RE: NRF9160 LTE + GPS at same time.

Carl Richard — Thu, 07 Jan 2021 12:41:07 GMT

Hi, Fran!

This is not really an issue. The nRF9160 radio is shared between GPS and LTE, with LTE having the priority. When a device is connected to an LTE network it generally moves between two states "RRC Connected" and "RRC Idle". The GPS is allowed to operate while the device is in "RRC Idle" mode. In theory this means that GPS and LTE can operate more or less concurrently without the use of any additional features, however, we recommend that you use PSM, eDRX or both as this will give the GPS guaranteed periods of operation while LTE communication does not occur.

You can read more about concurrent operation for GPS and LTE in the "Working with the nRF91 Series" and in the A-GPS sample documentation. Transmitting your position should every 10 seconds should in it self not be a problem with the nRF9160 if you use an appropriate PSM or eDRX configuration.

Hope this clarifies things. If you have any further questions, please ask!

Best regards,
Carl Richard