IN Brief:
- ALMA-W1 provides Wi-Fi 6/6E modules with internal or external antennas and compact footprints.
- Open-CPU and network-processor variants offer different approaches to application software and connectivity integration.
- Selected modules include a neural processing accelerator, with initial samples available to approved customers.
u-blox has introduced the ALMA-W1 family of compact wireless modules using Nordic Semiconductor’s new nRF7120 and nRF7120E system-on-chips. The modules combine Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E with Bluetooth Low Energy and, on supported configurations, 802.15.4 connectivity, providing an integrated route to wireless networking for industrial and other battery-powered electronic products.
The range is intended to reduce the hardware and software integration work involved in designing directly around a wireless semiconductor. Rather than laying out the radio circuitry and associated components as a custom chip-down design, customers can select an assembled module with defined electrical interfaces, antenna options, and firmware arrangements. The finished product still needs suitable power, mechanical placement, antenna clearance, and qualification for its operating environment.
Modules with external antenna connections measure 10.4 × 11.2 × 1.9mm, while integrated-antenna versions have a footprint of 10.4 × 14.3mm. The different dimensions allow the same underlying wireless architecture to fit assemblies with different physical constraints. An integrated antenna simplifies the radio assembly, whereas an external antenna can be located to account for enclosure materials, neighbouring circuitry, and installation geometry.
ALMA-W1 includes dual-band variants using the nRF7120 and tri-band versions using the nRF7120E. The dual-band configurations operate in the 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi bands; supported 6E variants add the 6GHz band. A product intended for international deployment must still account for country-specific radio rules and the bands used by available network infrastructure, even when the module provides an established certification foundation.
The family supports two broad operating arrangements, each with different implications for the rest of the electronic design. In wireless microcontroller mode, application firmware can run on the module’s processing resources, allowing the host functionality and communications stack to share an integrated platform. In network-processor mode, an external host runs the principal application while the module manages wireless connectivity through a defined command interface.
Network-processor variants use u-blox’s u-connectXpress software, which provides an AT-command interface and incorporates wireless drivers, communication protocols, and security functions. An existing controller can therefore request network operations without having to host and maintain every part of the low-level wireless software itself. This is particularly useful where a manufacturer wants to add Wi-Fi to an established electronic product without rewriting its principal application firmware.
The open-CPU versions expose a wider set of application interfaces, including configurable GPIO and peripheral connections. u-blox lists up to 63 GPIOs among the capabilities of relevant configurations, alongside optional additional flash memory. These resources are variant-specific and should be checked against the chosen part number; a network-processor module cannot simply be assumed to expose every function available in an open-CPU implementation.
Bluetooth LE and 802.15.4 functions provide additional local connectivity alongside the Wi-Fi link. In an industrial sensing arrangement, for example, a device may need to communicate with nearby low-power equipment while retaining a connection to an IP network. The two independent radio resources of the underlying Nordic SoC support simultaneous receive activity, but the finished application’s traffic and power requirements still depend on firmware configuration and the supported protocols.
Selected ALMA-W1 versions incorporate the Axon neural processing unit found in the nRF7120E. u-blox describes acceleration of up to 15 times against processor execution for suitable local inference workloads. The hardware can support tasks such as event classification or detection without requiring every measurement to be sent to a remote service. The size and accuracy of the chosen model, available memory, and sensor input characteristics determine whether this approach suits a particular device.
Security is another part of the module integration task. The ALMA-W1 platform supports features intended for modern connected products, including secure startup and wireless security functions on relevant variants. Device manufacturers still need to configure credentials, establish suitable update processes, and test the security behaviour of their own applications. Module certification and integrated software reduce part of the engineering effort, rather than replacing final product verification.
Target applications include industrial automation, asset tracking, medical devices, access control, robotics, and connected equipment. Their physical and regulatory requirements differ, making the available antenna, software, memory, and radio choices commercially useful. A stationary industrial controller and a battery-powered mobile sensor may use the same connectivity family but require different hardware layouts and operating profiles.
u-blox has begun supplying initial samples to selected customers and expects the sampling programme to expand. The ALMA-W1 family is being demonstrated at electronica 2026, while a wider production timetable has not been specified in the launch information. It provides module-level options built on Nordic’s new silicon, leaving customers to choose between integrated application processing and an externally hosted connectivity architecture.
