McMurdo Beacons Use u-Blox GPS

GPS and wireless module and chipset vendor u-blox has announced last week two design wins with McMurdo, a subsidiary of the Orolia Group. McMurdo has integrated u-blox GPS receiver modules in its SafeLink R10 and Smartfind S10 marine safety beacons.

The handheld S10 and life-jacket mounted R10 can be activated when urgent assistance is needed. They transmit target survivor information for 24 hours to nearby vessels, including both GPS location and  tidal drift.

To transmit the location of the person to be rescued these devices are fitted with the Automatic Identification System (AIS), an automated tracking system used on ships and by Vessel Traffic Services for identifying and locating vessels at sea. By transmitting position and heading data over 2 parallel systems, potential rescuers have all the information they require to carry out swift retrieval of an individual.

McMurdo already used u-blox for its FAST FIND personal location beacon (PLB).