Qualcomm Technologies has unveiled new wearable platforms, the Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 and Snapdragon W5 Gen 1.
The platforms are designed to advance ultra-low power and breakthrough performance for next-generation connected wearables with a focus on extended battery life and premium user experiences. They incorporate a series of innovations including low power islands for GNSS, Wi-Fi and audio; ultra-low power Bluetooth 5.3 architecture; and low power states such as Deep Sleep and Hibernate.
New enhancements to the flagship Snapdragon W5+ platform offer 50% lower power, 2X higher performance, 2X richer features, and 30% smaller size, compared to our previous generation, enabling wearable manufacturers to deliver the differentiated experiences consumers demand. Based on the hybrid architecture, the purpose-built platform is comprised of a 4 nm-based system-on-chip and 22 nm-based highly integrated always-on co-processor.
By using these platforms, manufacturers can scale, differentiate and develop products faster in the continuously growing and segmenting wearables industry, Qualcomm said.
Qualcomm also announced two reference designs from Compal and Pegatron, which showcase the capabilities of the platform and the company’s collaboration with ecosystem partners, helping customers develop products faster.
The new AsteRx-m3 family features state-of-the-art GPS/GNSS OEM boards optimized for power consumption and ease of integration.
Photo: Septentrio
Septentrio has expanded its GPS/GNSS OEM portfolio with the AsteRx-m3 product family. AsteRx-m3 receivers target various use cases and offer flexibility and affordability with no compromises of performance.
The AsteRx-m3 family features very low power consumption, allowing longer operation times. Its easy-to-integrate design enables short set-up times and faster time-to-market.
“With the AsteRx-m3 product family, Septentrio redefines state-of-the-art GNSS positioning performance,” said Danilo Sabbatini, product manager at Septentrio. “It was a challenge to design a product that delivers multi-frequency and multi-constellation positioning, combined with Septentrio’s renowned GNSS+ technology while optimizing power. The AsteRx-m3 product not only excels in this but does so at a reduced cost.”
All AsteRx-m3 products represent the next generation of technology in the GNSS OEM market, delivering centimeter-level accuracy, availability and reliability in a credit-card sized board, Septentrio said.
The new product family includes three types of GNSS OEM boards.
The AsteRx-m3 Pro rover receiver tracks signals from all available GNSS constellations on three frequencies. Simple and powerful, it operates both in single- and dual-antenna modes.
The AsteRx-m3 ProBase is designed to operate as a reference station for RTK and PPP-RTK networks. It can be used as a base station or for network densification.
The AsteRx-m3 Pro+, a full-feature OEM receiver board flexible enough to fit into any application and to be used either as a rover or a base station in a single- or dual-antenna mode.
By offering its next-generation GNSS technology in a diversity of products Septentrio aims to improve customer experience while optimizing prices.
Sony GNSS receivers. (left) CXD5610GF, (right) CXD5610GG. (Image: Sony)
Sony Corporation plans to release a high-precision GNSS receiver for use in internet of things (IoT) and wearable devices. The new receivers have low power consumption for dual-band positioning operation — as little as 9 mW.
Increasing use of IoT and wearable devices that utilize location information has resulted in growing demand for GNSS receiver large-scale integrated circuits (LSIs). Precise positioning and reliable communications must be ensured to maintain proper operation of IoT and wearable devices, which are being used even in difficult communication environments and unstable conditions, such as multipath propagation situations caused by reflection off the ground or nearby buildings or the effects of the swinging of the arms when attached to a person’s wrist.
Additionally, device size constraints necessitate a compact battery, whereas satellite signal reception and positioning when using GNSS functionality typically consumes a lot of power, resulting in poor battery life.
The new LSIs support not only the conventional L1 band reception, but also L5 band reception, which is currently being expanded across GNSS constellations, thereby making them capable of dual-band positioning. Sony’s original algorithms enable stable, high-precision positioning even under the difficult conditions unique to wearable devices.
Also, the use of Sony’s original high-frequency analog circuit technology and digital processing technology delivers low power consumption during continuous positioning for dual-band reception operation.
