Sequans Communications S.A. announced the availability of low-power GNSS positioning capability on its Monarch 2 LTE-M/NB-IoT platform. The integrated GNSS solution offers Sequans’ IoT customers accurate positioning with lower power consumption, removing the need for an external positioning chipset for an overall higher performing, lower cost tracking solution. The new technology is available on Sequans’ Monarch 2 GM02SP module, a pin-to-pin compatible variant of Sequans’ Monarch 2 GM02S module, with an added GNSS antenna RF input, enabling existing Monarch 2 GM02S customers to take advantage of the added low power GNSS capability easily.

The new low power GNSS capability on Monarch 2 leverages Nestwave technology and is ideal for a wide variety of intermittent tracking use cases, including car, bike, scooter, and other personal asset trackers; logistics and fleet trackers; pet, farm animal, and people trackers; emergency assistance beacons; and various types of smart city trackers. Monarch 2 GM02SP module offers multi-functional mode selection with power consumption in the range of a few hundred microwatt-hours per location fix. Power consumption can be adjusted for each fix depending on the use case or for a new triggered event such as emergency asset recovery.

Sequans’ GNSS is fully integrated with Monarch 2 and therefore is significantly less expensive than competing chip or module add-ons while delivering a level of accuracy on par with legacy GNSS solutions. The solution supports intermittent or recurrent IoT tracking use cases and allows users to choose from various levels of assistance and performance, depending on use case requirements. Sequans’ GNSS solution can be updated along with Monarch 2 firmware over the air (FOTA) upgrades, giving users instant access to feature upgrades as they become available.

Invoxia is one of Sequans’ first customers to adopt the new GNSS feature of Monarch 2 instead of using an external GNSS chip.

The Sequans Monarch 2 GM02SP LTE-M/NB-IoT module with low power GNSS geolocation technology is pin-to-pin compatible with Monarch 2 GM02S module. It features 23 dBm transmit power, a very high level of integration, ultra-low power consumption (1 microamp at rock bottom), a certified EAL5+ secure enclave for integrated SIM (ieUICC), compliant with GSMA standards, an integrated MCU, and Sequans’ Single-SKU RF front end, enabling deployment on any LTE band worldwide.

Monarch 2 GM02SP module samples and NEKTAR-B evaluation kits are available now to select customers.