GPS World

Tag: internet of things

  • Telit’s latest GNSS IoT module aimed at European market

    Telit’s latest GNSS IoT module aimed at European market

    Telit GE310-GNSS IoT Module fills European demand for GSM/GPRS compact form factors, and is part of Telit’s migration-support program that helps customers leverage 2G’s low cost and broad coverage while preparing for 4G and 5G.

    The GE310-GNSS module. (Image: Telit)
    The GE310-GNSS module. (Image: Telit)

    Telit has released the GE310-GNSS, an internet of things (IoT) module with GSM/GPRS, multi-constellation satellite positioning and Bluetooth functionality in a 270-millimeter-squared form factor.

    The GE310-GNSS enables original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and system integrators in application areas such as asset management, utilities and telematics, meet strong demand for low-cost, highly compact devices without tradeoffs in performance, reliability and functionality, particularly in regional markets such as Europe, where 2G is forecast to remain in strong growth in number of IoT connections for many years.

    The GE310-GNSS features a miniature form factor packaged in an LGA 94-round-pad format. It is designed to meet the robust demand in Europe, Latin America and other regional markets for compact devices such as health and wellness monitors, smart residential and commercial thermostats, commercial fleets and IoT-connected grid equipment for smart utilities.

    With support for Europe’s Galileo as well as other satellite positioning constellations, the GE310-GNSS is suitable for IoT applications that require location awareness throughout Europe and the rest of the world. The module’s Bluetooth 4.0 capability makes it easy for OEMs to add connectivity to proximal area network devices, Telit said.

    The GE310-GNSS is part of Telit’s future-proofing program, which helps customers leverage 2G’s low cost and gapless European coverage immediately while retaining absolute control of when they switch to a compatible 4G module in the Telit family lineup.

    The lineup includes multiple roadmap paths to upgrade to 4G and later to 5G based on the customer business strategies and specific market conditions.

    Research firm ABI Research estimated in its “ABI IoT Market Tracker – Worldwide – October 2018” that 2G cellular IoT connections will continue to grow in Europe from 100 million in 2018, reaching a peak of 148 million connected devices in 2022 before slowly dropping to about 89 million in 2026.

    “The GE310-GNSS is the newest in our lineup of updated 2G modules for markets like Europe and Latin America which still show a sustained pull for over half a decade,” said Yossi Moscovitz, president products and solutions, Telit. “This svelte module combines proven, reliable 2G connectivity with the latest satellite positioning and Bluetooth technologies, all backed by Telit’s decades-enduring migration-support program. Telit has helped thousands of customers through cellular generational transitions and is now helping 2G customers in Europe, Latin America and other regions develop business-enhancing roadmaps to 4G and 5G.”

    For more information about the GE310-GNSS and other Telit IoT solutions, visit booth A.b80 at European Utility Week, Nov. 6-8 in Vienna, Austria.

  • Skyworks powers connected lighting for smart cities

    Image: Skyworks
    Image: Skyworks

    Skyworks Solutions‘ advanced wireless engines are enabling Philips’ CityTouch end-to-end street lighting management platforms.

    Specifically, Skyworks’ connectivity solutions provide efficiency, extended range and complete network coverage to facilitate seamless communication between Philips’ smart street lamps and cellular base stations.

    The innovative devices allow city operators to reduce power consumption and support public safety through adaptive scheduling and remote services, the company said. Installations of CityTouch have commenced worldwide, fostering more livable and sustainable environments.

    Local governments are increasingly using internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) innovations to overcome fiscal, environmental, security and energy challenges. Skyworks’ robust portfolio of IoT architectures are empowering numerous applications for intelligent city operations spanning smart metering, surveillance systems and responsive traffic signals.

    “Skyworks is playing an integral role in the transformation of cities into dynamic, automated ecosystems,” said Carlos Bori, vice president of sales and marketing for Skyworks. “In particular, our high-performance wireless solutions are facilitating highly efficient, long-range connectivity for IoT platforms. Looking ahead, as cities become even smarter with the convergence of diverse AI applications, Skyworks is delivering the enabling technologies that will usher in a new era of connected living.”

