Air Semiconductor announced the Airwave-1 single-chip GPS receivers. Airwave-1 is a GPS receiver requiring as little as 1% of the power drawn by current GPS solutions, as Air Semiconductor stated. The fully integrated, single-chip consumes 1mA while continuously tracking the user’s location and can also provide instant location updates.

Airwave-1 operates by providing continuous location tracking and hence also eliminating time-to-first-fix. It uses an adaptive technology which maintains a constant watch on its location but can almost instantly focus to provide a pin-point fix. The single-chip contains all RF and digital hardware and the software needed to calculate location data. It outputs location data in a format that enables integration into consumer devices.

Production volume of Airwave-1 will begin in the second half of 2009.