EXHIBIT 10.62

                              EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT


     This  Employment  Agreement  (this  "Agreement")  is  entered  into  as  of
September 1, 1998 (the "Effective Date"),  between Trimble Navigation Limited, a
California  corporation  (the  "Company"),  and Dr.  Bradford W.  Parkinson (the
"Executive").

         WHEREAS,  the  Company  desires  to  employ  the  Executive  as of  the
Effective Date and the Executive  desires to accept  employment with the Company
on the terms and conditions set forth below;

         WHEREAS,  simultaneously with the execution hereof, the Company and the
Executive are entering into a Consulting Agreement (the "Consulting  Agreement")
pursuant to which  Executive will consult to Company  immediately  following the
Employment  Period (as  defined  in Section 2 below) and are  entering a Standby
Consulting Agreement (the "Standby Consulting Agreement");

         NOW,  THEREFORE,  in  consideration  of the foregoing  recitals and the
respective  covenants and agreements of the parties  contained in this document,
the Company and the Executive agree as follows:

         1. Employment and Duties.  During the Employment  Period (as defined in
Section 2 below),  the  Executive  will serve as President  and Chief  Executive
Officer of the Company.  The duties and  responsibilities  of the Executive will
include the duties and  responsibilities  for the Executive's  corporate offices
and positions as set forth in the  Company's  bylaws from time to time in effect
and such other  duties and  responsibilities  as the board of  directors  of the
Company (the "Board of Directors")  may from time to time  reasonably  assign to
the  Executive,  in all cases to be consistent  with the  Executive's  corporate
offices and positions.  Notwithstanding the foregoing,  in the event a successor
is hired to serve as President  and/or Chief  Executive  Officer of the Company,
Executive will continue as an employee of the Company for the Employment  Period
(as  defined  in  Section  2 below)  and  will  perform  all  such  tasks as are
reasonably required of him by such President and/or Chief Executive Officer. The
Executive will perform  faithfully the executive  duties  assigned to him to the
best of his ability and in the best interests of the Company. The Executive will
continue to serve as a director of the Company without additional compensation.

         2.       Employment Period.

                  (a) Term. The employment  period will begin upon the Effective
Date and will continue thereafter until May 31, 1999 (the "Employment  Period"),
unless sooner  terminated  pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement.  At the
end of the  Employment  Period,  Executive  will continue as a consultant to the
Company pursuant to the Consulting Agreement.


                                      103


                  (b)  Early   Termination.   The  Company  may   terminate  the
Executive's  employment prior to the end of the Employment  Period by giving the
Executive 30 days'  advance  notice in writing.  If the Company  terminates  the
Executive's  employment prior to the end of the Employment Period for any reason
other  than Cause or  Disability,  both as defined  below,  or if the  Executive
terminates his employment for Good Reason,  as defined below,  the provisions of
Sections  10(a)(i),  10(b) and 10(c) will apply. The Executive may terminate his
employment  prior to the end of the  Employment  Period by giving the Company 30
days' advance written notice.  If the Executive  terminates his employment prior
to the end of the Employment  Period other than for Good Reason,  the provisions
of Section 10(a)(ii) will apply. Upon termination of the Executive's  employment
with the Company, the Executive's rights under any applicable benefit plans will
be determined under the provisions of those plans.

                  (c) Death.  The  Executive's  employment will terminate in the
event of his death.  The Company will have no  obligation  to pay or provide any
compensation  or benefits  under this  Agreement  on account of the  Executive's
death,  or for periods  following  the  Executive's  death,  provided,  that the
Company's obligations under Section 10(a)(i) will not be interrupted as a result
of the Executive's  death. The Executive's rights under the benefit plans of the
Company  in the event of the  Executive's  death  will be  determined  under the
provisions of those plans.

