Products > Location-Based Services > CDMA Infrastructure > Position Determining Entity (PDE)

Xypoint^® Position Determining Engine (PDE)

Location Server

The Position Determining Engine (PDE) module in the Xypoint^® Location Platform (XLP) is a standards-based, integrated, and highly scalable solution that provides the precise location information of devices in an operator’s CDMA network. This precise location is provided to applications such as turn-by-turn navigation, family finder and field force management.

TCS’ PDE module supports the Mobile Positioning Center (MPC) when precise location information is required. It provides GPS satellite assistance to mobile devices when A-GPS position determination is required.  It may also determine the final position of the mobile device for a number of positioning algorithms including AFLT, A-GPS, and their hybrids. The TCS PDE delivers unparalleled precision for both User Plane and Control Plane transactions. It uses the positioning technology of QUALCOMM/SnapTrack, a subsidiary of QUALCOMM. The commercially-proven QUALCOMM/SnapTrack PDM solution is a hybrid of satellite and terrestrial signals, so it operates in many challenging environments, for example, indoors, in dense urban canyons, and in rural areas with limited network coverage.

TCS Xypoint® Location Platform (XLP) infrastructure modules are built to meet high availability guidelines:

• Network: All systems are connected to the Operator’s network in a fashion that allows for continued availability when network routes unexpectedly go offline.
• System: All systems are distributed across a series of redundant servers in an “all-hot” availability model, allowing for automatically routing requests to other system components when unexpected problems occur.
• Software: All components are redundant by design, allowing for automatic redistributing traffic to online systems.

This allows a single XLP site to be 99.99% available to operators.  Additional sites can be installed and networked together to offer geo-redundancy options and increase availability to 99.999%.

TCS provides in-network and hosted LBS deployment. While the in-network option allows greater control, it requires a capital expenditure for requisite hardware and software as well as costs associated with operation, upkeep, and monitoring. By opting for TCS to host, operators remove the capital acquisition costs as well as the operational and logistical burdens associated with hardware and software purchase, installation, scalability, maintenance, and around-the-clock operations.