Press Releases

u‑blox claims significant size and cost savings with ‘ultra small’ RPMA module

u‑blox, a global provider of wireless and positioning modules and chips, announced SARA‑S200 , one of the smallest modules for the Machine Network™, based on RPMA® (Random Phase Multiple Access), a low‑power wide‑area (LPWA) technology.

The Machine Network is a wireless network built by Ingenu, the creators of RPMA technology, exclusively for Machine‑to‑Machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. Operating in the globally license‑free 2.4 GHz ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) band, RPMA is at the heart of secure wireless networks operating in over 20 countries around the world.

u-blox has successfully ported the proven technology used in its first‑generation RPMA modules and made it 65 percent smaller. SARA‑S200 delivers significant cost and size optimisations ideal for application in the Smart Meter, Smart Building, Gas & Oil, Asset/Personnel Tracking and Agricultural industries.

As the second generation module developed by u‑blox in association with Ingenu, SARA‑S200 builds on the companies’ strategic partnership, which began in September 2016 and was quickly cemented with the introduction of u‑blox’s first module for the Machine Network, the NANO‑S100.

Andreas Thiel, executive vice president and co-founder of u‑blox, commented: “Ingenu’s patented RPMA technology offers significant advantages to a great variety of IoT applications, such as excellent in-building range and AES 128bit security encryption.

With autonomous adaptation, the Machine Network delivers interference‑free operation and the best performance and reliability in real‑world applications. By bringing the SARA‑S200 to market we can now deliver these outstanding features in the SARA footprint; our most popular form-factor.”

Measuring just 16 mm by 26 mm by 2.3 mm in a Land Grid Array (LGA) package, SARA‑S200 provides an easy migration between other u-blox form factors and cellular technologies thanks to nested design. Its low‑power design (50 µW average power consumption in sleep mode) means it can operate for 10 years or longer from a single battery.

The modules will be manufactured in ISO/TS 16949 certified facilities with guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS) and a secure design that meets NERC CIP and other industry‑mandated critical infrastructure requirements. The SARA‑S200 has been designed for industrial applications and offers an extended operating temperature of -40°C to +85°C.

John Horn, CEO of Ingenu, said: “Our strategic partnership with u‑blox is further strengthened by the introduction of SARA‑S200. It will give our partners the option of a fully compliant RPMA module with the same outstanding performance, in a significantly smaller format. The introduction of the SARA‑S200 module will help enable a new generation of IoT applications.”

u-blox and Ingenu will showcase the SARA‑S200 during Internet of Things World at the Santa Clara Convention Center, CA (May 16-18 2017). Please visit u-blox at the Ingenu booth 1704 to see the SARA-S200. The first prototypes will be available in June 2017.

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