As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 3, 1997
                          Registration No. 333-_______


                     U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549


                                    Form S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                           TRIMBLE NAVIGATION LIMITED
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


              California                            94-2802192
 (State or other jurisdiction of        (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
  incorporation or organization)        
                                            
    

                              645 North Mary Avenue
                           Sunnyvale, California 94088
                    (Address of Principal Executive Offices)


                             1993 Stock Option Plan
                            (Full title of the plan)


                               Charles R. Trimble
                                    President
                           Trimble Navigation Limited
                              645 North Mary Avenue
                           Sunnyvale, California 94088
                     (Name and address of agent for service)
                                 (408) 481-8000
           Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service



                                    Copy to:

                             John B. Goodrich, Esq.
                       Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati
                            Professional Corporation
                               650 Page Mill Road
                        Palo Alto, California 94304-1050
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
     ------------------------ ----------------- ------------------ --------------- ------------------
     <S>   <C>                    <C>          <C>                 <C>              <C>    
            Title of               Amount           Proposed          Proposed         Amount of
          Securities to            to be        Maximum Offering      Maximum        Registration
          be Registered          Registered      Price Per Share     Aggregate            Fee
                                                                   Offering Price
     ------------------------ ----------------- ------------------ --------------- ------------------
     ------------------------ ----------------- ------------------ --------------- ------------------
     Common Stock
     - 1993 Stock Option           600,000         $13.563(1)      $9,337,800(1)     $2,830
     Plan
     TOTALS                        600,000                         $9,337,800        $2,830
                                   =======
     ------------------------ ----------------- ------------------ --------------- ------------------
<FN>

     (1)    Estimated  solely for the purpose of  calculating  the amount of the
            registration  fee on the  basis of the  average  of the high and low
            price reported by the Nasdaq National Market System on May 27, 1997.

</FN>
</TABLE>
                                       II1

<PAGE>

                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT


     The  registrant  hereby  incorporates  by  reference  the  contents  of the
following  Registration  Statements on Form S-8: Registration No. 33-39647 dated
April 2, 1991,  Registration  No. 34-57522 dated January 28, 1993,  Registration
No. 33-78502 dated May 3, 1994, Registration No. 33-91858 dated May 3, 1995, and
Registration No. 333-04670 dated May 3, 1996.


 Item 8.  Exhibits.

          Exhibit
           Number

            5.1  Opinion of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati, Professional 
                 Corporation

            10.1  1993 Stock Option Plan

            23.1  Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Auditors

            23.2  Consent of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati, Professional 
                  Corporation (Contained in Exhibit 5.1)

            24.1  Power of Attorney (See Page II-3)




                                      II2



<PAGE>


                                   SIGNATURES

     The Registrant

     Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies  that it has  reasonable  grounds to believe  that it meets all of the
requirements  for  filing  on Form S-8 and has  duly  caused  this  registration
statement  to be  signed  on its  behalf  by  the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized, in the City of Sunnyvale, State of California, on May 29, 1997.


                                    TRIMBLE NAVIGATION LIMITED


                                     By:  /s/Charles R. Trimble
                                          Charles R. Trimble,
                                          President



                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

     KNOW ALL  PERSONS  BY THESE  PRESENTS,  that each  person  whose  signature
appears  below  constitutes  and appoints  Charles R. Trimble and Dennis R. Ing,
jointly  and   severally,   his   attorney-in-fact,   each  with  the  power  of
substitution,  for him in any and all capacities, to sign any amendments to this
Registration  Statement on Form S-8, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto
and other  documents in connection  therewith,  with the Securities and Exchange
Commission,  hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact,  or
his substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.



                                      II3

<PAGE>


     Pursuant  to  the   requirements  of  the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  this
registration  statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities and on the dates indicated.

    
     Signature                     Title                            Date

 /s/Charles R. Trimble   President, Chief Executive Officer     May 29, 1997
(Charles R. Trimble)    (Principal Executive Officer) and
                         Director
     
-------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- 
-------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- 

/s/Dennis R. Ing        Vice President - Finance and Chief      May 29, 1997
(Dennis R. Ing)         Financial Officer (Principal
                        Financial Officer and Principal
                        Accounting Officer)
-------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------
-------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------

/s/Robert S. Cooper     Director                                May 28, 1997
(Robert S. Cooper)                                  
     
  
-------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------
-------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------

/s/William Hart           Director                               May 29, 1997
(William Hart)
                                                                         
    
-------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------
-------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------
 
/s/Bradford W. Parkinson  Director                               May 28, 1997
(Bradford W. Parkinson)                                                         
   

     
-------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------


                                       II4

<PAGE>




                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS

          Exhibit             Description
          Number

          5.1       Opinion of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati,
                    Professional Corporation
    
          10.2      1993 Stock Option Plan
     

          23.1      Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Auditors
     
          23.2      Consent of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati,
                    Professional Corporation (Contained in Exhibit 5.1)

