Single chip GNSS receivers are commonplace in our smartphones, but these have lower requirements in terms of accuracy, reliability or resilience. This novel chip (and its integrated follow-on) would be intended for high-end GNSS receivers for uses such as surveying, drones, satellites, defence and the automotive industry, filling a gap in current European capability.

The novel scaled-down chip design will offer benefits in efficiency and power, acquiring and tracking all current satellite and proposed low-Earth orbit navigation constellations on a dual-stream basis form separate radio antennas, delivering heightened resilience against GNSS spoofing and interference.

“The role NAVISP plays in this endeavour is really to mitigate industrial risk,” notes Gonzalo Martin de Marcado, managing ESA’s NAVISP Element 2. “We help to bring companies together as partners, provide technical support and also financial backing, because designing and manufacturing chips is a costly business. But from our point of view this investment should pay off well, because this will be produced through an all-European supply chain, supporting one of the key GNSS players in Europe. In addition, EnSilica retains the intellectual property rights for this GNSS front end, so it could be offered commercially for other companies as well.”