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Article: GPS modules: GPS modules put products on the map; A GPS receiver can tell you where you are, but environmental conditions and design factors influence accuracy.
- Article from:
- ECN-Electronic Component News
- Article date:
- April 1, 2008
- Author:
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When a product such as a child locator, surveying instrument, or autonomous vehicle requires position information, a GPS module can provide it. Prices for devices that provide this information range from less than a dollar for chips used in cell phones to hundreds of dollars for modules and boards that offer high accuracy. Cell-phone GPS receivers might get you "close enough," but higher-end modules can offer centimeter accuracy. "At its simplest, a GPS receiver acquires satellite signals, decodes their information, and calculates a position, time, and velocity," explained Joel Avey, director of marketing at Trimble for the company's advanced devices.
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