ublox

Receiver platform tracks four GNSS constellations simultaneously

November 5, 2020 By Redding Traiger Leave a Comment

u-blox has announced the u-blox M10, its latest highly integrated GNSS (global navigation satellite system) platform designed fully in-house for ultra-low-power high-performance positioning applications. u-blox M10 defines a new level of positioning performance in a wide range of applications such as sports watches or asset and livestock trackers, all in an extremely compact format and with a very long battery life.

The new u-blox M10 positioning platform can track up to four GNSS constellations at once to deliver 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 sports watches, for instance, u-blox M10 guarantees highly dynamic positioning accuracy during a run in cities, woods, or under an open sky, while preserving battery life.

u-blox M10 is designed to consume 12mW in continuous tracking mode, five times less than the power consumed by previous u-blox meter-level GNSS technology, making it ideal for battery-powered applications. u-blox M10’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, u-blox’s well established 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.

The u-blox M10 platform benefits from u-blox’s experience in building robust GNSS receivers, incorporating 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. The Design-in of the new u-blox M10 platform is enhanced and simplified with the newly designed u-center GNSS evaluation software.

BLE 5. 2 module brings advanced security functionality to short range radio apps

September 29, 2020 By Redding Traiger Leave a Comment

u-blox, a global provider of leading positioning and wireless communication technologies and services, today announced the NORA-B1 Bluetooth module, the newest member of its short range radio portfolio. Based on Nordic Semiconductor’s latest nRF5340 Bluetooth low energy chipset – the first to host a powerful Arm Cortex M33 dual core MCU – NORA-B1 is designed to meet the needs of performance-oriented applications in areas such as industrial, medical, and smart building and smart city markets.

NORA-B1 helps engineers get maximum value out of a single component. Taking advantage of the chipset’s dual core MCU, NORA-B1 can handle performance-oriented applications and even drive a display without requiring an external host processer. With one low-power-optimized core dedicated to managing network connectivity and a second high performance core exclusively running the device application, NORA-B1 enables smooth and uninterrupted operation with minimal processing latency.

The Arm TrustZone offers enhanced security, enabling a trusted execution environment by fully separating secure and non-secure Flash, RAM, peripherals, and GPIOs. The module also comes with the state-of-the-art Arm CryptoCell-312, which provides hardware-accelerated cryptography and, in combination with the key management unit (KMU), enables a root of trust and secure key storage.

Compact, extensively qualified, and globally certified, NORA-B1 brings the full promise of Bluetooth 5.2 to wireless applications, while also supporting ZigBee and Thread. LE audio, which can concurrently stream multiple channels with lower power consumption than existing technology, brings a major upgrade to audio data transmission, one of Bluetooth’s most popular use cases.

The combination of the dual core MCU, enhanced security, and Bluetooth 5.2 make the NORA B1 module a natural fit for a wide range of wireless applications. These include industrial machine control, asset tracking, remote controls and gateways, connected power tools requiring continuous motor control, and advanced medical wearables with demanding security requirements.

The new NORA footprint, which measures only 10.4 x 14.3 x 1.8 mm, provides ease of routing with reduced host board complexity, resulting in cost savings for the end user. It will be available in several antenna variants, including a compact PCB antenna. Qualified for an extended temperature range up to 105 °C, NORA-B1 can operate reliably in harsh environments that are common in industrial settings as well as in smart indoor and outdoor lighting.

Customers will be able to get ahold of samples in Q4 2020.

V2X software stack will enable advanced functionality on V2X chip

July 9, 2020 By Aimee Kalnoskas Leave a Comment

u-blox has partnered with Cohda Wireless, developer of connected autonomous vehicle software, to produce an advanced V2X solution for the cooperative intelligent transport market. Cohda’s world-leading V2X software stack will support the u-blox V2X chip UBX-P3 for connectivity based on DSRC/802.11p standards.

Cohda Wireless and u-blox have a long-standing relationship and share a common vision of leveraging wireless technology to reduce the number of road accidents and fatalities across the globe. The u-blox UBX-P3 chip, which enables wireless vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, has now been enhanced with Cohda’s hardware-agnostic software applications, which are the most widely deployed in the industry, providing 360° awareness and detecting hidden threats beyond anything a driver or on-board sensors can see.

