u-blox SARA 3G module, industry's smallest, wins Product of the Year award

THALWIL, Switzerland, July 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Swiss u-blox, a global leader in wireless and positioning modules and integrated circuits for the industrial, automotive and consumer markets, has been honored by M2M Evolution magazine with 'Product of the Year' award for its SARA-U2 UMTS/HSPA module series. The modules are the industry's smallest surface mount UMTS/HSPA cellular modems, ideal for a wide range of industrial M2M, vehicle and consumer applications. The new SARA product line is available either as a 3G only version, or with 2G fall-back capability.

Applications include connected navigation systems, mobile-internet devices, security and surveillance systems, eCall, fleet management, metering, anti-theft and usage-based insurance systems, and battery driven handheld applications.

"The solutions selected for the M2M Evolution Product of Year Awards reflect the diverse range of innovation driving the machine to machine market today. It is my honor to congratulate u-blox for their innovative work and superior contribution to the rapidly evolving M2M industry, and I look forward to seeing more innovative M2M and IoT solutions from u-blox in the future," said Carl Ford, CEO of Crossfire Media, a co-publisher of M2M Evolution Magazine.

"We are extremely proud to receive this award from M2M Evolution. Our SARA-U2 allows the creation of ultra-compact 3G M2M solutions at price points unthinkable before. The 2G fall-back option makes it the ideal choice for systems that must deliver maximum coverage," said Thomas Seiler, u-blox CEO. "u-blox now provides the industry's most comprehensive, cross-compatible selection of cellular modems supporting all mobile standards, a significant achievement recognized by this award."

SARA-U2 UMTS/HSPA modules provide efficient and cost-effective high-speed mobile connectivity in an ultra-small 16 x 26 mm LGA form factor. Two of the four variants, the SARA-U260 and SARA-U270, provide GSM/GPRS fallback while SARA-U280 and SARA-U290 are cost-efficient 3G-only variants. The modules are pin-compatible with SARA-G3 GSM/GPRS modules, as well as layout compatible with LISA-C2 CDMA and TOBY-L1 LTE modules to support future-proof 4G designs.

All SARA modules share the exact same form-factor and footprint, and are designed to support u-blox' "Nested Design" philosophy which enables modems to be swapped on the same printed circuit board across the entire range of u‑blox 2G, 3G and 4G cellular modems.

SARA provides a perfect solution to a wide range of M2M applications requiring UMTS/HSPA, GSM/GPRS, voice and/or data, plus Internet suite (embedded TCP/IP, UDP/IP, HTTP and FTP). In-band modem support for eCall and ERA GLONASS vehicle emergency call applications is also provided. Extremely low power consumption makes SARA perfect for battery powered communication applications.

The SARA Land Grid Array (LGA) form factor enables extremely compact designs and supports A-GPS for accelerated positioning used in telematics devices. It also supports u-blox' unique CellLocate^® hybrid positioning technology to facilitate advanced location-aware systems requiring reliable indoor positioning.

RIL software for Android and Embedded Windows is available free of charge.

Click here for a high resolution image of the u.-blox SARA-U2 3G module. Visit www.u-blox.com for more information.

About u-blox

Swiss-based u-blox (SIX:UBXN) is a leading provider of wireless and positioning semiconductors and modules for the automotive, industrial and consumer markets. Our solutions enable people, vehicles and machines to locate their exact position and wirelessly communicate via voice, text or video. With a broad portfolio of chips, modules and software solutions, u-blox is uniquely positioned to allow OEMs to develop innovative solutions that enable mobility quickly and cost-effectively. With headquarters in Thalwil, Switzerland, u blox is globally present with offices in Europe, Asia and the USA.(www.u-blox.com) 

SOURCE u-blox