The new LSIs will drive greater opportunities to develop new products and services such as smartwatches and other wearable devices that cannot use external power supplies, as well as IoT devices used for applications such as trackers. They also show promise in a wide variety of applications which require precise positioning and stable communications, such as automotive services.
High-precision, stable positioning via dual-band operation
Compared with the L1 band, the new signal method used in the L5 band employs signal units that are 10 times narrower to measure the range between the GNSS satellite and receiver, improving positioning precision and amplifying the transmission power from the satellite, resulting in high-precision, high-sensitivity positioning.
Quick, accurate GNSS signal reception via Sony’s original algorithms enables positioning that is more stable than conventional products even in changing reception environments, such as obstructing from buildings when on the move and acceleration of wearables due to swinging of the arms. This also leads to quick positioning time even from cold starts, which require more time.
Additionally, Sony’s original digital signal processing technology enables countermeasures against the performance degradation caused by radio interference from aircraft communications as well as spoofing attacks and other issues, thereby improving resistance to interference.
Low power consumption and high sensitivity are delivered by Sony’s original analog circuit technology, which enables low-voltage operation, as well as digital circuits and software algorithms that enable software processing via low clock frequencies. This innovative design keeps power consumption to only 9 mW, the lowest in the industry, when simultaneously receiving signals in both the L1 and L5 bands.
Built-in memory
The new LSI’s feature built-in non-volatile memory for storing firmware, etc. This design makes it possible to update the firmware without adding externally mounted memory and contributes to a more compact design for IoT and wearable devices by saving space. It also makes it possible to complete data-processing in the products, resulting in low power consumption and improved access speed.
Key specifications
Power Consumption
1.5 GHz/1.2 GHz simultaneous reception
9 mW
11 mW
1.5 GHz reception
6 mW
7 mW
1.2 GHz reception
7 mW
8 mW
Hot Start Sensitivity: –163dBm
Tracking Sensitivity: –167dBm
Hot Start Initial Positioning Calculation Time: Less than 1 second (at -130dBm)
User Interface: UART, I2C, SPI
Package: XFBGA 54 pin, LFBGA 72 pin
External Dimensions (LWH): 3.2×3.7×0.5 mm; 7.0×8.0×1.4 mm
Image: iStock.com/metamorworks via Bentley Systems
Nestwave has developed an ultra-low power, advanced GNSS solution for use in internet of things (IoT) applications.
Nestwave, a Paris-based startup, is demonstrating its new low-power, high-accuracy GPS IP at Mobile World Congress, being held Feb. 25-28 in Barcelona, Spain.
The software-based GNSS solution allows modem customers to add accurate position-based services to their modem platforms.
When integrated with an IoT modem such as NB-IoT, Cat M1, LoRa or Sigfox, the solution offers low-cost geolocation for emerging applications such as asset tracking, smart factories and smart cities, without the need for an external GNSS chip.
“After several years of development and based on a number of key signal processing breakthroughs, we believe Nestwave is well-positioned to provide a best-in-class solution for low-power IoT applications where position awareness is key,” said Rabih Chrabieh, Nestwave CEO. “We are excited to demonstrate our GPS solution, in collaboration with Cadence by leveraging their Tensilica Fusion F1 DSP platform at MWC this year.”
“The Fusion F1 DSP is gaining traction with customers as a platform for low-cost, power-sensitive IoT communications standards like NB-IoT,” said Gerard Andrews, director of marketing for Tensilica products at Cadence.
The Cadence Tensilica Fusion F1 DSP is designed for low-cost IoT applications requiring a single processor core that is proficient at both DSP and control-code workloads.
Developed on a highly configurable architecture, the Fusion F1 DSP is specifically designed to excel at “always-on” processing, including wake-on-voice and sensor fusion applications.
Additionally, the Fusion F1 DSP instruction-set architecture is very efficient at running narrowband wireless communications standards like BLE, Thread, Zigbee, 802.11ah, NB-IoT and GNSS.