          24.1      Power of Attorney (see Page II-3)
     

<PAGE>
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "REGISTRATION STATEMENT", "secsgml_size_bytes": 8341}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "TRIMBLE NAVIGATION LTD /CA/", "cik": "0000864749", "assigned-sic": "3829", "irs-number": "942802192", "state-of-incorporation": "CA", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-28429", "film-number": "97618687"}, "business-address": {"street1": "645 NORTH MARY AVENUE", "city": "SUNNYVALE", "state": "CA", "zip": "94088", "phone": "4084818000"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "645 NORTH MARY AVENUE", "city": "SUNNYVALE", "state": "CA", "zip": "94088"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 3, 1997
                          Registration No. 333-_______

                     U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    Form S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                           TRIMBLE NAVIGATION LIMITED
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

              California                            94-2802192
 (State or other jurisdiction of        (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
  incorporation or organization)        
                                            
    

                              645 North Mary Avenue
                           Sunnyvale, California 94088
                    (Address of Principal Executive Offices)

                             1993 Stock Option Plan
                            (Full title of the plan)

                               Charles R. Trimble
                                    President
                           Trimble Navigation Limited
                              645 North Mary Avenue
                           Sunnyvale, California 94088
                     (Name and address of agent for service)
                                 (408) 481-8000
           Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service

                                    Copy to:

                             John B. Goodrich, Esq.
                       Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati
                            Professional Corporation
                               650 Page Mill Road
                        Palo Alto, California 94304-1050
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
     ------------------------ ----------------- ------------------ --------------- ------------------
Title of               Amount           Proposed          Proposed         Amount of
          Securities to            to be        Maximum Offering      Maximum        Registration
          be Registered          Registered      Price Per Share     Aggregate            Fee
                                                                   Offering Price
     ------------------------ ----------------- ------------------ --------------- ------------------
     ------------------------ ----------------- ------------------ --------------- ------------------
     Common Stock
     - 1993 Stock Option           600,000         $13.563(1)      $9,337,800(1)     $2,830
     Plan
     TOTALS                        600,000                         $9,337,800        $2,830
                                   =======
     ------------------------ ----------------- ------------------ --------------- ------------------
(1)    Estimated  solely for the purpose of  calculating  the amount of the
            registration  fee on the  basis of the  average  of the high and low
            price reported by the Nasdaq National Market System on May 27, 1997.
II1
PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

     The  registrant  hereby  incorporates  by  reference  the  contents  of the
following  Registration  Statements on Form S-8: Registration No. 33-39647 dated
April 2, 1991,  Registration  No. 34-57522 dated January 28, 1993,  Registration
No. 33-78502 dated May 3, 1994, Registration No. 33-91858 dated May 3, 1995, and
Registration No. 333-04670 dated May 3, 1996.

 Item 8.  Exhibits.

          Exhibit
           Number

            5.1  Opinion of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati, Professional 
                 Corporation

            10.1  1993 Stock Option Plan

            23.1  Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Auditors

            23.2  Consent of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati, Professional 
                  Corporation (Contained in Exhibit 5.1)

            24.1  Power of Attorney (See Page II-3)

                                      II2
SIGNATURES

     The Registrant

     Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant
certifies  that it has  reasonable  grounds to believe  that it meets all of the
requirements  for  filing  on Form S-8 and has  duly  caused  this  registration
statement  to be  signed  on its  behalf  by  the  undersigned,  thereunto  duly
authorized, in the City of Sunnyvale, State of California, on May 29, 1997.

                                    TRIMBLE NAVIGATION LIMITED

                                     By:  /s/Charles R. Trimble
                                          Charles R. Trimble,
                                          President

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

     KNOW ALL  PERSONS  BY THESE  PRESENTS,  that each  person  whose  signature
appears  below  constitutes  and appoints  Charles R. Trimble and Dennis R. Ing,
jointly  and   severally,   his   attorney-in-fact,   each  with  the  power  of
substitution,  for him in any and all capacities, to sign any amendments to this
Registration  Statement on Form S-8, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto
and other  documents in connection  therewith,  with the Securities and Exchange
Commission,  hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact,  or
his substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

                                      II3
Pursuant  to  the   requirements  of  the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  this
registration  statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities and on the dates indicated.

    
     Signature                     Title                            Date

 /s/Charles R. Trimble   President, Chief Executive Officer     May 29, 1997
(Charles R. Trimble)    (Principal Executive Officer) and
                         Director
     
-------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- 
-------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- 

/s/Dennis R. Ing        Vice President - Finance and Chief      May 29, 1997
(Dennis R. Ing)         Financial Officer (Principal
                        Financial Officer and Principal
                        Accounting Officer)
-------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------
-------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------

/s/Robert S. Cooper     Director                                May 28, 1997
(Robert S. Cooper)                                  
     
  
-------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------
-------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------

/s/William Hart           Director                               May 29, 1997
(William Hart)
                                                                         
    
-------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------
-------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------
 
/s/Bradford W. Parkinson  Director                               May 28, 1997
(Bradford W. Parkinson)                                                         
   

     
-------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------

                                       II4
INDEX TO EXHIBITS

          Exhibit             Description
          Number

          5.1       Opinion of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati,
                    Professional Corporation
    
          10.2      1993 Stock Option Plan
     

          23.1      Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Auditors
     
          23.2      Consent of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati,
                    Professional Corporation (Contained in Exhibit 5.1)

          24.1      Power of Attorney (see Page II-3)