u‑blox has introduced a new ultra‑robust meter‑level GNSS positioning technology platform, the M9, designed for demanding UAV applications.
Thanks to its high performance GNSS chip, UBX‑M9140, the M9 technology platform and the NEO‑M9N, the first module based on the platform, can receive signals from up to four GNSS constellations (GPS, Glonass, Beidou, and Galileo) concurrently, in order to achieve high positional accuracy even in difficult conditions such as deep urban canyons. The u‑blox M9 offers a position update rate of up to 25 Hz, enabling dynamic applications like UAVs to receive position information with low latency.
The u‑blox M9 also features a special filtering against RF interference and jamming, spoofing detection, and advanced detection algorithms that enable it to report fraudulent attacks quickly so that users’ systems can react to them in a timely fashion. A SAW (surface acoustic wave) filter combined with an LNA (low noise amplifier) in the RF path is integrated in the NEO‑M9N module. This setup guarantees normal operations even under strong RF interferences, for example when a cellular modem is co‑located with the NEO‑M9N.
“We’ve developed the u‑blox M9 as a follow‑on from our very successful u‑blox M8 GNSS platform, offering even more robust meter‑level positioning technology and security features to protect the integrity of applications in the automotive, telematics, and UAV markets,” says Bernd Heidtmann, Product Manager, Product Strategy GNSS, Product Center Positioning, at u‑blox.
Users of the u‑blox M9 will therefore benefit from it being part of the wider u‑blox product family, which means that developers will be able to design a single PCB and then migrate to a different positioning technology, such as dead reckoning augmenting GNSS technology, with very little change to the board design.
u‑blox is supporting the introduction of the u‑blox M9 by releasing the Explorer Kit M9 (XPLR‑M9), a development board for designers who want to assess the technology. The miniature plug‑and‑play device is supplied with user‑friendly u‑start software, which includes a number of preset scenarios to enable users to explore the performance of the new device.
The u‑blox M9 technology platform complies with the ISO/TS 16949, ISO 16750, AEC‑Q100 standards. Engineering samples of the NEO‑M9N, the first module based on the M9 platform, the UBX‑M9140 high performance chip, and the Explorer Kit are available now.