                  (d) Cause.  During the  Employment  Period,  the  Company  may
terminate the Executive's  employment for cause by giving the Executive 10 days'
advance notice in writing.  For all purposes under this Agreement,  "Cause" will
mean (i) willful  failure by the Executive to  substantially  perform his duties
hereunder,  (ii)  a  willful  act  by  the  Executive  which  constitutes  gross
misconduct and which is injurious to the Company,  (iii) a willful breach by the
Executive  of a material  provision  of this  Agreement,  or (iv) a material and
willful  violation  of a federal or state law or  regulation  applicable  to the
business of the  Company.  No act, or failure to act, by the  Executive  will be
considered  "willful" unless committed  without a reasonable belief that the act
or omission was in the Company's best interest. No compensation or benefits will
be paid or  provided  to the  Executive  under  this  Agreement  on account of a
termination for Cause, or for periods following the date when such a termination
of employment is effective.  The  Executive's  rights under the benefit plans of
the Company will be determined under the provisions of those plans.

                  (e)  Disability.  The Company may  terminate  the  Executive's
employment  for  Disability by giving the  Executive 30 days' advance  notice in
writing. For all purposes under this Agreement,  "Disability" will mean that the
Executive, at the time notice is given, has been unable to substantially perform
his duties under this  Agreement  for a period of not less than two  consecutive
months as the result of his incapacity due to physical or mental illness. In the
event that the Executive resumes the effective  performance of substantially all
of his duties  hereunder  before the  termination of his  employment  under this
Section 2(e) becomes effective,  the notice of termination will automatically be
deemed  to have  been  revoked.  No  compensation  or  benefits  will be paid or
provided to the Executive  under this  Agreement on account of  termination  for
Disability,  or for  periods  following  the date  when  such a  termination  of
employment is effective.  The Executive's  rights under the benefit plans of the
Company will be determined under the provisions of those plans.

                  (f) Good Reason.  Employment  with the Company may be regarded
as having been constructively  terminated by the Company,  and the Executive may
therefore terminate his employment for Good Reason and thereupon become entitled
to the benefits of Section  10(a)(i) and 10(b) below,  if, before the end of the
Employment  Period,  one or more of the following events will occur (unless such
event(s) applies generally to all senior management of the Company):


                                      104


                                    (i)     a material reduction by the Company 
in the Salary (as defined in Section 4, below) of the Executive as in effect 
immediately prior to such reduction;

                                    (ii) a material  reduction by the Company in
the kind or level of employee benefits to which the Executive is entitled  
immediately  prior to such  reduction with the result that the Executive's 
overall benefits package is significantly reduced;

                                    (iii)   the required  relocation  of the  
Executive to a facility or a location  more than 25 miles from the Executive's  
then present  location over Executive's  written  objection made withing
30 days of such  required  relocation;  (iv) any purported termination of the 
Executive's employment by the Company other than for death, Disability or for 
Cause, or any purported termination for which the grounds relied upon are not 
valid; or

                                    (v)    the failure of the Company to obtain 
the  assumption of this  Agreement or the Stock Option (as defined in Section 5)
by any successor.

         3. Place of Employment.  The Executive's  services will be performed at
the  Company's  principal  executive  offices at 585 N. Mary Avenue,  Sunnyvale,
California. The parties acknowledge, however, that the Executive may be required
to travel in connection with the performance of his duties hereunder.

         4. Salary. For all services to be rendered by the Executive pursuant to
this  Agreement,  the Company agrees to pay the Executive  during the Employment
Period a salary (the "Salary") at an monthly rate of not less than $30,000.  The
Salary will be paid in periodic  installments  in accordance  with the Company's
regular payroll practices. The Company will be entitled to withhold, or cause to
be withheld,  from payment any amount of withholding  taxes required by law with
respect  to  payments  made to  Executive  in  connection  with  his  employment
hereunder.

