Swiss positioning technology company u-blox has unveiled its new F11 GNSS platform, a dual band L1 and L5 positioning solution engineered to dramatically reduce power consumption while maintaining reliable meter level accuracy across a wide range of environments.
The new platform targets battery powered devices such as trackers, wearables, telematics modules and IoT sensors where energy efficiency is critical. According to the company, the F11 architecture can operate with typical power consumption as low as 7 milliwatts when running in its LEAP mode, short for Low Energy Accurate Positioning.
That level of efficiency represents a significant improvement compared with previous generations of standard precision GNSS receivers and could allow many tracking devices to operate for years on a single battery depending on duty cycle and reporting frequency.
Dual Band L1 and L5 GNSS Improves Accuracy in Urban and Difficult Signal Conditions
One of the key technical characteristics of the new platform is its support for dual frequency GNSS reception using both L1 and L5 signals. The use of multiple frequencies helps reduce positioning errors caused by atmospheric distortion and multipath reflections that commonly occur in dense urban environments.
However, instead of running dual band processing continuously, the F11 platform introduces a situationally aware architecture that activates L1 and L5 together only when necessary to maintain reliable positioning performance. Under simpler signal conditions the system can operate in a lower power configuration.
This adaptive approach allows the receiver to maintain robust location confidence while reducing unnecessary energy consumption.
According to u-blox, the architecture delivers several measurable improvements compared with previous generation designs:
- up to 40 percent lower power consumption during signal acquisition;
- up to 30 percent lower power consumption during continuous tracking;
- up to 30 percent improvement in positioning accuracy in challenging signal environments.
For applications where battery life is critical, the platform also improves time to first fix performance. Faster acquisition reduces the amount of time the GNSS receiver must remain active, which significantly extends operational lifetime in periodic tracking systems.
Platform Architecture Built for High Volume OEM Tracking and IoT Products
Beyond power efficiency, the F11 platform was designed with product scalability in mind. The hardware supports both single band and dual band configurations within the same footprint, enabling manufacturers to create multiple product tiers using the same board layout.
This approach is particularly valuable for high volume consumer electronics and telematics devices where reducing design complexity directly impacts production cost.
Target application segments:
- Asset and fleet tracking devices.
- Wearable fitness and consumer electronics.
- Aftermarket vehicle telematics systems.
- Livestock monitoring tags.
- Personal safety and pet tracking devices.
- Industrial IoT sensors.
- Micromobility platforms such as scooters and shared bikes.
- Consumer drones and action cameras.
In these markets, GNSS receivers must balance accuracy, reliability, cost and battery consumption. The F11 platform focuses on real world positioning performance rather than raw specification numbers, which can simplify system design for OEM manufacturers.
Embedded World 2026 Debut and Product Availability Timeline
u-blox is presenting the new platform publicly at Embedded World 2026, one of the major international exhibitions focused on embedded systems and electronics.
Commercial products based on the F11 platform are expected to become available toward the end of June 2026, allowing device manufacturers to begin integrating the technology into next generation tracking and wearable products later in the year.
About u-blox
u-blox is a Swiss technology company specializing in positioning and wireless communication semiconductors and modules. Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Thalwil, Switzerland, the company develops GNSS chips, cellular modules and short range communication technologies used in automotive, industrial IoT, consumer electronics and precision positioning systems.
u-blox technology is used by thousands of device manufacturers worldwide. The company employs more than 1,300 people globally and serves customers across automotive, industrial, infrastructure and consumer markets with positioning solutions ranging from meter level navigation receivers to high precision centimeter level GNSS modules.
