IoT and embedded applications are seeing a substantially increased need for reliable and accurate location. Every connected thing, from smart watches to autonomous vehicles is reliant on positioning information. The needs of these use cases are being addressed by global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), access to which is becoming more affordable and available to meet the needs of established and emerging use cases.
GNSS describes any satellite constellation that provides global positioning, navigation and timing services, with performance assessed according to accuracy, integrity, continuity and availability. Annual shipments of GNSS devices are set to rise to meet growing demand and to enable exciting new use cases. According to recent research from EUSPA, this will see an increase in sales volume from 1,6 billion units in 2023 to 2,2 billion units in 20331.
By 2033, the organisation estimates that GNSS global revenues are expected to reach €580 billion, with services enabled by GNSS devices generating more than 80% of total GNSS revenues. The organisation says there are two dominating segments: consumer devices and road and automotive deployments, accounting together for the majority of the shipments by 2033. While the market is becoming mature, the volume of GNSS devices installed worldwide will continue to grow. In particular, the installed base of GNSS devices is forecast to reach almost nine billion units by 2033.
As GNSS adoption grows, device manufacturers must balance the trade-offs between power, accuracy, size and cost.
Single or dual band GNSS?
As GNSS adoption expands across IoT and embedded systems, developers are increasingly required to optimise their devices for size, power and cost – often under tight constraints. While high-performance GNSS implementations are achievable with few limitations, most real-world applications must balance power consumption, form factor and accuracy requirements.
Dual-band GNSS receivers that support both the L1 and L5 frequency bands can offer improved performance over single-band L1 receivers. Benefits include enhanced accuracy, better multi-path mitigation and stronger resilience against jamming and interference.
In ideal open-sky conditions, single-band L1 receivers typically deliver positioning accuracy of around 2–3 meters, whereas dual-band L1+L5 systems can achieve sub-1-meter accuracy – when assisted by augmentation systems and optimised antennas. However, the actual improvement depends on the environment, antenna quality and software integration.
While L1-only GNSS remains the most widely adopted due to its simplicity, compact antenna requirements and lower cost, dual-band solutions are gaining momentum in applications that demand greater robustness, such as asset tracking in dense urban areas, drones or industrial IoT.
The benefits and trade-offs
Typically, multi-band GNSS, which offer bands such as L1 and L5, enable reliable accuracy through better multi-path mitigation and stronger resilience against jamming and interference. These benefits make dual-band GNSS attractive for mission-critical or urban-deployment use cases.
However, multi-band comes with trade-offs. Dual-band chipsets typically cost 50–100% more than single-band equivalents, which can be prohibitive in cost-sensitive designs. The required antennas are also more complex, often larger or active, impacting space and power budgets. The GNSS chipset and active antenna could draw two-to-three times more power compared with a single-band solution, which may be a concern in energy-limited or battery-powered devices.
What is low power GNSS?
Low power GNSS refers to receivers designed specifically for energy-efficient operation in power-constrained devices such as wearables, trackers, and portable sensors. These receivers typically consume less energy by using optimised hardware, simplified functionality, and efficient signal processing algorithms. While they may offer slightly reduced performance compared to high-precision or multi-band GNSS receivers, they are well-suited to applications where meter-level accuracy is sufficient.
Power consumption among GNSS receivers can vary significantly depending on use case, chipset architecture, the number of supported constellations and frequency bands, tracking channel count, and system-level factors such as antenna type and firmware behaviour.
Application requirements, such as update rate, time-to-first-fix (TTFF), and positioning accuracy also directly influence energy usage. Developers should carefully consider these trade-offs and evaluate vendor performance, both in hardware and software, to ensure the device remains within its energy budget while delivering the required location performance.
The Quectel LS550G low-power GNSS module
The Quectel LS550G GNSS module is designed for low power GNSS use cases and supports the concurrent reception of GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS and QZSS constellations. The SIP (System-in-Package) technology significantly reduces the module package size, achieving an ultra-compact form factor of
Compared with single constellation receivers, the multi-constellation system on the LS550G increases the number of visible satellites, reduces the TTFF, and improves positioning accuracy, especially in dense urban canyons. The integrated LNA delivers high sensitivity, facilitates high accuracy positioning, enables fast signal tracking and acquisition, and enhances module performance even in challenging environments. The module weighs 0,07 g and operates in the -30 to 85°C temperature range.
The Quectel LC79H and LC29H dual-band modules
The Quectel LC79H is a series of dual-band GNSS modules that supports concurrent reception of GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS and QZSS signals by default. With the integrated AGNSS function and the ability to receive SBAS broadcast signals, the LC79H provides fast TTFF and an accurate high-performance, high-reliability positioning performance. Compared with GNSS modules that track only L1 signals, the LC79H can receive and track all global satellite signals on both L1 and L5 bands concurrently, thereby significantly mitigating the multipath effect in deep urban canyons and thus improving positioning accuracy.
The embedded LNA and SAW filter allows for direct connection to onboard patch antennas for low-cost low-power designs. The module weighs 0,5 g, has dimensions of
The Quectel LC29H is another series of dual-band, multi-constellation GNSS modules that supports the concurrent reception of all four global GNSS constellations, thereby significantly mitigating the multipath effect in deep urban canyons and improving positioning accuracy. By having an internal LNA and SAW filter, the module achieves better sensitivity and anti-interference capability.
Featuring dual frequency support, the module delivers CEP accuracy values of 1 metre in autonomous mode and centimetre levels in the RTK capable variants. The optional dead reckoning function ensures the module’s superior positioning performance even in weak signal areas or when GNSS signals are not available.
As a comprehensive IoT solutions provider, Quectel offers not only high-quality GNSS modules, but also a wide range of antennas tailored to diverse size and power requirements. In addition, Quectel provides expert design review services to help identify and mitigate RF performance issues and interference risks early in the development process.
Quectel’s goal is to support developers in navigating the complexities of GNSS integration, enabling the creation of optimised devices that seamlessly combine advanced communication capabilities with precise positioning.
1 https://www.euspa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/euspa_market_report_2024.pdf
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