         5.       Stock Option and Other Benefits .

                  (a) Stock Option.  The Board of Directors  has granted,  as of
August 19, 1998, the Executive as partial  consideration  for the performance of
this  Agreement  a five year option  (the  "Stock  Option") to purchase  100,000
shares of the  Company's  Common Stock (the "Option  Shares") at the fair market
value  of the  Common  Stock  of the  Company  on the  date of  grant,  which is
contingent  upon a continuous  employment  or  consulting  relationship  between
Executive  and the  Company.  Such fair  market  value is equal to the per share
closing  price for the  Company's  Common Stock on the National  Association  of
Securities Dealers,  National Market System on such date of grant as recorded in
The Wall Street Journal. The Stock Option will vest as described in Section 5(b)
below and will be subject to such other terms and conditions as are described in
Section 5(c) below.

                  (b)  Vesting.   Option  Shares  will  vest  in  equal  monthly
installments  over the six-month period that begins as of the Effective Date and
ends February 28, 1999.


                                      105


                   (c) Option Provisions. The Stock Option will be granted under
the 1993 Stock  Option Plan (the "Stock  Plan") and will be subject to the terms
and conditions of the Stock Plan and form of option agreement.

         6. Expenses.  The Executive will be entitled to prompt reimbursement by
the Company for all reasonable ordinary and necessary travel, entertainment, and
other  expenses  incurred  by the  Executive  during the  Employment  Period (in
accordance  with the policies and procedures  established by the Company for its
senior executive officers) in the performance of his duties and responsibilities
under this  Agreement;  provided,  that the Executive will properly  account for
such expenses in accordance with Company  policies and  procedures.  The parties
agree that for  purposes of this  Section,  the  Executive's  air travel will be
coach class domestically and business class internationally.

         7. Other  Benefits.  During the  Employment  Period,  the Company  will
reimburse  Executive  for  the  cost  of  maintaining  his  Stanford  University
benefits,  in an  amount  not in excess of $1,000  per  month,  plus the  amount
necessary  to gross up that  amount  for  applicable  taxes to provide an amount
equal to the cost of such benefits net of  Executive's  tax cost.  The Executive
will not be entitled to  participate  in any employee  benefit plans or programs
which cover health, dental and life insurance.  Employee will participate in the
other  benefit  programs of the Company.  Executive  will continue to vest those
options  received  by  Executive  prior  to the  date  hereof,  as  though  this
employment was continuous employment under these terms.

         8. Vacations and Holidays.  During the Employment Period, the Executive
will be entitled to paid vacation  which will accrue at the rate of one week per
quarter  and will also be entitled to Company  holidays in  accordance  with the
Company's policies.

         9. Other Activities.  During the Employment  Period, the Executive will
devote  substantially all of his working time and efforts,  during the Company's
normal  business  hours to the  business  and  affairs  of the  Company  and its
subsidiaries  and to the  diligent and  faithful  performance  of the duties and
responsibilities  duly  assigned to him pursuant to this  Agreement,  except for
vacations, holidays and sickness. However, the Executive may devote a reasonable
amount of his time to civic, community,  or charitable activities,  may continue
his  relationship   with  The  Aerospace   Corporation,   Draper   Laboratories,
IntegriNautics  Corporation and Stanford  University (related to GPS activities)
to the extent that such  activities  do not conflict with his duty of loyalty to
the Company, and, with the prior written approval of the Board of Directors,  to
serve as a director  of other  corporations  and to other  types of  business or
public activities not expressly mentioned in this Section.

         10.  Termination  Benefits.  In the  event the  Executive's  employment
terminates prior to the end of the Employment Period, then the Executive will be
entitled to receive severance and other benefits as follows:

                  (a)      Severance.

                                      106



                                    (i)     Involuntary  Termination.  If the 
Company terminates the Executive's  employment other than for death, Disability 
or Cause,  or if the Executive  terminates his employment for Good Reason,  
then, in lieu of any severance benefits to which the Executive may  otherwise  
be entitled  under any Company  severance  plan or program, the Executive  will 
be  entitled  to payment of his  Salary on the  regular  payroll periods of the 
Company  until the end of the  Employment  Period or, if earlier, until  a 
breach  by  the  Executive  of  his  obligations   under  Sections  11 
(Proprietary Information) or 12 (Non-Solicit) hereof.

