HP iPAQ RX5900 Travel Companion

iPAQ RX5900 Travel Companion by Hewlett-Packard

The Sarantel GeoHelix®-P2 GPS antenna contributes to the style as well as the performance of the iPAQ rx5000 series Travel Companion.

David Risdal
HP Worldwide iPAQ Product Manager

The Technology

The iPAQ rx5900 series Travel Companion packs a wealth of features for the busy traveler on the go. Combining GPS, wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and multimedia capabilities, the HP iPAQ rx5900 series navigates, connects and entertains all in a thin, sleek package.

The HP iPAQ rx5900 features the latest in Internet connectivity, digital entertainment such as music, photos, video and gaming as well as full Windows Mobile 5.0 functionality for users to stay can stay connected and productive.

Pre-installed maps and travel tools allow users to find nearby points of interest and enjoy applications such as global currency/size converters and weather information. Additionally, Sarantel's high performance, embedded GeoHelix-P2 GPS antenna provides a powerful integrated navigation subsystem.

The Challenge

Often antennas create challenges in the design of a wireless device. "Thin is in," as discerning consumers demand stylish, slim electronic devices. However, performance cannot be sacrificed for style. Conventional antennas either contribute too much bulk to the device in order to provide performance or don't contribute enough sensitivity to ensure a satisfying user experience.

With the former approach, users usually have to contend with large, flip-up patch antennas or add-on helical antennas to make their navigation device work. In addition to being cumbersome, when deployed these clunky antennas detract from the look and feel of the device. When stored they take up a lot of space, making the devices thicker and larger than the electronics themselves would require the device to be.

In the latter approach, embedded antennas of various types used in mobiles would seem to be an attractive solution to the style problem, but they have fundamental performance problems when tasked with navigation. GPS requires high sensitivity from the antenna, and conventional embedded antennas just can't cope with the noise, interference, and loading issues that a multi-functional personal navigator like the iPAQ rx5000 series presents.

The Solution

Fortunately, Sarantel's GeoHelix-P2 embeddable GPS antenna combines the higher performance characteristics of much larger external antennas with the narrow profile of embedded antennas. This enabled the antenna to completely hide within the HP iPAQ handheld.

The GeoHelix-P2 antenna measures less than 10.5mm across, allowing for the HP iPAQ to be 16.5mm thin, much slimmer than most personal navigation devices. The antenna features a very tightly constrained near-field, so the antenna could be embedded in very close proximity to other electronic components without suffering from de-tuning effects. Because it is balanced, the GeoHelix-P2 rejects conducted in-band noise, yielding higher sensitivity when the HP iPAQ is in use.

As a result, the HP iPAQ rx5900 series Travel Companion provides great navigational performance in a stylish, feature-rich package.

Their Comment

David Risdal, HP's Worldwide iPAQ Product Manager, asserts that "the way a device like the iPAQ rx5000 series looks and feels to the consumer can be just as important as how it performs. At HP, we don't compromise either. The Sarantel GeoHelix®-P2 GPS antenna contributes to the style as well as the performance of the iPAQ rx5000 series Travel Companion."

Markets

Global

Where To Buy

http://www.hp.com

Sarantel® and GeoHelix® are registered trademarks of Sarantel Ltd. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.