Cohda’s software products are applied in more than 60 percent of all V2X field trials in the world today in compliance with US Federal Communications Commission and European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) standards.

LPWA cellular modules gain security and positioning features

February 24, 2020 By Aimee Kalnoskas Leave a Comment

u-blox has extended its SARA-R4 family of LTE-M / NB-IoT and EGPRS cellular modules to include variants with the hardware and software features necessary to enable end-to-end security features and services for Internet of Things (IoT) data, devices, and ecosystems.

The SARA-R4 series is ideal for a wide range of mission-critical IoT solutions such as connected healthcare, industrial monitoring, point of sale and vending terminals, tracking and telematics devices, as well as smart lighting solutions and building automation.

Security features include a unique and immutable root of trust (RoT) for each device, as well as access to a scalable pre-shared key (PSK) management system. This provides the foundation for a trusted set of advanced security functionalities to enable data encryption and decryption, both on‑device as well as from‑device‑to‑cloud. The choice of PSK based security, rather than the more complex and computationally intensive public key infrastructure (PKI) approach, strikes the right balance between implementation costs and level of security protection for many IoT applications.

All SARA-R422 modules provide 23 dBm output power, allowing the end device to properly operate in all network conditions. This means no issues at cell edges, no coverage issues in weak signal conditions, and, even more importantly, no unwanted re-transmission that shortens battery life by increasing transmit time and overall system power consumption.

The SARA-R422M8S is pre-integrated with the u-blox M8 GNSS (global navigation satellite system) receiver and a separate GNSS antenna interface. This uniquely provides highly reliable, accurate positioning data simultaneously with LTE communications. The module also supports hybrid positioning strategies, in which positioning data provided by satellite constellations is enhanced with data from the u-blox CellLocate® service, ensuring that location data is always available everywhere.

The u-blox SARA-R4 series will be presented at the upcoming Embedded World (https://www.embedded-world.de/en) Nuremberg, Germany (February 25-27, 2020; Hall 3/Stand 3-139).

IoT ecosystem security strengthened with GSMA’s IoT SAFE implementation

February 19, 2020 By Aimee Kalnoskas Leave a Comment

u-blox will strengthen the security of IoT ecosystems built upon its dedicated LTE-M and NB-IoT chipset by implementing a key set of security features endorsed by the GSMA. Support for the IoT SAFE (IoT SIM applet for secure end-to-end communication) implementation guide will be included in a software maintenance release for u-blox devices based on the UBX-R5 chipset, such as the new SARA-R5 series in 2020.

The SARA-R5 series is a 5G-ready, software-configurable family of IoT devices that support LTE-M and NB-IoT communications over multiple radio bands. It includes a secure element, certified to the Common Criteria EAL5+ High security assurance standard, which also acts as a hardware root of trust (RoT) for processes such as authentication and encryption.

The GSMA launched the IoT SAFE recommendation in December 2019. It enables IoT device manufacturers and service providers to use a SIM as a robust and scalable hardware RoT to protect IoT data communications. This will make it easier to securely establish a (D)TLS session with an application cloud/server, simplifying the process of provisioning and managing millions of IoT devices.

BLE 50 module measures just 7.5 x 9.5 mm, supports IEEE802.15.4

December 17, 2019 By Aimee Kalnoskas Leave a Comment

u-blox has announced its latest ultra-small, high-performance Bluetooth low energy 5.0 module, the BMD-380. Measuring only 7.5 x 9.5 mm including the ceramic antenna, it features Bluetooth 5.0 specifications, with its long-range protocol suitable for implementing communication in harsh radio environments. It also supports IEEE802.15.4 (Thread and Zigbee). All these features make the BMD-380 high performing for use cases in industrial automation, healthcare, smart cities, smart buildings and homes, and high-end wearables.

The BMD-380 is based on a Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 System on Chip (SoC), which includes a 64 MHz Arm Cortex-M4 microcontroller with integrated floating-point unit, 256 kB RAM, and 1 MB of flash memory. In addition, it provides a wide range of hardware interfaces including I2C, SPI, QSPI, GPIO, ADC, and USB, making it powerful enough to include both communication stacks and advanced applications. The BMD-380 also features Arm’s TrustZone CryptoCell cryptographic unit, which simplifies the implementation of security features necessary to build robust IoT ecosystems.

u-blox expects the BMD-380 module to be used where customers have limited space to implement their designs, need good radio performance, and want to control the bill of materials for their target device by using the onboard processor as the main system MCU.