    According to ABI Research, IoT technology revenues across 12 key smart city verticals are expected to grow from $25 billion in 2017 to $62 billion by 2026. This growth is being driven by a number of factors including the modernization of city infrastructure systems, increasing demand for intelligent, energy-saving street lighting and a growing awareness among consumers and governments worldwide.

  • Rx Networks provides assistance GNSS data tailored for IoT devices

    Rx Networks provides assistance GNSS data tailored for IoT devices

    Rx Networks logoRx Networks Inc., a mobile location technology and services company, has announced an update of its location.io platform to provide GNSS assistance data to enable better positioning in internet of things (IoT) devices.

    The company has updated its location.io HTTP interface to provide real-time GNSS ephemeris data with a reduced payload, a smaller predicted GNSS ephemeris client while maintaining full featured accuracy.

    Rx Networks is demonstrating location.io at its booth at ION GNSS+, being held this week in Miami.

    The location.io HTTP interface is now leaner and requires fewer requests and less data. In providing an interface for IoT devices, specifically, Rx Networks extends the delivery of their reliable and accurate assistance data to new and emerging use cases.

    “Rx Networks is a proactive company endeavoring to provide excellent solutions and services for our customers,” said John Carley, director of sales and product strategy at Rx Networks. “By adding another use-case focused interface, we are able help customers create top-quality solutions targeted for their customer needs. By adding another interface designed for specific use cases, we help our customers create top-quality solutions targeted for their customer needs. Especially in the areas of smaller processors, longer product life time and lower battery consumption.”

    location.io includes technologies already used by more than 1 billion smartphones, laptops and wearables worldwide. Specific components are:

    • Real-time GNSS assistance. The real-time assistance service is designed to work with all popular location servers such as Ericsson, TCS, ZTE, and Qualcomm. Rx Networks also offers RINEX files and a generic HTTP interface for independent access to the assistance data. It supports over five constellations, including GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS and SBAS. RT-GNSS assistance can now be filtered by location or Cell ID to provide only Satellites in View.
    • Predicted GNSS assistance. The predicted service provide seed data that enable client devices such as smartphones, laptops, and wearables, to generate up to 14 days of extended ephemeris for fast and sensitive GNSS fixes. Predicted GNSS assistance support GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo, and has been updated to have a smaller footprint, use less resources and support OSs and RTOSs.

    All location.io services are delivered from Rx Networks’ geo-redundant and cloud-based service delivery network, via a lean API ensuring a 99.999 percent service level availability.

    NTRIP Data. Rx Networks has also added NTRIP-formatted data services to location.io. Customers can now choose from a variety of data formats, including Rx Networks proprietary format, NTRIP, LPP, RRLP, proprietary real-time, IoT-optimized and a few custom formats.

    Observation data from our multiband multi-constellation global reference network is now available in NTRIP format, and customers are already on board.

    High availability is assured with geographically redundant secure NTRIP casters, the company said. The innovative High Accuracy Assistance Service (HAAS) product will also be available in RTCM format via NTRIP casters.

    With the addition of RTCM formatted data via an NTRIP data feed, Rx Networks continues to expand its constellation support with the largest variety of terrestrial delivery mechanisms. The solution architecture includes an NTRIP server, caster and client, providing a complete solution.

    “Our customers love the reliability and plug-and-play convenience of our NTRIP service,” said Brian Marciniak, head of business development at Rx Networks. “With Rx Networks’ expanded reference network, secure NTRIP observations and real-time data, we are enabling our customers to expand their businesses in exciting new ways.”

    location.io includes technologies already in use by more than 1 billion smartphones, laptops and wearables worldwide.

    All location.io services are delivered from Rx Networks’ geo-redundant and cloud based service delivery network.

