GTA02 GPS (was Re: gpsd and AGPS)

[Ian Stirling]

Mikko Rauhala wrote:
> ti, 2007-09-04 kello 23:27 +0800, Harald Welte kirjoitti:
> 
>>Just to clarify this:  We have both GTA02 prototypes with GL/Broadcom
>>and with a a competing firmware-based AGPS solution.  
> 
> 
> Thanks for the clarification, and apologies for spreading the premature
> "word out on the street" that the change was pretty much decided
> already.
> 
> I appreciate the more-than-usually difficult decision process with the
> chip, and Ian Stirling's reverse-engineering work so far. (While my

Not only mine!

> particular family would most likely continue to enjoy a
> reverse-engineered driver on the GTA01 for quite a while, it does
> undoubtedly lessen the motivation to do so quite a lot if the work will
> not be useful on GTA02...)
> 
> Access to more raw GPS data, such as with the Hammerhead, would
> certainly be a bonus if indeed said reverse-engineering would succeed
> (and I have no doubt it would, given some time and effort); on the other
> hand, FIC likely couldn't ship a fully free solution by default anyway,
> at least in/through the US (maybe elsewhere as well depending on
> contractual obligations), so it would remain a sort of blemish on the
> otherwise free OpenMoko.

Especially as it offers the possibility of providing interesting 
performances that may be hard to achieve with a higher level chip - for 
example being able to completely turn off the GPS chip for several 
minutes, turn it on for 1s, and using knowlege of the GPS signal 
structure to pick when that 1s is, to get best position.

> 
> Anyway, keep up the good work (I'll take Harald's word for it ;), Ken,
> with the gllin build, and the OM team with the hard calls. I would
> encourage Ian to continue working on the Hammerhead RE, but again, no
> one can really blame one for losing motivation at least until the
> situation clears up. Especially what with pretty much volunteer work and
> all (I presume).
> 
> Cheers all around,
>