Sierra Wireless and OriginGPS have announced a partnership to deliver the smallest integrated 2G to 4G cellular and GNSS module. They have developed a miniaturized footprint that is one third the size of other solutions and is targeted at the growing IoT devices market. They will demonstrate this solution at the 4th annual Sierra Wireless Innovation Summit, on June 14, in Paris, France.
According to ABI Research, worldwide GPS IC shipments by region will grow with a CAGR of 5.6 percent, reaching 2.3 billion by 2020. While handsets and navigation systems represent the largest segments of the GNSS market today, products that provide location-based services, such as asset and people tracking, wearables, action cameras, dash cams, and insurance telematics applications, will drive demand forward. Device manufacturers will increasingly be looking for solutions that enable a global design, reduce power and footprint, and provide high accuracy positioning data with partnerships like the one between Sierra Wireless and OriginGPS.
The reference design, which is available worldwide for free and was designed by AcalBFi, combines Sierra Wireless AirPrime HL Series embedded wireless modules with the OriginGPS Multi Spider (ORG4572) GNSS module that supports GPS and GLONASS. This design is ideal for applications that require minimal power consumption and ultra-small form factors in markets such as wearables and IoT tracking, while ensuring high performance. This combined solution provides device manufacturers with the ability to serve different regions, across 2G, 3G and 4G network technologies with a single common footprint design and an easy migration path from GPS to multi-GNSS. To reach the highest integration level and shorten the time to market, these GNSS modules are also available with an optional integrated antenna.
These AirPrime HL Series modules are the smallest embedded wireless modules (22 x 23 mm) to be completely interchangeable across 2G, 3G, 4G LTE and future LPWA technologies. This HL Series uses the CF3 form factor from Sierra Wireless, which is footprint compatible across product lines and network technologies and will remain fully interchangeable with future versions of the modules, including those for LPWA networks when they become available. LTE-M technology is expected to provide a highly efficient cellular LPWA technology option for smart metering and smart grid applications, with lower radio-frequency complexity, significantly reduced power consumption, and better in-building signal penetration.