  • HERE, Altair Semiconductor partner on IoT tracking

    HERE, Altair Semiconductor partner on IoT tracking

    Photo: Altair
    Photo: Altair

    HERE Technologies and Altair Semiconductor are partnering to integrate HERE tracking and positioning software into Altair’s ALT1250 dual-mode LTE Cat-M1/NB-IoT chipset. This will enable HERE customers, system integrators and tracking device manufacturers to significantly reduce device time to market and provide hardware-based security.

    The two companies plan to reduce overall power consumption of an end-to-end tracker application by optimizing the way the device communicates with the cloud.

    The ALT1250 includes a GNSS receiver, an RF front-end supporting all commercial LTE bands within a single hardware design, a hardware-based security framework and an internal application MCU subsystem.

    The integration of HERE tracking and positioning software means the chipset will be able to locate itself using the strength of cellular signals, even when it is not possible to obtain a GNSS fix.

    The chipset can take advantage of the ability of HERE to provide online and offline positioning based on its database of cellular towers.

  • Quectel launches IoT module supporting Qualcomm location tech

    Quectel launches IoT module supporting Qualcomm location tech

    Quectel Wireless Solutions, a global supplier of internet of things (IoT) modules, has launched the EG18, an LTE Category 18, high-speed module that offers 1.2Gbps downlink and 150Mbps uplink peak rates.

    EG18 module. (Photo: Quectel)
    EG18 module. (Photo: Quectel)

    The EG18 supports Qualcomm IZat location technology Gen8C Lite (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo and QZSS). The integrated GNSS greatly simplifies product design, and provides quicker, more accurate and more dependable positioning capability, Quectel said.

    Based on Qualcomm’s SDX20 chipset and fully compliant with 3GPP R12 specification, EG18 supports wireless technologies such as carrier aggregation (CA), 4×4 multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology and 256QAM.

    Quectel EG18 is a series of LTE Advanced modules optimized specially for M2M and IoT applications which support industrial operating temperature range of -40 to 85˚C.

    The EG18 is designed for ultra-high-speed industrial routers, in-vehicle video surveillance systems, cloud-based 4K IP-cameras and other applications that require very high throughput and low latency.

    EG25-G module. (Photo: Quectel)
    EG25-G module. (Photo: Quectel)

    EG25-G module. Quectel also launched an LTE Cat 4 module to provide global connectivity on up to 30 bands with LTE, 3G and 2G coverage all from a single SKU. This “all-in-one” module EG25-G is designed to improve the efficiency of global IoT deployment at optimized cost.

    EG25-G is the latest addition to Quectel’s comprehensive LTE portfolio based on Qualcomm MDM9x07 chipset. Adopting the 3GPP Release 11 LTE technology, it delivers 150 Mbps downlink and 50 Mbps uplink peak data rates, with an optional GNSS receiver including GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo and QZSS to provide quick and accurate positioning, the company said.

    The new module supports FDD LTE frequency bands of B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B12/B13/B18/B19/B20/B25/B26/B28, TDD LTE bands of B38/B39/B40/B41, WCDMA bands of B1/B2/B4/B5/B6/B8/B19 and quad-band GSM/EDGE. This ensures devices with EG25-G inside can operate on networks of major global carriers like AT&T, Verizon, Telstra, Vodafone and T-Mobile. The EG25-G supports multi-carrier switch by detecting (U)SIM card.

    Designed in a compact LGA form factor measuring 29.0×32.0×2.4 mm, EG25-G is pin-compatible with Quectel’s EC2X family, allowing flexible migration. It also offers Mini PCIe form factor with built-in sim card holder to provide a better plug-and-play experience.

    “A growing number of today’s IoT developers tend to design and manufacture devices that can operate globally with a single hardware design. Our EG25-G was created to address such needs,” said Delbert Sun, Quectel product and marketing director. “We are pleased to see that customers will achieve simplified production and testing processes, and save distribution costs due to the need for just one single SKU.”

    EG25-G has a rich set of Internet protocols, industry-standard interfaces, abundant functionalities and extended life cycle, and is designed for verticals including industrial routers, industrial PDA and video surveillance.