The new module extends u-blox’s current BMD-3 series of Bluetooth low energy products. It draws on the company’s extensive expertise in RF circuitry, high-frequency board design, and dense packaging to deliver a smaller module with the same high performance as the rest of the range.

The BMD-380 module will be certified for use in Europe, the US, Canada, and Australia. First engineering samples will be available in Q1 2020.

Compact, host-based multiradio module targets autos and industrial devices

November 26, 2019 By Aimee Kalnoskas Leave a Comment

u-blox has introduced the new multiradio hardware, the JODY-W2, offering automakers a feature-rich and ultra-compact wireless module that has industry-leading performance specifications. Furthermore, a 13.8mm x 19.8mm footprint allows it to address the acute space constraints that car manufacturers now face, while an operating temperature range spanning from -40ºC up to 105ºC means it also has all the necessary ruggedness for the most demanding in-vehicle environments. JODY-W2 is also well suited for industrial applications.

The highly robust JODY-W2 module incorporates the latest AEC-Q100 qualified wireless system-on-chip (SoC) technology. One variant (non AEC-Q100) is specifically targeting demanding industrial control and monitoring applications, such as patient monitoring, plus surveillance systems, and in-building asset tracking.

It has dual band Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), covering 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency channels, as well as built-in WPA3-compliant security mechanisms. Alongside this, it offers Bluetooth 5 capabilities, with both Bluetooth Classic and Bluetooth low energy. To achieve best possible cross-protocol coexistence, there are separate antennas for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Highly optimized for deployment in modern automobile infotainment, telematics systems, and industrial gateways, the JODY-W2 can provide an access point for connection with up to 8 devices, offering enough bandwidth for video streaming via several devices at once. It has the capacity to support parallel transportation of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals, and can simultaneously act as an access point and as a station, or conduct peer-to-peer communication.

As this module has the same form factor as the u-blox JODY-W1, it complements the company’s current portfolio of host-based multiradio solutions intended for both the automotive and industrial sectors. This makes it much easier for engineers to upgrade their existing designs.

Bluetooth low energy module withstands harsh environments

November 1, 2019 By Aimee Kalnoskas Leave a Comment

u-blox announced the u-blox NINA-B4 Bluetooth low energy module series. Based on Nordic Semiconductor’s recently announced nRF52833 chip, NINA-B4 enables a number of Bluetooth features including Bluetooth long-range, Bluetooth mesh, and Bluetooth direction-finding. The module is fully tailored to the needs of applications in the connected industry, smart homes, buildings, and cities, asset tracking, and eHealth.

The main highlight of the NINA-B4 series is Bluetooth’s new direction-finding feature, a key component of the Bluetooth v5.1 specification that brings the benefits of high precision positioning to indoor applications. NINA-B4 is the first u-blox module designed to act as both a transmitter and a receiver in angle of arrival (AoA) and angle of departure (AoD) direction finding and indoor positioning applications.

In AoA-based implementations, stationary beacons equipped with multi-antenna arrays determine the angle of arrival of signals emitted by a tracking device to pinpoint the tracker’s location with sub-meter level accuracy. When AoD is used, the tracking device triangulates its position by calculating the angle of departure of signals from the stationary Bluetooth beacons’ multi-antenna arrays.

The u-blox NINA-B4 enables wireless mesh networks, which offer robust communication between large numbers of connected devices, extending the reach of messages by relaying them from node to node until they reach their destination. By simplifying the control of groups of devices, mesh networks are well suited for applications such as smart lighting systems in cities and buildings, which further benefit from the module’s enhanced operating temperature range (up to 105 °C).

Featuring Bluetooth long-range, the NINA-B4 series is ideal for deployments in harsh environments, e.g. to enable wirelessly connected and configurable equipment. Long range not only increases the distance that Bluetooth signals can travel in undisturbed environments, it also makes communications more robust and reliable in unfavorable ones, common in production plants or on factory floors.

