U-blox announces GPS PCI Express Mini Card

An U-blox product story

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Feb 16, 2009

U-blox has announced the availability of a GPS PCI Express Mini Card that enables next-generation laptop, netbook, mobile internet device and mobile PC OEMs provide GPS and location-based services.

The PCI Express Mini Card is based on the U-blox 5 positioning engine.

Requiring only an external antenna, the card comes in two sizes - PCI-Express Mini Card (PCI-5S) and PCI-Express Half-Mini Card (PCM-5S) - to accommodate OEMs' needs.

The cards implement U-blox's Supersense technology, which can track weak GPS signals to -160dBm as well as the 'Kick Start' feature for a fast time-to-first-fix at weak signals.

This allows seamless navigation in dense urban environments, even when using low-cost antennas.

U-blox's anti-jamming algorithms make the products highly immune to noise generated by the PC bus, mobile phones and local electronic devices.

The drivers support Windows XP and Windows Vista.

A driver for the upcoming Windows 7 is in preparation.