                                    (ii)    Other  Termination.  In  the  event
the  Executive's  employment  terminates  for  death, Disability or Cause,  or 
the Employee  resigns for other than Good Reason,  then the Executive will only 
be entitled to receive any benefits  accrued to date and as may then be  
established  under  the Company's  existing  benefit  plans and policies at the 
time of such  termination.  The Executive will receive only that compensation 
provided  for  herein  accrued  for  periods  served  prior to the termination  
of employment  but will not be entitled to any  additional  amounts under this
 Agreement.

                  (b)  Options.  In the  event  the  Executive's  employment  is
terminated  by the Company as  described  in Section  10(a)(i)  above,  then the
Executive  will  continue to vest in the  unvested  portion of the Stock  Option
until February 28, 1999 (subject to the term of the Stock Option). If terminated
as described in Section 10(a)(ii), such vesting will terminate as of the date of
such termination.

                  (c) No Duty to Mitigate. The Executive will not be required to
mitigate the amount of any payment  contemplated  by this Agreement  (whether by
seeking new employment or in any other manner).

         11.   Proprietary   Information.   During  the  Employment  Period  and
thereafter,  the Executive  will not,  without the prior written  consent of the
Board of Directors, disclose or use for any purpose (except in the course of his
employment  under this  Agreement  and in  furtherance  of the  business  of the
Company or any of its affiliates or subsidiaries)  any confidential  information
or proprietary data of the Company.  As an express  condition of the Executive's
employment  with the Company,  the Executive  agrees to execute  confidentiality
agreements  as  requested  by the  Company,  including  but not  limited  to the
Company's form of Employment,  Confidential  Information,  Invention Assignment,
and  Arbitration   Agreement,   which  is  attached  hereto  as  Exhibit  A  and
incorporated herein by reference.

         12.  Non-Solicit.  The Executive  covenants and agrees with the Company
that during his employment  with the Company and for a period  expiring one year
after the date of termination of such employment, he will not solicit any of the
Company's  then-current employees to terminate their employment with the Company
or to become  employed by any firm,  company or other business  enterprise  with
which the Executive may then be connected.

         13.      Noncompete.

                                      107


                  (a) Scope.  Executive  agrees that during the period beginning
on the Effective Date and continuing for the term of this Agreement, he will not
enter into the  employ of, or render  services  to,  any firm,  corporation,  or
organization  in a capacity  that gives him  responsibility  for that segment of
such entity's  business which derives more than 10% of its annual  revenues from
sales of products which directly  compete with products which are offered by the
Company  during  the  term  of  the  Employment  Agreement  and  the  Consultant
Agreement;  provided, however, that Executive may continue his relationship with
Draper Labs, the Aerospace Corporation,  IntegriNautics Corporation and Stanford
University  (related  to GPS  activities)  and any other firm,  corporation,  or
organization  which  the  Board of  Directors  approves  subject  to the duty of
loyalty to the Company.

                  (b) Geographic Area. The parties acknowledge that the business
of the Company and its subsidiaries is international in scope. The parties agree
that the  geographical  areas in which  the  restrictions  provided  for in this
Agreement apply include all cities,  counties and states of the United States of
America. In addition, the parties agree that the geographical areas in which the
restrictions  provided for in this Agreement  apply include all foreign  nations
outside  the  United  States  of  America  in which  the  Company  or any of its
subsidiaries  engages  in sales,  or  otherwise  conducts  business  or  selling
efforts.

                  (c)  Severability.  The  parties  intend  that  the  covenants
contained in this Section be  construed as a series of separate  covenants,  one
for each county of each state of the United  States and each nation.  Except for
geographic  coverage,  each such separate  covenant will be deemed  identical in
terms  of the  covenants  contained  in  this  Agreement.  If,  in any  judicial
proceeding, a court will refuse to enforce any of the separate covenants (or any
part thereof) deemed included in this Section, then such unenforceable  covenant
(or such part) will be deemed  eliminated  from this  Section for the purpose of
those  proceedings  to the extent  necessary  to permit the  remaining  separate
covenants (or portions thereof) to be enforced. In the event that the provisions
of  this  Section  should  ever be  deemed  to  exceed  the  time or  geographic
limitations,  or the scope of these  covenants,  as permitted by applicable law,
then  such  provisions  will be  reformed  to the  maximum  time  or  geographic
limitations, as the case may be, permitted by applicable laws.