  • GCF and TTA announce global certification solution for oneM2M

    The Global Certification Forum (GCF) and Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) will launch a global certification solution for global internet of things (IoT) standards body oneM2M in early 2019, as part of its work to increase interoperability to the IoT ecosystem.

    The solution, which will incorporate oneM2M’s current TTA-run certification program, recognizes the critical importance of mobile technologies in IoT-enabled M2M solutions — a trend that is set to accelerate with the advent of 5G.

    oneM2M certification through GCF will be key to ensuring proper functionality and compliance with industry standards for fast, efficient, and secure IoT solutions in the connected world, GCF said.

    Technologies which comply with oneM2M standards will ensure seamless connectivity and interoperability with back-end networks, as well as allowing for safe and secure transactions. TTA’s mission is to support global oneM2M certification services and will significantly benefit the IoT and M2M industry.

    Image: GCF
    Image: GCF

    “This development underlines GCF’s expertise in developing certification programmes for advanced mobile technologies in industry verticals,” said Lars Nielsen, general manager at GCF. “It complements our strategy of expansion from core telecoms technologies into IoT applications to service the emerging 5G ecosystem. GCF is collaborating with world class organisations such as oneM2M and TTA to enable the growth and proliferation of the IoT connected devices ecosystem.”

    oneM2M is a global organization which creates technical specifications, common use cases and architectural principles to ensure that machine-to-machine communications can operate effectively on a worldwide scale. oneM2M architecture is based on a common M2M service layer, which can be readily embedded within vendors’ hardware and software solutions, ensuring interoperability between the myriad of IoT devices in the field and M2M application servers worldwide.

    “GCF’s work with TTA highlights the growing global momentum for tested interoperability in IoT devices and applications,” said Patrick Van de Wille, marcom chair at oneM2M. “Our membership numbers are steadily increasing as organisations recognise the benefits of reducing the complexity through a global standard. All stakeholders will reap the rewards from improved productivity and reduced costs, which will ensure the sustained growth of the IoT transformation.”

    TTA has been the at the fore of oneM2M certification since 2014 and is the official oneM2M testing and certification organization.

    The announcement is the culmination of work TTA has carried out to expand the testing and certification service, keeping up-to-date with oneM2M standards and providing feedback on the standards by collaborating with overseas testing institutes.

    “We are extremely pleased to have this partnership with GCF that supports the increasing importance of oneM2M standardisation in the global IoT market,” said Park-Jae-Moon, president of TTA. “This is a critical milestone in our journey from setting up the very first oneM2M certification solution for Korea, to meet regional needs. Now we can offer this on a global level to ensure interoperability and set a benchmark for quality that will enable a successful future for IoT connectivity.”

  • Antenova ships tiny GNSS active antenna module

    Antenova ships tiny GNSS active antenna module

    Antenova is shipping its ultra-small GNSS active antenna module for tiny positioning devices, the RADIONOVA M20047-1. The antenna module includes a low noise amplifier (LNA) and surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter for better positioning from difficult locations.

    Antenova Ltd. is a manufacturer of antennas and RF antenna modules for connected devices and the internet of things.

    The RADIONOVA M20047-1 is designed for small consumer devices such as smartwatches. (Photo: Antenova)
    The RADIONOVA M20047-1 is designed for small consumer devices such as smartwatches. (Photo: Antenova)

    The RADIONOVA M20047-1 is an active antenna module for GNSS applications in the 1559-1609 MHz satellite bands using GPS, GLONASS, Galileo or BeiDou.

    The M20047-1 antenna module comprises an SMD antenna with built-in active components: an LNA filter and SAW to boost antenna performance — so designers will not need to add these — contained in a compact FR4 part with low power consumption, measuring 7.0 x 7.0 x 0.9 millimeters and weighing less than 2 grams.

