response with the ones available in its database and only the available words will be recognised. As the words are being broken down into phonemes that are sounds, the background noise can cause issues with the system’s comprehending ability. With the evolution of language, it makes it difficult to keep updating the system’s database. Also, most users are used to speaking in informal languages and some colloquial terms may not be possible for the device to comprehend.
By mastering these major challenges, the speech recognition technology will be able to comprehend and perceive the data perfectly.
Communication Using Bluetooth Technology
May 2, 2009
Bluetooth is a type of communication protocol that devices use to wirelessly communicate with each other. Initially, Intel, Toshiba, Nokia, IBM, Compaq, Dell, HP, Motorola, Samsung, Lucent were some of the companies to come together to form an organisation known as Special Interest Group or the SIG. Their main purpose was to set-up a short frequency wireless technology for transferring and receiving data. They thus introduced a technology known as Bluetooth.
Bluetooth can be described as a communication language used by machines. Its operation is based on the Master & Slave format. The devices form a network within a short range. This network is known as Piconet. It has been observed that within a single coverage area about 10 pico-nets can co-exist. The master device has the capability to connect to more than one slave devices simultaneously. However at any single given moment, it can only connect to one slave unit. As the master switches between different slaves pretty fast, it seems to be connected to many slaves at the same time. Two or more pico-nets are linked using Bluetooth, however this can only be done over a short range. Bluetooth communication is possible between PDAs, laptops, mobile phones, digital cameras, scanners, printers and many other electronic widgets.
Now let’s see how a connection is established between similar Bluetooth compatible devices. Initially, all the devices will remain in a “Passive State”. In the passive state, the gadgets are all in contact with the network, yet are not performing any action. The actual connectivity establishment process starts with a process known as the “Inquiry Process”. In this stage, the master unit sends a request to all the devices that are found in its range. The devices which receive this request send a response signal that contains their respective addresses. Amongst all the responses received, the master selects one address and synchronises with it at a point that is termed as an access point. This synchronisation process is known as “Paging Technique”, which involves the alignment of the device’s clock and frequency with that of the access point.
The next process in the Bluetooth Communication Protocol is called as the “Service Discovery Phase”. Here a link is established and the master unit enters the access point using a service discovery protocol. For transferring information, a “Communication Channel” is to be created. In some cases, the access point may include some kind of security mechanism, which requires an encryption key (PIN in common terms) to be unlocked. Once the PIN is sent and received as well as confirmed by both the devices, a communication channel is established. You can now transfer data or information.
The same process takes place while using Bluetooth network for hands free calling purposes. Ideally a communication channel is first established between a bluetooth compatible phone and a satellite navigator (that has bluetooth compatibility). Next as the phone receives a call, it is transferred to the sat nav and you can now answer of reject the call. Similarly you can also make a call trough your sat nav in turn getting connected to your mobile phone.
Bluetooth is often mistaken for a type of broadband networking technique. It is not any kind of long distance or broadband communication technique but is a type of Personal Area Network that can be used in many crucial applications. Bluetooth technology uses the same frequency range as that of the Wi-Fi system. The only criteria is that Bluetooth requires a careful co-ordination of the various frequencies along with the perfect transmit and receive timings. Recently an enriched version of Bluetooth is being designed that is expected to use the Ultra Wide Band frequencies for improved signal strength and increased data transfer rate.
 |
Buy Anything Now and Pay Nothing Until 2011 code: XV004 |
Go |
