STMicroelectronics' single-chip tri-band satellite navigation receiver improves vehicle positioning accuracy

• STA8135GA is the first automotive-grade single-chip GNSS receiver with integrated triple-frequency positioning measurement engine

• Highly integrated positioning solutions improve system reliability and cost-effectiveness

• Measurement performance comparable to the highest precision surveying instruments

China, November 25, 2021 - STMicroelectronics (ST), a global semiconductor leader serving multiple electronic applications, has launched the world's first automotive satellite navigation chip that can provide high-quality position data for advanced driving systems in vehicles.

As a new member of STMicroelectronics’ Teseo V product family, the STA8135GA is the world’s first automotive-grade GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver chip with an on-chip triple-frequency position measurement engine. It also integrates standard multi-frequency position-velocity-time (PVT) and dead reckoning functions.

Triple-frequency position measurement has traditionally been used in professional-grade equipment that requires millimeter-level positioning accuracy and requires little correction data, such as surveying and mapping instruments and precision agricultural equipment. Previously, tri-frequency solutions were only available in chipsets or modules, which were large and expensive compared to ST's single-chip solutions. Triple-frequency receivers capture and track the largest number of satellites in the technology that effectively captures and tracks multiple navigation constellations at the same time, enabling excellent positioning performance in harsh environments, such as maintaining positioning accuracy in urban canyons and under tree cover.

By bringing a tri-band receiver to the automotive market in a compact, easy-to-integrate package, the STA8135GA helps driver assistance systems make accurate judgments about the road ahead. The multi-constellation receiver is responsible for providing raw position information to the main control system, which runs precise positioning algorithms such as PPP/RTK (Precise Point Positioning/Real-Time Kinematics). In addition, the STA8135GA can also improve the performance of other applications, including in-vehicle navigation systems, telematics devices, smart antennas and V2X communication systems, ship navigation systems, drones and other vehicles.

“The STA8135GA satellite receiver’s high measurement accuracy and monolithic integration enable developers to design reliable and cost-effective navigation systems that make cars safer and more situationally aware,” said Luca Celant, General Manager of STMicroelectronics’ AAA (ADAS, ASIC and Audio) Division, Automotive and Discrete Products Group. “Our unique in-house design resources and high-volume manufacturing expertise are key factors in making this industry-first possible.”

The STA8135GA is available for sampling in a 7mm x 11mm x 1.2mm QFN package and is fully AEC-Q100 compliant. Production is planned for the first quarter of 2022.

Technical Description

The STA8135GA also integrates independent low dropout (LDO) regulators on-chip to power the IC's analog circuits, digital core and I/O transceiver, simplifying the selection of external power supplies. The receiver can track GPS, Glonass, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS and NAVIC/IRNSS navigation and positioning satellites.