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MultiNav Pro+ GNSS 1-second first fix - does that require a valid almanac cached?

James GarciaJune 23, 2026
Hey everyone, James here. We're building a small fleet tracking device around the MultiNav Pro+ GNSS module and the 1-second first fix spec is honestly one of the main reasons we went with it. But I'm trying to understand what conditions actually have to be met to hit that 1 second number in the field. Like, is that only achievable if the module already has a valid almanac and ephemeris stored from a previous fix, or is RFOXiA claiming that even a true cold start (dead battery, no prior satellite data) can get there? Because those are very different things and it matters a lot for how we design the power cycling behavior on our units.
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Replies

AdamJune 23, 2026
@James Garcia great question and totally the right thing to nail down before you commit to a power cycling architecture.
 
To be straight with you — that 1-second figure is a hot start number, meaning the module already has a valid almanac, ephemeris, and last-known position stored from a recent previous fix. A true cold start (dead battery, wiped state, no prior data) on any GNSS module is going to be 30–90 seconds depending on sky view and constellation availability, and that's not unique to the MultiNav Pro+ — it's just physics.
 
For your fleet tracker use case, the practical fix is to keep a small backup battery or supercapacitor on the GNSS module's memory supply line so it retains ephemeris through power cycles on the main system. If you pair it with RFOXiA's Power/Program Kit that's actually something worth thinking about since the supercapacitor system there is built for exactly this kind of always-ready scenario. That way you're cycling main power but preserving satellite state, and you'll genuinely hit that fast reacquisition time in the field.
 
If you're doing true cold power-offs regularly and can't maintain backup power to the module, budget for a realistic warm/cold start in your design — but honestly with the 18Hz fix rate you'll recover fast once it does lock.
Karen DavisJune 23, 2026
Hey James, the 1-second TTFF on the MultiNav Pro+ is specifically a hot start figure - it absolutely requires a valid cached almanac and ephemeris, plus a known last position that's still reasonably fresh (within a few hours typically). A true cold start with a dead-battery scenario is going to look more like 30-45 seconds depending on sky view and signal conditions, which is pretty standard for the class. If you're worried about battery-backed RTC and data retention for your fleet use case, worth digging into the backup supply requirements in the hardware integration guide - that's usually where people get tripped up.

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