California-based Lantronix, a provider of secure turnkey products for intelligent IT and IoT, has launched its PNT series of GNSS receiver modules.

The embedded modules are said to provide an easy-to-use, cost-effective way to add GNSS functionality to products.

The modules are appropriate for use in consumer products, including people, pet and asset tracking devices as well as agriculture asset monitoring and commercial products, such as drones, toll road charging, fleet management, maritime, rail, critical infrastructure, utilities and other applications.

“With the addition of the GNSS receiver modules, Lantronix is expanding its embedded IoT family to meet the growing demand for GNSS capabilities in a wide range of essential, often critical, consumer and commercial applications,” said Brian Jaroszewski, lead product line manager at Lantronix. “Adding positioning and tracking, navigation and timing capabilities supports essential processes in many industries, empowering our customers to propel our world forward with enhanced safety, security and the increased ability to more effectively and remotely manage people, places and things.”

According to the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), by 2031 more than ten billion GNSS devices will be in use across the world. The dominant role is set aside for the mass market segments of consumer, tourism and health, which will contribute to 92 per cent of all devices in use. The global GNSS downstream market revenues, covering device sales and service-related revenues, is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.2 per cent over the next decade, reaching $486bn by 2031.

There are two models – PNT-SG3FS and PNT-SG4FM.

Available now, the PNT-SG3FS flash-based module is for simultaneous tracking of multiple constellations. The standalone module integrates a Teseo III receiver from ST Microelectronics. The single-frequency receiver can track up to 32 satellite signals in view across GPS L1C/A, Beidou B1, Galileo E1B/C, Glonass L1OF, SBAS L1C/A (Waas, Egnos, MSas and Gagan) and QZSS L1C/A bands.

Coming soon, the pin-compatible multi-frequency PNT-SG4FM adds support for GPS and QZSS L5C, Beidou B2a and Galileo E5a bands.

The PNT-SG3FS supports differential GPS (DGPS) data according to RTCM 10402.3 for improving location accuracy. The module can output measurement data (carrier phase) supporting PPP-RTK host algorithms for precise positioning applications with a custom firmware and supports 1.8 or 3.3V power supply domains.

Assisted GNSS algorithms support extended ephemeris data using local autonomous or server-assisted based options for fast time to first fix (TTFF) operation.

The module provides a high stability pulse-per-second (PPS) output for time-synchronisation for electricity transmission, telecom networks operation and timestamping of financial transactions as well as application uses in utility systems, scientific applications, IoT, and broadcast and datacom networks.

The PNT-SG3FS integrates 16Mbyte flash memory that supports data logging, geofencing, odometer, five-day autonomous assisted GNSS and firmware updates. Integrated is a temperature-compensated crystal oscillator (TXCO) for navigation performance and stability. Also included is a real-time clock (RTC) oscillator with a clock-trimming feature to compensate for the accuracy of the 32.768kHz crystal in timing applications.

The PNT-SG4FM is a pin-compatible flash-based module for multi-frequency GNSS deployments. It is ready for IRNSS using a custom firmware build, and relies solely on server-assisted based assisted GNSS. In addition, it has a built-in LNA and SAW filter and features short and open circuit detection functions for antenna status.