u-blox M10 GNSS platform

The u-blox M10 is an integrated GNSS platform for ultralow-power, high-performance positioning applications such as sport watches or asset and livestock trackers — all in a compact format and with a long battery life.

The 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 suitable for compact product designs. In sport watches, for instance, the product should ensure dynamic positioning accuracy during a run in cities, woods or under an open sky, while preserving battery life.

The device is designed to consume 12 mW in continuous tracking mode — five times less than the power consumed by previous u-blox meter-level GNSS technology — making it suitable for battery-powered applications. Its enhanced RF sensitivity also cuts the time it takes for the platform to achieve a first position fix when initialised, further reducing systemic power consumption. Switching to Super-E mode can extend battery life even more.

The platform incorporates 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 company has increased concurrent reception of satellite signals by a GNSS platform from three to four constellations and improved the power consumption level five-fold compared to previous generations while shrinking the chip size by 35%.

The first products based on the u-blox M10 positioning platform are the MAX-M10S GNSS module and the UBX-M10050 GNSS chipset. The platform will be supported by AssistNow, u-blox’s GNSS service, to accelerate positioning and improve accuracy.