U-Blox Expands Collaboration With Nordic Semiconductor, Introducing ALMA-B2 Modules With Low-Latency Edge ML Capabilities

• Based on Nordic Semiconductor's ultra-low-power wireless nRF54LM20 series, the u-blox ALMA-B2 modules bring globally certified next-generation Bluetooth® LE connectivity and powerful wireless MCUs into a compact form factor, opening new opportunities for intelligent IoT applications
  
• Aimed at high-performance, low-power wireless solutions across key markets including industrial automation, healthcare, smart home and asset tracking

Thalwil, Switzerland 28 May 2026, u-blox, a global leader in positioning and short-range communication technologies for automotive, industrial, and consumer markets, today announced the expansion of its short-range radio portfolio with new low-latency Edge Machine Learning (Edge ML) capabilities. The launch strengthens the collaboration between u-blox and Nordic Semiconductor with the introduction of the ALMA-B2 Bluetooth® LE module series. Based on Nordic's next-generation nRF54LM20 platform, ALMA-B2 combines next-generation Bluetooth LE connectivity with a powerful wireless MCU, delivering Channel Sounding, global certification, and flexible antenna options in a compact form factor, enabling a new class of intelligent, low-power IoT applications.

As IoT devices evolve to require faster response times, lower power consumption, and increased local intelligence, developers are shifting toward processing data at the edge rather than relying on cloud-based systems. The ALMA-B2, u-blox's first module with a dedicated hardware Neural Processing Unit (NPU), addresses this demand by integrating Bluetooth LE 6.0 connectivity with a powerful wireless MCU architecture from Nordic Semiconductor, optimized for low-latency operation and advanced edge processing, making it up to 15x faster, with superior energy efficiency. This makes it ideal for applications such as healthcare, industrial automation and robotics, asset tracking, and smart home devices. Support for Bluetooth Channel Sounding enables highly accurate distance measurement, while professional-grade module options, global certification, and flexible antenna designs help manufacturers accelerate development cycles and streamline global product launches.

u-blox's ALMA-B2 integrates a 128 MHz Arm® Cortex®-M33 processor, 2 MB of non-volatile memory and 512 kB of RAM, and a RISC-V coprocessor. ALMA-B21 variants come with a built-in Axon NPU enabling hardware-based machine learning capabilities. All module variants support Bluetooth LE 6.0 alongside 802.15.4 technologies such as Thread and Zigbee, and include a rich set of interfaces including; HS-USB for demanding embedded designs. Advanced security features such as TrustZone, cryptographic accelerators, tamper detection, debug port protection, and an immutable boot partition support, help developers create and build secure and robust connected products. With compact dimensions, an operating range of -40 °C to 85 °C, and both embedded and external antenna options, the ALMA-B2 provides OEMs with a flexible platform for next-generation IoT solutions. Built for lower power consumption and ultra-low latency, delivering up to 15x improvement compared to running algorithms solely on the MCU, the module leverages its NPU architecture to support complex applications efficiently.

said Wojciech Bober, Technical Product Manager at Nordic Semiconductor.

Early samples will be available in the next few weeks. Get in touch with your local
u-blox contact person to get access to samples.

To find out more, visit

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