1120 Mw U Blox M10 Gnss Chip Promo 5fa5aedf39263

GNSS IC Brings Ultra-Low-Power Position Accuracy to Wearables and Asset Tracking

Nov. 6, 2020

The M10 receiver platform can track four GNSS constellations at once, even in challenging environments.

Related To: u-blox

Location is a critical parameter in many situations (real estate comes to mind). On the technology front, though, it’s especially important for asset tracking in the industrial market and in wearables in the consumer electronics space. In its M10 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) platform, u-blox has achieved a new level of positioning performance in an extremely compact format and with very long battery life.

The M10 positioning platform can track up to four GNSS constellations at once to deliver highly accurate positioning data even in challenging environments such as deep urban canyons. The receiver’s Super-S technology helps distinguish positioning signals from background noise to capture positioning data even when satellite signals are weak. Its high RF sensitivity also enables it to work well with small antennas, making it ideal for compact product designs. In sport watches, for instance, u-blox M10 guarantees highly dynamic positioning accuracy during runs in cities, woods, or under an open sky, while preserving battery life.

Designed to consume 12 mW in continuous tracking mode, the M10 requires five times less than the power consumed by previous u-blox meter-level GNSS technology, making it highly suitable for battery-powered applications. The device’s enhanced RF sensitivity also cuts the time it takes for the platform to achieve a first position fix when initialized, further reducing systemic power consumption. And switching to the improved Super-E mode can extend battery life even more.

This new GNSS platform will be supported by AssistNow, the company’s assisted GNSS service, to accelerate positioning and improve accuracy. Depending on the required level of assistance, the service is available free of charge or for a recurring fee.

Thanks to u-blox’s experience in building robust GNSS receivers, the M10 platform incorporates proven techniques for detecting spoofed signals through the analysis of raw GNSS data, jamming-detection strategies, and embedded filters to mitigate the effects of in-band RF interference.

The first products based on the u-blox M10 positioning platform are the MAX-M10S GNSS module and the UBX-M10050 GNSS chipset, which are both available now. Design-in of the u-blox M10 platform is enhanced and simplified with the newly designed u-center GNSS evaluation software.

u-blox, www.u-blox.com/m10

About the Author

David Maliniak | Executive Editor, Microwaves & RF

I am Executive Editor of Microwaves & RF, an all-digital publication that broadly covers all aspects of wireless communications. More particularly, we're keeping a close eye on technologies in the consumer-oriented 5G, 6G, IoT, M2M, and V2X markets, in which much of the wireless market's growth will occur in this decade and beyond. I work with a great team of editors to provide engineers, developers, and technical managers with interesting and useful articles and videos on a regular basis. Check out our free newsletters to see the latest content.

You can send press releases for new products for possible coverage on the website. I am also interested in receiving contributed articles for publishing on our website. Use our contributor's packet, in which you'll find an article template and lots more useful information on how to properly prepare content for us, and send to me along with a signed release form.

About me:

In his long career in the B2B electronics-industry media, David Maliniak has held editorial roles as both generalist and specialist. As Components Editor and, later, as Editor in Chief of EE Product News, David gained breadth of experience in covering the industry at large. In serving as EDA/Test and Measurement Technology Editor at Electronic Design, he developed deep insight into those complex areas of technology. Most recently, David worked in technical marketing communications at Teledyne LeCroy, leaving to rejoin the EOEM B2B publishing world in January 2020. David earned a B.A. in journalism at New York University.