Posted to News on 11th May 2007, 16:19
GPS antenna operates from lower voltages
CTi Ltd is launching an innovative active GPS antenna that operates from any voltage in the range 1.8 to 6V DC. Known as the GPS-UNI, it is believed to be the first antenna in the industry that is capable of operating from such a low voltage - most competitive products on the market require at least 3.3V. The antenna is particularly suitable for automatic vehicle location and tracking applications; its very low voltage requirements mean that a vehicle can continue to identify and report its location until its battery is virtually exhausted - thereby significantly extending the time available to recover the vehicle in the event of it having been stolen.
The GPS-UNI antenna is suitable for use with any standard 1575.42MHz GPS receiver capable of supplying 1.8 to 6V DC antenna power. Its built-in low-noise amplifier has a very low power consumption of just 100mW and provides a forward gain of 26dBi, which is held essentially constant for all operating voltages. The antenna has a nominal 50Ohm output impedance and an output VSWR (voltage standing wave ratio) of better than 2:1.
Cabling options
As standard, the GPS-UNI antenna is equipped with 3m of RG174 cable, terminated with an SMA male RF connector. It can also be supplied with different cable lengths and connectors, including blue Type C FAKRA.
The antenna is housed in a robust ABS enclosure designed for everyday environmental protection - though it is not intended for total immersion - and is available in magnetic mount and adhesive dash-mount versions.
Forming the latest addition to CTi's comprehensive portfolio of GPS antennae, the new GPS-UNI model is derived from the company's well established range of fixed 3.3V DC and 5.0V DC supply versions, and is available with a number of different gain levels.
