U blox : Seeed announces two new IoT development boards using u‑blox technology

Thalwil, Switzerland - June 7, 2018 - u‑blox (SIX:UBXN), a global provider of leading positioning and wireless communication technologies, announced today that its modules will be at the core of two new developer boards. The boards, which are designed and produced by Seeed, one of China's largest distributors of microelectronic components for the international developer and maker communities, deliver cellular communication and positioning capabilities for a wide range of applications in the Internet of Things.

The first of the two development boards is a Raspberry Pi HAT designed to augment Raspberry Pi computers with cellular communication as well as cellular‑based positioning services. The board will be released in multiple variants (USA AT&T, USA Verizon, Europe) based on the u‑blox LARA‑R2 LTE Cat 1 module series.

The second board, the WIO LTE Cat M1 / NB1 tracker, provides the essential hardware to make low‑power location tracking devices for people, pets, and assets. It can be programmed using the Arduino IDE and is also Espruino (JavaScript) compatible. The board uses the u‑blox MAX‑M8Q GNSS module to determine position, integrating signals from multiple GNSS satellite constellations, and connects to the cellular network using the u‑blox SARA‑R4 LTE Cat M1 / NB1 module. Developers and businesses can customize the standalone board and have it manufactured through Seeed's services to create solutions tailored to their specific needs.

'Seeed is among the top three designers and distributers of products that target makers. Based in China's Shenzhen, also known as the 'world capital of hardware innovation,' Seeed is ideally positioned to deliver a pioneering and affordable offering to both the domestic and the global maker community,' says Michael Ammann, Senior Principal at u‑blox.

'We are pleased to collaborate with u‑blox on the development of these two IoT boards. The fact that the mobile communication networks that these new products rely on are only now being rolled out could have been an obstacle,' says Ye Xiaobo, Product Manager at Seeed. 'But thanks to good documentation and support, we are excited to give our customers the opportunity to develop new applications that benefit from the low power consumption and low‑cost data plans they need.'

About u‑blox
u‑blox (SIX:UBXN) is a global provider of leading positioning and wireless communication technologies for the automotive, industrial, and consumer markets. Their solutions let people, vehicles, and machines determine their precise position and communicate wirelessly over cellular and short range networks. With a broad portfolio of chips, modules, and a growing ecosystem of products supporting data services, u‑blox is uniquely positioned to empower its customers to develop innovative solutions for the Internet of Things, quickly and cost‑effectively. With headquarters in Thalwil, Switzerland, the company is globally present with offices in Europe, Asia, and the USA.

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u‑blox media contact:
Natacha Seitz
PR Manager
Mobile +41 76 436 0788
natacha.seitz@u-blox.com

About Seeed
Seeed is the IoT hardware enabler providing services that empower IoT developers to swiftly realize their products. By partnering with technology providers from hardware to the cloud, Seeed offers a wide array of hardware platforms and sensor modules ready to be integrated with existing IoT platforms. With Shenzhen's extensive and flexible supply chain, Seeed also offers customization and agile manufacturing services, ranging from a single unit to over 10,000 units. Seeed serves the global market from its headquarter in Shenzhen, China, with branch offices in the US and Japan.
(www.seeed.cc)

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Seeed contact:
Seth Welday, Product Marketing Manager, Seeed
E‑mail: seth.welday@seeed.cc