         14. Right to Advice of Counsel. The Executive  acknowledges that he has
had the  opportunity  to fully review this  Agreement  and if he so chooses,  to
consult with counsel and is fully aware of his rights and obligations under this
Agreement.

         15. Successors.  The Company will require any successor (whether direct
or  indirect,  by  purchase,  merger,  consolidation  or  otherwise)  to  all or
substantially  all of the  business  and/or  assets of the Company to assume the
obligations of this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the
Company would be required to perform it if no such  succession  had taken place.
Failure  of the  Company  to  obtain  such  assumption  agreement  prior  to the
effectiveness  of any such succession will entitle the Executive to the benefits
described in Sections 10(a)(i) and 10(b) of this Agreement, subject to the terms
and conditions therein.

         16.      Arbitration.



                                      108


                  (a) Disputes.  Except as provided in Section 16(c) below,  the
Company and the Executive agree that, to the extent permitted by applicable law,
any dispute or  controversy  arising under or in connection  with this Agreement
will  be  settled  exclusively  by  arbitration  in  San  Jose,  California,  in
accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association then in effect
by an arbitrator selected by both parties within ten days after either party has
notified  the other in  writing  that it  desires a dispute  between  them to be
settled by arbitration. In the event the parties cannot agree on such arbitrator
within such ten-day period,  each party will select an arbitrator and inform the
other party in writing of such  arbitrator's  name and address  within five days
after the end of such ten-day  period and the two  arbitrators  so selected will
select a third arbitrator within 15 days thereafter;  provided, however, that in
the event of a failure by either  party to select an  arbitrator  and notify the
other  party of such  selection  within  the time  period  provided  above,  the
arbitrator  selected  by the  other  party  will be the sole  arbitrator  of the
dispute.  The  decision  of  the  arbitrator  or a  majority  of  the  panel  of
arbitrators  will be binding  upon the parties and judgment in  accordance  with
that  decision  may be  entered  in any  court  having  jurisdiction  thereover.
Punitive damages will not be awarded.

                  (b) Consent to Personal  Jurisdiction.  The arbitrator(s) will
apply California law to the merits of any dispute or claim, without reference to
conflicts of law rules.  Executive hereby consents to the personal  jurisdiction
of the  state  and  federal  courts  located  in  California  for any  action or
proceeding  arising  from or  relating  to this  Agreement  or  relating  to any
arbitration in which the parties are participants.

                  (c)  Equitable  Relief.  The parties may apply to any court of
competent   jurisdiction  for  a  temporary   restraining   order,   preliminary
injunction,  or other interim or  conservatory  relief,  as  necessary,  without
breach of this arbitration agreement and without abridgment of the powers of the
arbitrator.

                  (d)  Acknowledgment.  EXECUTIVE HAS READ AND UNDERSTANDS  THIS
AGREEMENT,  WHICH DISCUSSES  ARBITRATION.  EXECUTIVE UNDERSTANDS THAT BY SIGNING
THIS AGREEMENT,  EXECUTIVE  AGREES TO SUBMIT ANY CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF, RELATING
TO, OR IN  CONNECTION  WITH THIS  AGREEMENT,  OR THE  INTERPRETATION,  VALIDITY,
CONSTRUCTION,   PERFORMANCE,   BREACH  OR   TERMINATION   THEREOF,   TO  BINDING
ARBITRATION,  EXCEPT AS PROVIDED  IN SECTION  16(c),  AND THAT THIS  ARBITRATION
CLAUSE  CONSTITUTES A WAIVER OF EXECUTIVE'S RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL AND RELATES TO
THE  RESOLUTION  OF ALL  DISPUTES  RELATING TO ALL  ASPECTS OF THE  RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE PARTIES.