    The onboard LNA and SAW filter act to boost the signal to the GNSS processor in environments where there is a restricted view of the sky or where line-of-sight to the horizon is difficult, the company said.

    Architecture of the Antenova antenna. (Image: Antenova)
    Architecture of the Antenova antenna. (Image: Antenova)

    Antenova has also added an external matching feature to compensate for any de-tuning of the antenna caused by proximity to other components, such as a plastic case or a battery.

    The clear-out area required by the antenna module is only 7.0  x 5.0 millimeters. This, with its tiny size, makes the M20047-1 suitable for small positioning devices where space on the PCB is tight, such as wearable devices, asset tracking devices, sports cameras and equipment and smartwatches.

    The M20047-1 is an alternative to Antenova’s Sinica antenna (part no. SR4G008), which Antenova also recommends for accurate positioning.

    The M20047-1 was first announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January.

    Antenova’s antennas are specifically designed for easy integration. The datasheet and evaluation kit for the M20047-1 are available from www.antenova.com. Antenova also provides full engineering support, antenna testing, tuning and integration for its customers.

  • Ceva releases Dragonfly NB2 for internet of things

    Ceva has launched the successor to its Ceva-Dragonfly NB1 solution targeting the NB-internet of things (IoT) market, the Ceva-Dragonfly NB2.

    The Dragonfly NB2 is a highly integrated and modular solution optimized for Cat-NB2 (3GPP Release 14 eNB-IoT) that can seamlessly be incorporated into chips and modules by the multitude of companies looking to address the large and fast-growing cellular IoT space.

    GNSS hardware package. For customers developing NB-IoT products that also require GNSS capabilities, Ceva-Dragonfly NB2 includes a new power-optimized GNSS hardware package, with GNSS RF receiver and multi-constellation digital front-end.

    The GNSS package speeds up both acquisition and tracking tasks by up to 8 times compared to Ceva-Dragonfly NB1, enabling a host of popular NB-IoT use cases, including people, livestock and asset tracking, and geo-fencing, the company said.

    IoT boom forecast. In the latest edition of the Ericsson Mobility Report, the forecast for cellular IoT increased significantly, almost doubling to 3.5 billion connections for 2023. The report cites large-scale deployments in China and increasing interest in eNB-IoT and Cat-M1 cellular IoT standards as the catalysts for 30 percent CAGR between 2017 and 2023.

    Ceva-Dragonfly NB2 is a licensable Rel14 compliant eNB-IoT solution and builds on the success of Ceva-Dragonfly NB1, which has been widely licensed for a range of use cases and emerging end markets, including smart cities, transport and logistics and consumer electronics. It is centered on the Ceva-X1 DSP/control processor featuring an enhanced Instruction Set Architecture and provides a unified processor environment for both physical layer and protocol stack workloads.

    The solution also includes a highly integrated, worldwide enabled RF transceiver, a power amplifier (PA) and all the associated hardware and software modules required to develop a complete eNB-IoT product, ensuring the lowest possible bill-of-materials (BOM) in the process.

    In addition to the performance improvements enabled by Release 14 including higher data rates and lower latency, Ceva-Dragonfly NB2 features a range of enhancements to ensure higher performance, added functionality and increased security for NB-IoT applications compared to its predecessor.

    A new power management solution, complete with intelligent sleep mechanisms ensures ultra-low sleep power consumption of a few microAmps, further improving the battery life critical to every NB-IoT device.

    The enhanced RF design is already silicon-proven at 55nm and 40nm processes, further lowering the entry barriers for customers with no previous cellular expertise to enter this burgeoning market.

    Ceva-Dragonfly NB2 also includes the fully optimized physical layer and protocol stack firmware designed for Release 14 Cat-NB2. The addition of an on-chip embedded flash memory and controller now allows full NB-IoT design on a single die which further reduces BOM and power consumption.