Visit the Nestwave/Cadence demo at the Cadence booth at Fira Gran Via, hall 6, stand 6L34.
OriginGPS, maker of small-format GNSS modules and cellular internet of things (IoT) systems, presented new products with customized IoT and GPS demonstrations at Embedded World 2019, Nuremberg, Germany, Feb. 26-28, Hall 3, Booth 3-121.
OriginIoT systems enable developers to rapidly develop IoT products with stackable add-ons, while all data is configured from the cloud, and no additional embedded code or RF knowledge is required.
OriginGPS’ latest release is the multi-constellation ORG1518-MK06 module. It combines low power modes for extended battery life, 8MB built-in Flash memory, AGPS support for extended ephemeris improving position calculation, and UART+I2C or UART+SPI interfaces.
Selectable add-on sensor boards click on the OriginIoT cellular IoT system, offering backward compatibility with 2G, 3G, CAT1 and CAT M. (Image: OriginGPS)
An ultra-sensitive integrated patch antenna easily switches over to an external antenna via an integrated RF switch.
The ORG1518-MK06 is suitable for solutions requiring multiple antenna options, such as automotive aftermarket and agriculture applications.
Addressing the global IoT market with fast data transmission, the OriginIoT NB-IoT/CAT M with 2G fallback will be suited to devices that are battery-powered and transmit data only occasionally, such as parking and agriculture applications, resulting in a very long sensor battery life, typically 10+ years. The new model will be released later this year.
“The new products are based on OriginGPS patented technologies and retain the miniature footprint for which the company has become synonymous,” said Robert van Tilburg, vice president, Global Sales and Business Development, OriginGPS. “We are excited to offer our customers additional features and options to choose from, enabling them to reduce overall solution costs. 2019 is going to be an exciting year with technology advancements facilitating our product offering with more personalized IoT and GNSS products.”
OriginGPS partner Gemalto will also be presenting OriginIoT demos at Hall 3, Booth 3-438. Gemalto’s Cinterion LTE-M module is integrated in the OriginIoT systems to provide 2G, 3G, Cat1, Cat-M and NB-IoT cellular communication.
OriginGPS has chosen Gemalto’s Cinterion LTE-M wireless module to build its latest miniature OriginIoT system. Gemalto, a digital security company, designed the module for low-power applications requiring high security.
OriginIoT systems are generic cellular internet of things (IoT) systems that simplify IoT product development and slash development resources.
The systems include communication hardware, a GNSS module, embedded software and a novel interface to OriginIoT add-ons that accommodate multiple sensors and other peripheral devices.
OriginGPS signal-to-noise technology is leveraged to deliver superior GNSS and cellular matching, facilitating excellent performance in noisy environments, while the OriginSmart software enables cloud-based programming, relieving developers from writing embedded code.
The OriginIoT LTE-M system (ORG2101) has a 15 percent smaller footprint than the previous 2G and 3G models, and will be pre-certified with selected operators.
The low-power, wide-area Cinterion LTE-M module supports more than 10 frequency bands from a single hardware device, eliminating the need for multiple variants. The module protocols can run on the same hardware, thus providing a future-proof path for additional OriginIoT models.
“To save resources and stay competitive, such easy to develop low power solutions are essential for today’s IoT products,” said Andreas Haegele, senior vice president of IoT products for Gemalto. “We are glad to see that OriginGPS is expanding the market by offering accessible, affordable IoT products that are backed by Gemalto reliability and high quality,”
“We designed the OriginIoT LTE-M system to address market pains, and so our new offering includes low power consumption, superb GNSS/cellular matching, interfaces to multiple connectors, and software to enable developing from the convenience of the cloud,” said Robert van Tilburg, VP Global Sales and Business Development of OriginGPS. “These features serve to simplify and shorten IoT projects. Gemalto’s Cinterion IoT module enables OriginGPS products to retain their world’s smallest footprint, while enhancing their security and extending end-product life.”
OriginGPS will be showcasing its GNSS modules and OriginIoT systems at Embedded World, Feb. 27 – Mar. 1, in Hall 3, Booth 121.