         17. Absence of Conflict. The Executive represents and warrants that his
employment  by the Company as described  herein will not conflict  with and will
not be constrained by any prior or other  employment or consulting  agreement or
relationship.


                                      109



         18. Assignment. This Agreement and all rights under this Agreement will
be binding  upon and inure to the benefit of and be  enforceable  by the parties
hereto  and  their  respective  personal  or legal  representatives,  executors,
administrators, heirs, distributees, devisees, legatees, successors and assigns.
This  Agreement  is  personal  in nature,  and  neither  of the  parties to this
Agreement  will,  without the written  consent of the other,  assign or transfer
this  Agreement  or any right or  obligation  under this  Agreement to any other
person or entity;  except that the rights and  obligations  of the Company under
this  Agreement may be assigned to a corporation  which becomes the successor to
the Company as the result of a merger or other corporate  reorganization or sale
of  substantially  all the assets to a successor which continues the business of
the  Company  or any  other  subsidiary  of the  Company,  provided,  that  such
assignment  will not relieve the Company of its  obligations  hereunder.  If the
Executive  should  die while any  amounts  are still  payable  to the  Executive
hereunder,  all such amounts,  unless otherwise provided herein, will be paid in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement to the Executive's devisee, legatee,
or other designee or, if there be no such designee, to the Executive's estate.

         19.  Notices.  For  purposes  of  this  Agreement,  notices  and  other
communications  provided  for in this  Agreement  will be in writing and will be
delivered  personally or sent by United States  certified  mail,  return receipt
requested, postage prepaid, addressed as follows:

                  If to the Company: Trimble Navigation Limited
                                     585 N. Mary Avenue
                                     P.O. Box 3642
                                     Sunnyvale, CA 94088-3642
                                     Attn: Board of Directors

or to such other  address or the attention of such other person as the recipient
party has previously  furnished to the other party in writing in accordance with
this  Section.  Such  notices or other  communications  will be  effective  upon
delivery  or, if  earlier,  three days after they have been  mailed as  provided
above.

         20.  Integration.  This  Agreement,  the  Consulting  Agreement and the
Standby  Consulting  Agreement  represent the entire agreement and understanding
between the  parties as to the subject  matter  hereof and  supersede  all prior
agreements  whether written or oral. No waiver,  alteration,  or modification of
any of the  provisions of this  Agreement  will be binding unless in writing and
signed by the party against whom  enforcement of the change or  modification  is
sought.

         21.  Waiver.  Failure  or delay on the part of either  party  hereto to
enforce  any  right,  power,  or  privilege  hereunder  will  not be  deemed  to
constitute a waiver thereof.  Additionally, a waiver by either party or a breach
of any promise  hereof by the other party will not operate as or be construed to
constitute a waiver of any subsequent waiver by such other party.

         22. Severability.  Whenever possible,  each provision of this Agreement
will be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable
law, but if any  provision of this  Agreement is held to be invalid,  illegal or
unenforceable   in  any  respect  under  any  applicable  law  or  rule  in  any
jurisdiction,  such invalidity,  illegality or unenforceability  will not affect
any  other  provision  or any other  jurisdiction,  but this  Agreement  will be
reformed,  construed  and  enforced  in such  jurisdiction  as if such  invalid,
illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained herein.

         23. Applicable Law. This Agreement will be governed by and construed in
accordance with the internal  substantive laws, and not the choice of law rules,
of the State of California.


                                      110


         24. Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each
of which will be deemed to be an original,  and which together will constitute a
single agreement.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties has executed this Agreement, in
the case of the Company by its duly authorized  officer,  as of the day and year
first above written.


EXECUTIVE:                         TRIMBLE NAVIGATION LIMITED:

/s/ Bradford W. Parkinson            By: /s/ Robert S. Cooper
Dr. Bradford W. Parkinson
                                     Name:  Robert S. Cooper              

                                     Title: Chairman



                                      111