    Voice trigger. Ceva-Dragonfly NB2 also supports use cases requiring always-listening voice trigger, voice commands and sound sensing. The flexibility of the Ceva-X1 IoT processor allows for these sensing features to be implemented in software. The Ceva ClearVox voice front-end software package, for example, can be used to ensure clear and intelligible voice pickup for use cases such as emergency calls and voice panic buttons. In terms of security, Ceva-Dragonfly NB2 integrates a completely redesigned secure platform, including smart interfaces to connect USIM or eSIM. Ceva also offers other complementary technologies addressing massive IoT, such as Bluetooth 5 dual-mode and low energy and Wi-Fi 802.11n/ac/ax, for short range connectivity which customers can leverage for their product designs.

    “The widespread commercial deployment of NB-IoT is well underway across the globe and we’re proud to be at the forefront of technology innovation for long-range massive IoT,” said Michael Boukaya, vice president and general manager of the wireless business unit at Ceva. “With the introduction of Ceva-Dragonfly NB2, we have built on the considerable success we achieved with our first generation solution, and delivered a unique, silicon-proven eNB-IoT Release 14 solution for our customers that is unprecedented in terms of system completeness, performance and power efficiency.

    “Moreover, the option of power-optimized GNSS, voice and sensing capabilities vastly increases the breadth of use cases our customers can address with this licensable solution,” Boukaya said. “There is no other IP company in the world today that can come close to offering such a complete solution for eNB-IoT and we’re excited to closely partner with our customers to create a whole new wave of applications and devices for the infinite Internet of Things.”

    Ceva-Dragonfly NB2 is available for licensing now. Development kits and reference silicon will be available in the third quarter of this year.

  • Telit releases GNSS integrated antenna receiver modules

    Telit, a global enable of the internet of things (IoT), has debuted its SE878Kx-A series of GPS and GNSS integrated antenna receiver modules for consumer and business applications. According to the company, these modules provide high performance, maximum reliability and low power consumption.

    In addition, the SE878K3-A and SE878K7-A are compatible with GPS, GLONASS, Beidou and Galileo and also enable device vendors to develop quickly and cost-effectively location-based IoT solutions for use in virtually any country worldwide, Telit said.

    The SE878Kx-A series supports dual internal-external antennas to ensure connectivity when one is broken or compromised, along with a SAW filter to maximize jamming immunity. According to Telit, these features make the modules ideal for mission-critical applications and other use cases where reliability is key, such as alarms, stolen cars or high-end asset tracking.

    The SE878Kx-A series also provides seamless integration with Telit’s cellular modules, including eCall/ERA-GLONASS compliant solutions.

    “The new SE878Kx-A series is the latest example of Telit’s leadership in providing GNSS solutions for applications that demand the highest reliability and performance,” said Yossi Moscovitz, Telit president of products and solutions. “Just as important, the modules give IoT designers maximum flexibility, faster development cycles, easier integration and the ability to develop once and deploy worldwide.”

  • Sony’s new IoT board features built-in GNSS receiver

    Sony’s new IoT board features built-in GNSS receiver

    The Spresence main board by Sony.

    Sony Corporation has developed two new products, the Spresence main and extension boards for internet of things (IoT) applications, equipped with a smart-sensing processor.

    The main board uses a multi-CPU structure equipped with Sony’s GNSS receiver (GPS+GLONASS) and high-res audio codec. A variety of systems for diverse applications — drones, smart speakers, sensing cameras and other IoT devices — can be built by combining the boards and developing the relevant applications.

    Technological information about the products’ software and hardware is publicly available via open platform, allowing for a wide range of developmental possibilities and further expanding the market.

    Positioning information and audio input/output functions are expected to become increasingly important in the expanding IoT market. The main board operates on low power and features a smart-sensing processor, with a built-in GNSS receiver and an audio codec that supports high-resolution audio sources. It employs a hexa-CPU, multi-core configuration that makes it easy for anyone to create high-performance, highly versatile applications.

    For example, the new board can be used to control a drone using GPS positioning technology and a high-performance processor, voice-controlled smart speakers, low-power consumption sensing cameras and other IoT devices. It can also be combined with various sensors for use in systems that detect errors in production lines on the factory floor.

