NXP Semiconductors chooses u-blox

u-blox, a provider of positioning and wireless communication technologies and services, announced that NXP Semiconductors has chosen to integrate u-blox positioning and wireless communications modules in their new OrangeBox connectivity domain controller (CDC) development platform.

Modern automobiles use a variety of wireless technologies to deliver key driver features including infotainment and advanced safety functionalities. OrangeBox simplifies in-car architectures by unifying current and emerging wireless interfaces into a single, security-enhanced connectivity domain controller.

The OrangeBox solution leverages the u-blox JODY-W3 module to provide Wi-Fi 6 and dual-mode Bluetooth 5.3 technologies, and the ZED-F9K GNSS receiver to deliver decimetre-level positioning accuracy.

The integration of both u-blox JODY-W3 and ZED-F9K products demonstrates the solid business relationship between NXP and u-blox (u-blox is an NXP Gold Partner), and recognises the strength of u-blox technology in the automotive market.

“With the introduction of the OrangeBox connectivity domain controller development platform, NXP is providing a comprehensive and secure consolidation of automotive wireless technologies for tomorrow’s software-defined vehicle architecture,” said Jeff James, Senior Director of Marketing, Connected Automotive Product Line, NXP Semiconductors.  “NPX selected u-blox, an NXP Gold Partner, to provide both their JODY-W3 Wi-Fi 6 module using NXP’s 88Q9098 / AW690 Wi-Fi 6 chipsets, and the GNSS technology for this platform.”

JODY-W3 offers IEEE 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6). The module also provides dual-mode Bluetooth 5.3, and targets the automotive market, both first mount in vehicles and aftermarket telematics.

JODY-W3 supports a wide spectrum of automotive use cases, including enhanced in-car infotainment, with ultra-HD video streaming on multiple displays, screen mirroring, and wireless back-up cameras. Wi-Fi 6 also supports Over-the-Air (OTA) software and firmware upgrades, even in dense deployment scenarios and challenging environments, such as underground car parks.

The ZED-F9K (GNSS) module is a high-precision positioning solution with embedded RTK and IMU sensors.

A solution for ADAS, V2X, and augmented reality navigation, the module delivers decimetre level accuracy for automotive mass market applications when complemented with augmentation services. With integrated RTK and IMU sensors, the ZED-F9K is ready to use together with the u-blox ANN-MB antenna and a correction service for fast performance evaluation. The module’s multi-band receiver regains lock to maximise availability of accurate positioning.