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May 1, 2004 12:00 PM, [Compiled by Mary Davis mdavis@primediabusiness.com]

A new miniature GPS (global positioning system) antenna from United Kingdom-based Sarantel can acquire GPS signals inside a truck as efficiently as a traditional external device. The company's new F02 SmartAntenna will benefit in-vehicle navigation and tracking systems by offering the designer more considerably flexibility in locating the GPS antenna.

Tests conducted by Sarantel have shown that when mounted in the foot-well of a vehicle, the SmartAntenna provided its first fix in less than 15 seconds from a warm start and tracked a minimum of six satellites during an urban test route. This translates to near-instant results when location changes and continual tracking accuracy on the move.

In testing SmartAntenna's ability to operate within the vehicle, carrier-to-noise ratio exceeded 40 decibels most of the time, demonstrating the device's ability to reject non-GPS radio frequency signals from outside and inside the vehicle.