UBX M8230 CT delivers an efficient balance of power consumption and performance.
Super-E mode reduces power consumption to 1/3 of the previous level.

u-blox announced the launch of its UBX-M8230 CT GNSS receiver chip solution, which offers an excellent balance of performance and ultra-low power consumption.

The newly introduced Super-E (Super Efficient) mode reduces power consumption to just 20mW, one-third of conventional power consumption, while providing position updates every second with virtually no loss in accuracy. Tested in wearable and mobile electronic devices, where small antennas or user movement prevent continuous satellite signal reception, this solution consistently delivers exceptional speed and positional accuracy.

The UBX M8230 CT's Super-E mode is ideal for devices that require high speed and positional accuracy, but also have limited power. It can be used in smartwatches, sports wearables, and fitness trackers that require accurate and continuous positioning with minimal impact on battery life, as well as asset trackers and devices for tracking people, children, and pets.

Florian Bousquet, Market Development Manager at u-blox, said of the product: “Wearable devices require constant location tracking, which inevitably drains battery life. This is why GNSS integration in these devices has been limited until now. “The UBX-M8230-CT not only features highly accurate positioning capabilities and low power consumption, but also has an ultra-small size of less than 30 mm2, making GNSS capabilities available to virtually any wearable,” he explains.

He continued, “The UBX-M8230-CT’s Super-E mode allows it to receive and use GPS, as well as either GLONASS or BeiDou simultaneously. This mode allows location data to be processed temporarily on the chip, eliminating the need for the main CPU to be constantly running, significantly reducing the system’s power consumption.”

The small size and exceptional power savings offered by the UBX-M8230-CT enable product designers to add market-demanding features, such as heart rate monitoring, while maintaining precise position tracking and speed accuracy.

u-blox will be providing a live demonstration of the UBX-M8230-CT, and further information will be available at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, from now until March 2nd, in meeting room 2C3MR. Samples are scheduled for March 2017, with full production scheduled for summer 2017.