With Unicore, BeiDou Navigates its Way to Global CES Stage

UM442 Module.

With the successful launch of newest BeiDou-3 navigation satellites, Beidou’s pace of globalization is quickening. As a provider of China’s domestic GNSS core products, Unicore Communications brought its full range of products to theConsumer Electronics Show (CES), which took place Jan. 9-12 in Las Vegas.

Unicore's exhibits are targeting intelligent drive and the internet of things (IoT).

UM442 Evaluation Kit: UM442-BOX2 evaluation box, navigation antenna x2

For intelligent drive, Unicore is showcasing its UM482 high-precision GNSS module, which is designed for high-end L3 self-driving and robots.

Unicore also is introducing a cost-effective low-power GNSS module — UM442 — which is suitable for L2 ADAS applications and community-based GNSS navigation and maps.

UM442 is a cost-efficient high-precision real-time kinematic (RTK) and heading module that can simultaneously track GPS, BDS, GLONASS and Galileo. It also supports SBAS and QZSS.

Based on high-performance data-sharing technology and the simplified operation system of the Nebulas II chip, the UGypsophila RTK algorithm dramatically optimizes matrix processing. Therefore, the UM442 can track many more satellites and shorten the initialization time to 5 seconds.

Satellite view during a UM442 road test using the UGypsophila RTK algorithm. UM442 achieves centimeter-level RTK positioning using a low-cost ceramic antenna.

With on-board MEMS and the U-Fusion integrated navigation algorithm, UM442 can achieve accurate and reliable positioning even in the most challenging environments such as urban canyons and tunnels.

UM442 also provides attitude information such as rolling angle and pitching angle, which is suitable for many new applications such as community-based navigation maps and ADAS. Even with a low-cost ceramic antenna, the UM442 can achieve centimeter-level RTK positioning, as well as a 0.2-degree/1-meter baseline heading accuracy.

At CES, Unicore plans to introduce BeiDou products into the large volume market of consumer electronics. Ufirebird is an ultra-small, ultra-low-power multi-GNSS positioning system-on-chip (SoC), using 28-nm technology. The chip supports BDS, GPS, GLONASS and Galileo signals, and the software can be extended to support WAAS/QZSS/EGNOS/MSAS/GANGAN enhanced signals.

Unicore's UFirebird-UC6226 low-power GNSS SoC is designed for mobile devices.

Two packaging methods are available: WLCSP and QFN40. For WLCSP packaging, the chip size is only 1.73 x 2.87 mm, and for QFN40 packaging, the chip is AEC-Q100 compliant, aimed for highly reliable automotive-grade applications.

UC6226 is equipped with a built-in sensor hub capable of providing access for multiple sensors for fusion positioning. It supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GNSS hybrid positioning, and better than 1-m differential positioning accuracy.

Compared with Unicore’s previous generation GNSS SoC, UC6226 has reduced power consumption by 60%. The minimum tracking power consumption is lowered to 18 mW, significantly improving battery endurance.

With a built-in anti-jamming module, LNA and -162dB sensitivity, UC6226 can maintain accurate and precise positioning under complex environments.

UC6226 has been successfully applied by China's bicycle sharing companies. In addition, the chip will be used in intelligent watches, smartphones, smart cameras and many other IoT devices requiring smaller size, lower power consumption.