U-blox produces automotive-grade positioning modules

Image: GPS World

U-blox has added automotive qualified product variants to its range of positioning and cellular wireless connectivity modules: the NEO-M8Q-01A, NEO-M8L-01A, SARA-G350-02A  and LISA-U201-03A.

Manufactured according to the ISO/TS 16949 automotive supply-chain quality management standard, the modules are thoroughly tested with an extended qualification process aimed at achieving the lowest level of failure rates, u-blox said.

Leveraging the early production experience of tens of millions of professional grade modules, u-blox automotive-grade modules consistently reach excellent quality levels. With long product life-cycle characteristics, u-blox manufacturing management includes industry-recognized processes such as automotive PCN, PPAP and 8D failure reporting.

The NEO-M8Q-01A and the NEO-M8L-01A positioning modules provide concurrent reception of GPS, GLONASS, Beidou and Galileo. The NEO-M8L-01A is suited to providing 100 percent dead-reckoning positioning coverage even in areas of weak signal such as in tunnels or multi-story car parks or those experiencing poor signal quality such as caused by multipath reflections. This module is qualified to operate in the -40 to +85 degrees temperature range, and the NEO-M8Q-01 GNSS module is the first GNSS module able to operate across the extended automotive temperature range from -40 to + 105 degrees Celsius.

The SARA-G350-02A is a quad-band GSM/GPRS data and voice connectivity module that is certified for provisioning global connectivity. The LISA-U201-03A also provides global connectivity with 5 HSPA bands, with data rates up to 7.2 Mbps. Both these modules accommodate the automotive operating temperature range of -40 to + 85 degrees Celsius, have a compact footprint and consume very little power.

With these product additions, u-blox is able to supply a complete range of automotive grade connectivity and positioning modules for use in navigation systems, telematics, e-Call, road tolling and advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) applications. The recently announced V2X and Wi-Fi modules THEO, EMMY and ELLA complete this portfolio.

Samples are available in August and full production will commence in September 2016, the company says.