Different chips have different performances. The secrets of the chips used in mainstream car GPS

Like electronic computers, PND products also have their main chip processors. Compared with the mainstream processors CPU of personal computers, there are only a few brands to choose from, while the main chips of GPS navigation products are more diverse.

A wide variety of portable car GPS navigators

At present, the chip manufacturers used in portable GPS navigators sold in China mainly include SiRF, Telechips, MEDIATEK, and MStar. The GPS solutions developed with the chips of these manufacturers are also very rich in configuration. GPS equipment manufacturers will choose one or more of these solutions to launch their terminal products, that is, manufacturers of the same brand will also choose different chips according to different situations to launch products of different grades and functions.

The various chips launched by various chip manufacturers have different performance and characteristics, so it is of practical significance to clearly identify the processor equipped with the navigation system in order to quickly choose the car navigation product that suits your requirements. Here is a brief introduction to various mainstream processors so that everyone can have a concept when purchasing (part of the information comes from the Internet).

1. SiRF chip

"Know the core" to choose mainstream processor GPS purchasing guide

Domestically, navigation systems that use SiRF's chip series occupy the majority of the market share. This is because the company's chips have always had good performance, and domestic GPS solution providers have launched the most solutions, so they occupy an important position.

Apart from the previous generation's very successful SiRFStarIII processor, the SiRF chips currently used in navigation systems include AtlasIV, Prima and AtlasV. AtlasIV (500MHzARM) and Prima (600MHzARM) were launched two years ago. Due to their high frequency and many supported features, they have outstanding performance. Products using this chip have always been the representatives of multi-functional and high-performance navigation systems on the market.

The main menu of a certain brand of SiRFAtlasV navigation system

AtlasV supports various peripherals, such as CMMB, video input and other functions, while Prima products also support 3D hard pressure circuits such as OPENGL, which is more powerful. As for AtlasV (500-664MHzARM) processor, it was recently launched on the market. Compared with Prima processor, 3D and video are weakened, but the cost is reduced and the chip size is reduced, which is a good partner for cost-effective products.

The AtlasIV processor navigator of the SiRF series targets the mid-to-high-end market. It has been on the market for quite a long time and its price has also been lowered to a certain extent. The price ranges from 599 yuan to more than 2,000 yuan depending on the configuration. The Prima core products target the high-end market with relatively high prices. The price ranges from 899 yuan to more than 2,000 yuan depending on the configuration. The newly launched AtlasV processor targets the entry-level market with few additional functions and relatively low prices, mainly ranging from 499 yuan to 1,000 yuan.

2. Telechips

TelechipsTCC7901 and TCC8901 chip simulation diagram

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Telechips processors have always performed well in multimedia performance. I believe you have also heard of them in MP4 portable multimedia players. Navigators using this factory's processors also have good multimedia performance. For example, Tcc7901 (500MHz ARM) has an advantage in RM file playback, and the latest Tcc8901 (600MHz ARM) processor supports 1080P full HD video decompression.

The main menu of a certain brand of TelechipsTCC8901 solution navigator

In addition to the high frequency of 600MHz, the most outstanding feature of TCC8901 is its support for video hardware decoding. The encoding includes MJPEG, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4SP, MPEG-4ASP, MPEG-4AVC (H.264), DivX, H.263, WMV9, VC-1, RV. In conjunction with the 2D/3D graphics acceleration engine and OverlayMixer, it can output smooth 1080P full HD video images.

There are not many navigation systems using Telechips' Tcc7901 processor on the market, and the price is relatively cheap, less than RMB 1,000. The latest navigation systems using the Tcc8901 chip are mostly equipped with HDMI full HD output function. Depending on the different configurations, the final product market retail price is around RMB 1,100 to RMB 1,700, which is a good price/performance ratio.

3. MEDIATEK chip

MTKMT3351 chip simulation diagram

The MT3351 (468MHz ARM) processor of MEDIATEK, also known as MTK, is quite successful because it has the same performance and features as AtlasIV, but the price is much lower. There is not much information about MT3351 on the Internet, but from the current terminal products, the processor supports quite a few features, such as CMMB mobile TV, AV-IN video input, Bluetooth, etc., which can be equipped one by one according to the needs.

The main menu of a certain brand MTKMT3351 solution navigator

Products using the MT3351 navigation system are mostly advertised as cost-effective, so the hardware configuration may not be satisfactory. For example, some are equipped with 64MB cache, while others are equipped with 128MB cache. Therefore, when actually running the navigation system, there are still certain differences in the results, which needs to be noted.

MEDIATEK chips have always been considered to be very cost-effective. The Atlas V processor launched by SiRF seems to be largely aimed at MTK's MT3351. Currently, products using MT3351 chips on the market are priced between 399 yuan and 2,000 yuan, depending on the configuration, which is relatively cheap.

4. Mstar chip

MstarMSB2501 chip simulation diagram

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Mstar is also a well-known manufacturer of ARM processors, but the only chip used in the mainstream navigation systems currently sold in China is the MSB2501 (400MHz ARM). Due to the relatively low frequency, the performance is not very competitive, so there are not many manufacturers and final products using this chip, most of which are entry-level products, and the configuration of high-definition screens is also rare or even non-existent.

The main menu of a certain brand MstarMSB2051 solution navigator

The performance of MstarMSB2501 is not outstanding, and the navigation products using this chip solution have similar comprehensive performance to the previous SiRF StarIII processor navigation system, so it is slightly inferior in the latest round of product performance competition. However, since the price of its navigation system is quite cheap, which is about 399-499 yuan or even lower, it still has a certain market.

V. Conclusion

The above price range is only collected from the current mainstream product quotations in the media, and may actually be different from the actual market selling price. According to the different additional function configurations given to the navigation system by each manufacturer, even if the navigation system uses a relatively low-cost chip, its actual selling price may be higher than that of the navigation system with a higher-priced chip.

For example, the most popular configurations at present, such as CMMB mobile TV, real-time traffic conditions, mobile speed radar, Bluetooth, and wireless rear-view camera, can also be matched with navigation systems with different chips, and the prices of the final products are also different.

Therefore, when choosing a navigation system, in addition to recognizing the processor, you should also consider the brand value, function configuration, after-sales service and other aspects comprehensively, and choose the product that best suits your requirements, so that you can use it comfortably and spend your money wisely. I will not list the boring and detailed hardware parameters here, but I hope that through this simple chip review, you can have some understanding of the concept, and have a standard for judgment when facing a wide range of car navigation systems.