    The IoT boards will be displayed at the Maker Faire Bay Area 2018 starting May 18 in San Mateo, California, and on Aug. 4-5 at the Maker Faire Tokyo 2018 in Tokyo, Japan.

    The new products go on sale July 31.

  • 5G, internet of things highlighted in webinar

    Testing autonomous driving support. (Photo: Volvo).
    Testing autonomous driving support. (Photo: Volvo).

    Location, principally provided by GPS/GNSS, plays a key role alongside deployment of 5G cellular networks, in the realization of the internet of things (IoT).

    A free webinar hosted by GPS World on May 17 will cover how location plays a role in the internet of things. The webinar will include presentations by Fergus Noble, co-founder and CTO of Swift Navigation; Oliver Cameron, co-founder and CEO of Voyage; and Steve Thompson, senior director and office of the CTO of Acorn Technologies.

    During his presentation, Noble will highlight the benefits of integrating a cloud corrections service with high-precision GNSS receivers. He also will provide an understanding for users of GPS about how high-precision GNSS receivers benefit from a cloud corrections service, including high-precision results in seconds and increased geographic range.

    Cameron will cover why private cities make for the perfect first deployments of self-driving cars and Thompson will offer an overview on cellular positioning technology for ultra-low-cost, ultra-long-battery-life IoT applications.

    Register and learn more about the webinar, which takes place at 1 p.m., here.

  • Qianxun SI, u-blox plan to bring mass-market high-precision positioning to China

    Qianxun Spatial Intelligence Inc., a high-precision positioning service provider, and u-blox are joining forces to deliver high-precision positioning solutions to the Chinese market.

    By coordinating their product offerings, they seek to meet growing demand for increased positioning accuracy for mass-market applications. Some of the areas driving up demand for high-precision positioning services in China are internet of things (IoT) tracking devices such as those used on shared bikes, as well as automotive, UAV and robotic vehicle applications.

    u‑blox is bringing to the partnership its high-precision GNSS receivers. Its u‑blox F9 multi-band positioning platform uses integrated real-time kinematic (RTK) technology to process the high-precision positioning correction data provided by Qianxun SI, delivering down to centimeter-level positioning accuracy for wide-ranging applications. It enables even faster and more robust performance by leveraging a greater variety of GNSS signals.

    Two major advancements have enabled sub-meter-level positioning accuracy for mass-market applications. The first is modern GNSS correction services that constantly monitor GNSS signals to determine positioning errors caused, for example, by atmospheric distortions, and wirelessly transmit correction data to compensate for these errors to millions of GNSS devices. The second is a new generation of small, power-efficient, and affordable GNSS receivers that are able to use the correction data to achieve such high levels of accuracy.

    Qianxun SI, a high-precision positioning service provider, has already laid the groundwork for the large-scale expansion of high-precision positioning in the IoT era, the company said. Based on BeiDou, which is compatible with GPS, GLONASS and Galileo, Qianxun SI’s high-precision positioning service is built on the nationwide ONE Network, composed of more than 2,000 Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) and using proprietary algorithms. It offers vehicles and other applications a range of 24/7 high-precision positioning services in most regions of the country.

    By the end of 2018, Qianxun SI’s dynamic centimeter-level service will cover the entire mainland of China, the company said.

    “We are delighted to cooperate with u-blox to provide users with high-precision positioning solutions that are user friendly and affordable,” said Jinpei Chen, CEO of Qianxun SI. “I believe our high-precision positioning technology is a key enabler of IoT development, and the cooperation with u‑blox will accelerate the go-to-market process of the technology in an extensive range of industrial and automotive market applications.”.

    “This collaboration is a genuine win-win for all involved in that it allows us to develop high-precision solutions that will foster innovation across markets,” said Thomas Seiler, CEO of u-blox. “Partnering with China’s leading GNSS correction service provider allows u-blox customers to bring cutting edge applications to the China market in the shortest possible time.”