ublox News - Page 2 of 3 - CNX Software

July 16, 2021July 16, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - Comments Off

NXP i.MX 8 SoMs and SBC get WiFi 6 upgrade via u-Blox JODY-W3 module

We’ve just written about a WiFi 6 M.2 card based on JODY-W3 module that works with NXP i.MX 8 evaluation and development kit. But the u-Blox module appears to be the solution of choice for other NXP i.MX 8 platforms, as well as iWave Systems upgraded their existing systems-on-module and one single board computer with JODY-W3 adding WiFi 6 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.1. iW-Rainbow-G27S SBC with WiFi 6 We first covered iW-Rainbow-G27S single board computer in January 2020. The board comes with NXP i.MX 8QuadMax hexa-core Cortex-A72/A53 processor, up to 8GB RAM, quad display support via HDMI, eDP & MIPI DSI, dual Gigabit Ethernet, and more. At the time, the board was offered with optional 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi 5 + Bluetooth 5.0, but now adds 802.11ax WiFi 6 connectivity for higher bandwidth applications. iW-RainboW-G27M SMARC and QSeven modules get 802.11ax & Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity iWave Systems iW-RainboW-G27M was introduced as […]

July 8, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

u-blox introduces WiFI 5/6 & Bluetooth 5 M.2 cards

u-blox is well known for its wireless modules be it WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, or cellular connectivity that are soldered unto CPU modules or boards. But the company has now introduced two M.2 cards with WiFi 5 or WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.x that work with NXP i.MX evaluation and development boards. M2-JODY-W2 M.2 card The M2-JODY-W2 card comes with the following features: Connectivity Wi-Fi 5 1×1 SISO IEEE 802.11ac data rates up to 433 Mbit/s (PHY, MCS9), beamforming Supports 802.11d/e/h (DFS)/i/k/r/u/v/w/ai Wi-Fi 20, 40, and 80 MHz channels Bluetooth BR/EDR and Bluetooth low energy v5.0 supporting 2 Mbit/s Access point mode for up to 8 stations 2x u.FL antenna connectors Host interfaces SDIO & UART host interfaces PCM interface for Bluetooth audio Security Hardware encryption engines: AES and TKIP WPA, WAPI, WPA2, WPA3, WPS, and Easy Connect Dimensions – M.2 Type 2230 Key E form factor Certifications – Chipset is […]

May 17, 2021May 17, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect WiFi & Bluetooth board launched for $25.50

Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect without headers

The Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect board was announced the day of Raspberry Pi Pico launch as one of the third-party boards featuring Raspberry Pi RP2040 dual-core Cortex-M0+ microcontroller. At the time all we had was renders of the board, later on, the company showcased some mass product photos, and then released Arduino Core mbed 2.0 for the board last month. But it’s only today that it has become possible to purchase Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect board for $25.50 on Arduino store with headers. Nano RP2040 Connect specifications: MCU – Raspberry Pi RP2040 dual-core Cortex M0+ microcontroller @ 133 MHz with 264 kB of embedded SRAM Storage – 16MB Flash IC (AT25SF128A) Connectivity – WiFi 4 & Bluetooth LE via Nina W102 uBlox module (Yes, that’s an ESP32 module.) USB – Micro USB port I/Os via 2x 15-pin headers (through and castellated holes) 20x digital I/O pins, 20x PWM pins, 20x […]

July 18, 2020July 18, 2020 by Ayo Ayibiowu - No Comments

Sparkfun Launches the ZED-F9R GPS Dead Reckoning Raspberry Pi pHAT for Mobile Robots

The SparkFun ZED-F9R GPS pHAT module is targeted at single board computers like the Raspberry Pi, Jetson Nano, and other boards with the 2 x 20mm header form factor supporting the GPS RTK (Real-time kinematic) capable of centimeter-level accuracy. Dead Reckoning in robotics allows one to calculate one’s position by using a previously known location or landmarks. Dead Reckoning is an essential aspect of robot navigation, especially Autonomous vehicles like mobile robots or UAVs. For dead Reckoning to be realistic and minimize the position uncertainty, it usually requires the fusion of position estimation sources like Lidar, Radar, IMU, Odometry, GNSS, accelerometer, and some others. Sparkfun understands this and has launched the Dead Reckoning add-on module that can be used for applications in mobile robots, UAVs, and others. The Sparkfun ZED-F9R GPS pHAT is an exciting sensor fusion board (having been a fan of Extended Kalmar Filter) that provides accurate and […]

