High precision positioning

The market for scalable, high precision positioning technology is proliferating. The automotive sector, with next-generation ADAS and V2X applications, and robotics, including UAVs and robotic lawnmowers, require tailored high precision positioning solutions to meet their specific needs.

As these sectors demand customized high-precision solutions, u-blox considers complexity, size, power, and cost constraints to provide the most optimal solutions for current and future needs.

What is high precision positioning?

High precision positioning results from combining Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as GPS, Galileo, and BeiDou, with Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) technology. High precision GNSS solutions consist of several key components:

• GNSS satellite signals from multiple constellations
• A high-quality GNSS antenna
• The RTK algorithm
• GNSS correction data

High precision GNSS antennas. The GNSS antenna is critical to achieving GNSS accuracy. Factors such as efficiency, bandwidth, radiation pattern, gain, and polarization determine the antenna’s performance. For more information on GNSS antennas, read our use case.

RTK. A technique that uses the receiver’s measurements of the phase of the satellite signal’s carrier wave. Combined with local or virtual base station corrections, these measurements enable the receiver to resolve carrier ambiguities and provide centimeter-level accurate position information to the end user, typically a moving device called a rover.

Correction services. High-quality GNSS corrections can significantly improve the accuracy and integrity of GNSS. These data streams, transmitted wirelessly to the rover, contain real-time information about GNSS signal errors, enhancing receiver performance precision and enabling positioning accuracies down to the centimeter or below. Learn more about correction services here.

In addition to the high precision positioning components mentioned above, dead reckoning is a value-added feature that plays a significant role in achieving reliable performance, especially in urban environments. 

High-precision solutions deliver centimeter to sub-meter GNSS accuracy in seconds to minutes, depending on component selection, configuration options, and correction data inputs.

High precision GNSS solution types

There are different types of high-precision solutions based on the correction data input they rely on:

High Precision GNSS with u-blox receiver modules

Our advanced GNSS modules, equipped with comprehensive hardware components, integrated RTK algorithms and features, functional configurability, and characterized by high integration and precision, form the core of the high-precision GNSS solution. 

The combination of satellite signal receivers with embedded RTK algorithms, various value-added features, and open interfaces enables easy and efficient integration with communication and correction services. This integration is facilitated by:

• Direct parsing of raw communication data specific to the protocols in use, such as the SPARTN protocol in the F9 platform, which allows for seamless data interpretation and communication.
• Cryptographic methods that secure communications, ensuring data integrity and protection against unauthorized access.
• The use of open standards instead of proprietary protocols, which promotes compatibility and flexibility.

Furthermore, open, industry-standard hardware and software interfaces provide unmatched ease of use, flexibility, and upgradability. Our modules are firmware-upgradable, allowing system integrators to ensure proper maintenance, enhancements, and security updates for industrial applications, which often have long lifecycles in the field.

F9 platform

Drawing on our extensive expertise in GNSS positioning technologies – including dead reckoning, multi-band, RTK, and GNSS correction services – we have developed the u-blox F9 platform.

So far, F9 has been a highly successful dual-band receiver platform. It natively parses PPP-RTK messages in an open format, which can be delivered via satellite constellations or internet protocol (IP) networks. This process has enabled fast convergence times and precise accuracy, particularly in comparison to PPP services. The platform has provided scalable GNSS high-precision technology for many years, paving the way for new navigation applications such as automated driving and various machine automation applications.

To learn more, see:  

• ZED-F9P module
• ZED-F9K module

X20 platform 

Leveraging u-blox's custom silicon expertise, the X20 platform delivers exceptional performance in radio frequency processing, digital signal processing, and computational power. Its innovative algorithms yield groundbreaking results in accuracy, resilience, availability, data security, and update rate.

Our all-band receivers, built on the X20 platform, can simultaneously receive more signals from each satellite, ensuring maximum performance. Additionally, the integrated L-band receiver provides secure access to value-added services from communication satellites.

In conjunction with RTK or local base stations, all-band receivers achieve centimeter-level accuracy within seconds. Paired with continental PPP-RTK services, they provide decimeter-level accuracy in under a minute. Even in remote areas, global PPP services ensure consistent performance worldwide.

The X20 platform offers unmatched performance and long-term reliability, delivering the highest possible accuracy regardless of location. With unprecedented operational flexibility, it adapts to a wide range of environments and services, including industrial, automotive, and communication markets.

Key benefits of u-blox High Precision GNSS technology:

• Centimeter-level accuracy in seconds
• Paves the way for high-precision navigation and unmanned vehicles
• Easy access to RTK, multi-band, and multi-constellation technology for fast time-to-market
• Compatible with leading correction services for global coverage and flexibility
• Dead reckoning option for reliable performance in urban environments
• Advanced jamming and spoofing detection for maximum peace of mind

To learn more, see:

• How scalable high precision GPS is resetting expectations in five markets
• u-blox F9: Taking GNSS precision to the next level
• Achieving Centimeter-Level Performance with Low Cost Antennas - White Paper
• View Webinar: Centimeter level precise position with RTK technology
• Automotive Dead Reckoning Technology
• Precision Timing and Reference Frequency

Applications

High precision positioning for autonomous driving

Vehicles with different levels of autonomy must determine their position relative to their surroundings within centimeters. This is critical for optimal maneuvering in different situations.

The accuracy of positioning functions relies on multiple inputs, including cameras, radars, HD-MAPs, IMU, GNSS, and other technologies. GNSS stands out as the sole technology offering absolute positioning down to centimeters. This feature makes it an indispensable tool for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).

By using GNSS absolute positioning, vehicles can decide whether to activate specific ADAS functions without compromising passenger safety. GNSS is an effective complementary sensor in the localization process due to its robustness to environmental disturbances. This capability becomes particularly valuable in meeting safety objectives for deploying highly automated driving solutions that must comply with standards such as:

• Functional Safety (ISO 26260)
• Safety of the Intended Functionality (SOTIF) (ISO 21448)
• Protection Level (a measure of integrity)

From our family of high precision positioning products, the A9 functional safe GNSS chip, tailored for ADAS applications up to 105 °C, enables lane identification.