SONY IPS-3000 is walkman-size(W90 x D70 x H26mm) GPS module. It receives signal from satellites(up to 8) and calculates the latitude and longitude where it is. It is relatively cheap (30000Yen). IPS-5000 is smaller(W72.5 x D72.5 x H26.5mm) than IPS-3000 and consumes less power than IPS-3000. (190mA for IPS-3000, 130ma for IPS-5000) And, IPS-5000 is also 30000Yen, so without any doubt, IPS-5000 is much better, I think. At this time, IPS-3000 is discountinued and IPS-5000 is available in Japan.
It is not a stand-alone GPS. It makes output through its serial line in RS-232C format.(but TTL level) Its outputs are110 characters in ASCII every 1 seonds, so you can check its operation by usual terminal program. Its setting is 9600bps, 8bit, no parity, and 1 stop bit. It requires some interface circuit to connect to PC or Macintosh. For interface circuit of Macintosh, refer the PICT file "GPS Interface Circuit(PICT)". Its power consumption is 190mA and it can be operated by power from ADB port. Of course interface circuit is designed to use power from ADB port.
It includes 26 time zones and you can use it any place in the world. It gives us several information: Latitude, longitude, UTC time, direction of movement, speed of movement, height, state of satellite, DOP, and time zone.
Precision of position is 9 meter(DOP<=4), precision of speed is 0.56km/h, precision of height is 25 meter (DOP<=4), and maximum speed is 500km/h.
For details, you can refer the documents included with IPS-3000(or IPS-5000) and MacLife (Japanese Macintosh Magazine) 95'4.
Until now, I don't where you can buy it outside Japan. Contact SONY local reseller, first. Only I know is the shop I bought IPS-5000.
T-ZONE Parts Shop
Tel : +81-03-3257-2675
Fax : +81-03-3257-2676
You should order IPS-5000 not IPS-3000. Also I am not sure that they accept interantional order.
E-mail address : jwcho@cnsl1.kaist.ac.kr
vesta@chollian.dacom.co.kr
Address : Jung-Wook Cho,
Dept. of EE, KAIST,
373-1 Kusung-dong, Yusung-gu,
Taejon, KOREA,
ZIP: 305-701.
Telephone : 82-42-869-5431
Fax : 82-42-869-3410
*** Any bug-reports, suggestions, corrections and comments will be welcomed, really.
