While visiting The Things Conference Amsterdam, the ipXchange team stopped by a booth making a bold statement: “Redefining the connected edge.”
That company was Qualinx, and their engineers are taking a fresh approach to how GNSS and IoT connectivity systems are designed. Their latest prototype combines a GNSS receiver and IoT node that’s both power-optimised and reconfigurable, based on a design philosophy they call Digital RF.
From Analogue Front Ends to Digital Flexibility
Most GNSS modules still rely on traditional analogue RF chains — filters, mixers, and amplifiers that each add noise, limit flexibility, and consume static power. Changing frequency bands or adjusting performance typically means redesigning the hardware itself.
Qualinx’s Digital RF (DRF) approach changes that. By converting the incoming signal to digital much earlier in the chain, the company replaces several fixed analogue stages with configurable digital logic.
This allows engineers to adjust bandwidth, gain, and frequency characteristics in software, creating a more flexible platform for low-power IoT designs that need to adapt dynamically to different regions or use cases.
“We move from analogue to digital earlier in the pipeline than usual,” explained Arthur from Qualinx.
“That’s where we gain both efficiency and the flexibility to shape the chip to any bandwidth or application.”
Efficiency Through Architecture
Rather than focusing on one low-power trick, Qualinx has rethought the signal chain itself. By reducing analogue losses in filtering, mixing, and gain stages, their design cuts total power consumption while maintaining sensitivity.
Because the system operates primarily in the digital domain, it can also wake, capture, and return to sleep more efficiently — ideal for battery-powered embedded systems that need accurate positioning without constant draw.
Although Qualinx hasn’t published final consumption figures yet, early data suggests a notable reduction in average power compared with conventional GNSS implementations.
Why Low-Power GNSS Matters
In IoT tracking and asset-monitoring applications, power is everything. Extending battery life directly reduces operating cost and maintenance frequency.
By digitising the RF path and enabling reconfigurable operation, Qualinx’s approach supports:
- Wearables and smart tags with longer runtimes.
- Remote or mobile sensors where battery replacement is costly.
- Multi-band devices that adapt to different RF conditions and regions.
This flexibility also makes the same platform relevant across multiple industries — from logistics and agriculture to industrial IoT — without requiring hardware variations.
Compact Design, Broader Ambition
The prototype module is also significantly smaller, occupying around one-third of the footprint of comparable designs. That’s a clear benefit for space-constrained embedded applications such as wearables and portable sensors.
Looking ahead, Qualinx aims to extend its Digital RF technology to indoor positioning and even low-Earth-orbit signal reception, helping to create a more seamless positioning experience across various environments.
ipX Summary
Qualinx’s work demonstrates that meaningful innovation often arises from rethinking fundamental principles. By moving more of the RF process into the digital domain, the company is helping define a new generation of connected-edge hardware — one that balances power, flexibility, and scalability in equal measure.
It’s not about claiming the world’s most efficient chip; it’s about proving that GNSS and IoT design can evolve when engineers challenge long-standing assumptions.
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