Sierra Wireless, a provider of fully integrated device-to-cloud solutions for the Internet of Things, has completed the acquisition of GlobalTop Technology’s GNSS embedded module business for $3.2 million.
GlobalTop’s GNSS embedded module portfolio will become part of the Sierra Wireless OEM Solutions product line, and the GNSS staff from GlobalTop will join Sierra Wireless.
GlobalTop’s GNSS products generated $5 million in revenue in the last 12 months, and the business is break-even, Sierra Wireless said.
“Building on our portfolio of cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules, we will have additional products to offer to our customers in markets where positioning data is critical, including high-value asset tracking, telematics, drones and automotive,” said Dan Schieler, senior vice president and general manager of OEM Solutions for Sierra Wireless.
The TitanX1 GNSS antenna.
GlobalTop GNSS modules include the Firefly, Ivory and Hummingbird series (GNSS standalone), and the Titan and Ladybird (GNSS with antenna). GlobalTop launched the Titan X1 module in February.
“With a wide array of modules and established sales channels, as well as a proven engineering team, we believe that the GlobalTop GNSS business is an important addition to Sierra Wireless,” Schieler said.
GlobalTop Technology has launched FireFly X1, a tiny Mediatek-based multi-GNSS module. With a compact size of 9.0 x 9.5 x 2.1 millimeters, it’s one of the smallest multi-GNSS modules in the industry, the company said.
“Compact size and low-power consumption will be the key [unique selling points] for the next generation of M2M Devices,” said Sam Khan, vice CEO of GlobalTop Technology. “After a comprehensive market study, we found that small size was one of the most important factors for companies when it came to GNSS module selection; other key factors included power consumption, TTFF, positioning accuracy, additional interfaces as well as quality and longevity of the module. I am proud to say that FireFly X1 delivers perfectly on all these criteria.”
According to Khan, the FireFly X1 was designed with “sophisticated engineering and an entirely new set of ultra-compact quality components to reach this miniature size, while adding more features and interfaces at the same time.” It uses the latest MT3333 engine with full support for GPS, QZSS, GLONASS and BeiDou, and is Galileo ready.
Tracking of up to two constellations simultaneously, and relying on the latest Mediatek firmware, it can provide positioning accuracy of up to 1.8 m CEP. Enabling EASY (self-generated orbit prediction), AGPS (ephermis file injection) and SBAS further enhances position accuracy.
Despite a smaller size, FireFly X1 incorporates a complete set of high-quality components, including TCXO, RTC Crystal, SMPS, SAW Filter and an additional LNA to provide reliable performance.
FireFly X1 combines miniature size with flexible multi-interface connectivity options such as SPI and I²C that can simplify a user’s design, and is designed for M2M devices relying on low-cost MCUs that offer limited serial interfaces.
GlobalTop’s free customization service further expands the capability of FireFly X1 with features such as custom NMEA output sentence, distance calculation, geofencing, magnetic variation and last- position-retention. Advanced users can also customize the basic parameters of the module, including baud rate, update rate, internal logger settings, DGPS mode, 3D Fix, 1 PPS timing, and more.
All modules are produced at GlobalTop’s in-house ISO 9001:2008 certified manufacturing facility, with 100 percent unit testing and complete quality control, allowing for a consistent annual yield rate of 99.98 percent.
Samples and Evaluation Kits for FireFly X1 are now available. Please contact us or your local distributor for more information.