February 21, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

u-Blox Launches JODY-W3 WiFi 6 & Bluetooth 5.1 Module for Automotive Applications

u‑blox has just launched JODY-W3 wireless module which the company claims to be the first automotive-grade WiFi 6 module. Apart from supporting 802.11ax WiFi with 2×2 MIMO, the module also comes with dual-mode Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity. WiFi 6 will be used for applications demanding higher bitrates such as ultra‑HD video infotainment streaming and screen mirroring, wireless back‑up cameras and cloud connectivity as well as vehicle systems maintenance and diagnostics. Bluetooth 5.1 will be used for keyless entry systems and other applications leveraging direction-finding and the longer range offered by the latest version of Bluetooth. JODY-W3 module specifications: Connectivity Dual-band 802.11ac WiFI 5 and 802.11ax WiFI 6 with 2×2 MIMO support, WPA3 security Bluetooth 5.1 Classic and Low Energy; HCI profile Antennas JODY-W374 variant – 2x antenna pins for separate Bluetooth and Wi-Fi external antennas JODY-W377 variant – 2x antenna pins for Wi-Fi and one antenna pin for Bluetooth external antennas […]

February 25, 2018February 25, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

SODAQ SARA is an Arduino Compatible Cellular IoT Board with LTE-M, NB-IoT, and GNSS (Crowdfunding)

There really seems to be a push for cellular IoT those days, with new hardware coming up every week. Following up on their NB-IoT shield for Arduino last year, SODAQ has now launched two versions of SARA boards based on u-blox SARA LTE-IoT modules, and u-blox M8Q GPS/GNSS module. Both boards are Arduino compatible thanks to a Microchip SAMD21 MCU, and while u-blox SARA board follows the Arduino form factor, u-box SARA SFF is much more compact (50×25.4 mm) and potentially easier to integrate into a project or product. Another pretty unique feature (AFAICT) is that you can power the board directly with a solar panel. u-blox SARA board specifications: Wireless module (three options) with external antenna: SARA-N211 NB-IoT, band 8 and 20, for the European and African market SARA-R410M Dual mode LTE-M and NB-IoT module for all global bands SARA-R412M Triple mode module with LTE-M, NB-IoT and 2G for […]

February 14, 2018February 14, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Particle Unveils Three nRF52840 Bluetooth 5 Boards: Argon (WiFi), Boron (LTE), and Xenon, as well as Particle Mesh Technology

In the last year or so, Bluetooth has gotten an upgrade with the release of Bluetooth 5. The new protocol works on several existing platforms, but if you want support for the full set of Bluetooth 5 features such as longer range and higher bandwidth, we’ve seen you need a recent chip such as Nordic Semi nRF52840. However so far, AFAIK you had to buy Nordic Semi own development kit for play with nRF52840, and now Particle has announced not one, but three low cost development boards powered by nRF52840 chip starting at just $9, and supporting their newly announced Particle Mesh technology. So for some reasons, it appears they did not go with Bluetooth Mesh. Particle Xenon – Bluetooth 5 + Mesh Xenon is the cheapest model with the following specifications: SoC – Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 Arm Cortex-M4F 32-bit processor @ 64MHz with 1MB flash, 256KB RAM Storage – […]

October 4, 2017October 4, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

U-Blox announces NINA-B3 Bluetooth 5 Wireless MCU Modules

Bluetooth 5 promises to quadrupling the range and double the bandwidth of Bluetooth LE connection. However, we’ve seen not all Bluetooth 5 solutions will provide all features in a comparison between Nordic Semi nRF52840 vs nRF52832 vs nRF52810 Bluetooth 5 ready SoCs, as while all three platforms will handle the higher bandwidth just fine, only the nRF52840 will extend the range up to 4 times. That’s why you want want to make sure you get recent hardware capable of fully handling Bluetooth 5, and U-blox has just announced NINA-B3 Bluetooth 5 module series, based on nRF52840 SoC, that will both provide longer range and higher bandwidth. U-blox NINA-B3 module comes in two family flavors: NINA‑B31, comes pre‑flashed with u‑blox’s Connectivity Software, eliminating the need for embedded programming. Support for AT command set, and u-Blox low energy serial port service NINA‑B30 using nRF52840’s ARM Cortex-M4F as an “Open CPU” that allows […]