The NINA-B4 series comes with the u-blox u‑connect software, simplifying the integration of Bluetooth into new and existing products by providing an easy-to-use interface to configure the connectivity required. NINA-B4 further stands out for its powerful Arm Cortex-M4F MCU with an open CPU architecture, allowing customers to run their own applications right on the module. Supporting Zigbee and Thread, the first members of the NINA-B4 family come with an internal PCB antenna, or alternatively, with a U.FL connector for an external antenna of choice.

Samples of the NINA-B4 will be available in December.

Bluetooth modules expanded to accommodate ultra-long range to indoor location applications

October 15, 2019 By Aimee Kalnoskas Leave a Comment

u-blox has expanded the BMD product series that it recently acquired from Rigado. The company has announced the introduction of the BMD-341, the BMD-345, and the BMD-360 Bluetooth modules, offering customers a comprehensive selection of solutions for their specific application criteria.

Fully compliant with the latest Bluetooth v5.1 specification, the BMD-360 module is the first u-blox Bluetooth module to support Bluetooth’s direction-finding feature. The BMD-360 is highly optimized for cost-sensitive, long-range beacon applications, asset tags for smart building and smart manufacturing systems, Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure, warehouse logistics, and many other high precision, indoor location-based services. Central to its functional capabilities is the nRF52811 system-on-chip (SoC) from Nordic Semiconductor. This incorporates a 32-bit Arm Cortex-M4 processor running at 64MHz, and a built-in antenna element.

The BMD-360 is complemented by the BMD-345 and BMD-341 Bluetooth 5.0 modules, both of which are built around Nordic’s nRF52840 SoC. Both modules feature a U.FL connector for applications requiring an external antenna. This makes them ideal for deployments in challenging use cases, such as medical and industrial devices built into metal enclosures.

Pushing the long-range performance even further with its embedded power amplifier and a low noise amplifier, the BMD-345 will play a pivotal role in use cases requiring best-in-class link budget for extended coverage and enhanced signal quality. These use cases can, for instance, include agriculture, asset tracking systems, and Bluetooth-based mesh networks repeaters, enhancing their operational range and their ability to deal with obstacles.

The BMD-341 and BMD-345 are both pin and footprint compatible with all other BDM-34x products, thereby facilitating design upgrades or the design of product variants with different antenna types and ranges. The BMD-360 is fully compatible with the BMD-330, BMD-300, and BMD-301.

Samples of BMD-341 and of BMD-360 will be available in October, and samples of BMD-345 will follow later this year.

High precision dead reckoning module integrated into Siemens V2X test fleet

June 11, 2019 By Aimee Kalnoskas Leave a Comment

u-blox has announced that Siemens has integrated the u‑blox ZED-F9K high precision dead reckoning module into its Toyota Prius V2X (vehicle-to-everything) test fleet. Siemens carried out live demonstrations of the technology at the ITS European Congress 2019 (https://2019.itsineurope.com/) in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.

As the only available source of absolute position, satellite-based positioning plays a crucial role in advanced driver automation systems and driverless vehicles. The same is true in V2X communication, in which vehicles continuously share their location and other information with other traffic participants – cars and pedestrians – as well as surrounding infrastructure, improving road safety and reducing traffic congestion.

V2X test vehicles typically determine their position using high-end, expensive GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) receivers. While these provide highly accurate position information, they fail to realistically represent the hardware that will be deployed in vehicles produced for the mass market. By opting to use the ZED-F9K turnkey solution for high precision dead reckoning, Siemens was able to align the performance of their test fleet with real world conditions while also reducing the cost and the engineering effort required to develop their vehicles.

“We’ve had a very positive experience with u-blox’s ZED-F9K high precision dead reckoning solution. The product delivered strongly from the initial design-in to the data and performance in our first tests,” says Igor Passchier, Engineering fellow, Connected and Automated Driving at Siemens PLM Software. “It underscores the reputation of u‑blox as a trusted innovator in GNSS technology.”
“Our collaboration with Siemens shows the extent to which the ZED-F9K turnkey solution saves OEMs time, cost, and engineering effort while providing decimeter-level positioning performance,” says Alex Ngi, Product Strategy for Dead Reckoning, Product Center Positioning, u-blox. “For us, it has also been a welcome opportunity to contribute to solving the challenges in the autonomous driving ecosystem.”