RUBY-W2: u-blox's first Wi-Fi 7 module for CarPlay and Auto

According to the ‘TSR Wireless Connectivity Market Report 2024’, the attach rate of Wi-Fi for in-vehicle infotainment and telematics control unit applications will increase sharply over the next five years. Wi-Fi 7 will be a great contributor to that growth so, early access to this technology will bring a competitive advantage to OEMs.

The RUBY-W2 brings multiple benefits of Wi-Fi 7 to the automotive market, including higher throughput, support for more concurrent users, and lower latency, resulting in better network availability and user experience for various in-vehicle applications. Typical use cases span infotainment and navigation and advanced telematics. For example, RUBY-W2 is designed to deliver best-in-class personalised video, audio, and gaming performance, supporting multiple passenger screens. In addition, the module enables firmware Over-the-Air (FOTA) updates as well as high-speed data off-loading. For the driver, RUBY-W2 offers a better user experience for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as it seamlessly connects the smartphone to the built-in display over Wi-Fi.

Based on Qualcomm Technologies’ Snapdragon Auto Connectivity Platform and the QCA6797AQ, the automotive grade Wi-Fi 7 access point solution, the RUBY-W2 series supports 2x2 MIMO Multi-Link Operation (MLO). It provides simultaneous performance on 5GHz and 6GHz bands, overcoming the congestion that may occur in the 2.4GHz band. In addition to its advanced Wi-Fi capabilities, the module incorporates Bluetooth 5.4 technology with support for Bluetooth LE Audio, enabling energy-efficient, high-quality audio streaming, and robust wireless connectivity.

The RUBY-W2 series features a 23 x 23mm/23 x 25mm form factor consistent with Qualcomm Technologies’ reference design, allowing migration between technology generations. Made in Europe to the highest quality, robustness, and reliability standards, it comes with various filter and antenna combinations to suit different application needs.

“We are thrilled to start working with u-blox to integrate the most advanced Wi-Fi 7 chipsets from our Snapdragon Auto Connectivity Platform. Not only does the new u-blox wireless modules series, RUBY-W2, bring the benefits of Wi-Fi 7 to the automotive market, it also opens up new use cases for both Qualcomm Technologies and u-blox in the infotainment and telematics segments,” says Riccardo Calabro, Senior Director of Product Marketing and Sales at Qualcomm Germany.

Early samples of the RUBY-W2 series are available now.