Predictika · Cellular IoT module selection

An AI sales agent's SARA-R5 module selection, checked before it goes out

An AI sales agent prepares a module recommendation for a u-blox SARA-R5 series LTE-M / NB-IoT design: the variant (SARA-R500S, SARA-R510S or SARA-R510M8S), the radio technology, the LTE bands, the data rates, the GNSS need, the host interfaces and the power budgets. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the limits in u-blox's public product summary and returns a verdict, every reason and the figures it computed.

Scope: SARA-R5 series module selections: variant, LTE-M or NB-IoT, LTE bands, data rates, GNSS, host interfaces and power budgets. See everything this validator covers

This validator models module selections for the u-blox SARA-R5 series as described in its public product summary (read October 5, 2026), not just the scenarios shown below.

  • LTE bands — the series supports bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 66, 71 and 85; up to two required bands are checked.
  • Data rates — LTE-M up to 375 kbps down and 1200 kbps up; NB-IoT up to 125 kbps down and 140 kbps up.
  • GNSS — the integrated GNSS receiver is only in the SARA-R510M8S and needs its own GNSS antenna; external GNSS control is for the SARA-R500S and SARA-R510S.
  • Interfaces and power — 2 UARTs, 1 USB, 1 I2C (DDC), 6 configurable GPIOs and 1 USIM interface; sleep current (power-saving mode) and connected current at 23 dBm are compared with the design budgets.

Any SARA-R5 selection that touches these limits is in scope — not only the scenarios pictured here. Not covered: prices and availability, other u-blox series, regional certifications, firmware and services, antenna design and pin-level interface mapping.

The AI sales agentBuilds the module selection from the conversation and says it is ready.
Predictika validatorChecks every rule at once and returns the verdict, each finding, and the computed figures.

7 scenarios in 3 groups · each group runs from the agent’s first attempt to the outcome · click one to switch

What the agent proposes

The AI sales agent says

Illustrative agent statement. The validator receives the structured request below.

Proposing agent: AI sales agent (scripted)

Before sending, the agent must call Recorded run

Predictika validator


      

        
        
        
      

      
Waiting for the call.

      
    

  

  
  

    
Where rules-based CPQ gets it wrong
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Our assessment of what a typical rules-based CPQ (product rules, price rules and validation rules, as in Salesforce CPQ) does with the same cases. It is a judgment about effort and reliability, not a claim that nothing can be built.

    
What the validator caughtTypical rules-based CPQPredictika
A limit that depends on the chosen radio technologyOnly with care
The data-rate limits differ between LTE-M and NB-IoT, so each needs a lookup tied to the technology and kept in step when the choice changes.		The limit for the selected technology is looked up and compared with the requested rate on every call.
A feature that exists on only one variantOnly with care
Integrated GNSS exists only on the SARA-R510M8S, so each variant needs its own rule and the rules have to be maintained as variants are added.		The variant, the GNSS need and the antenna are checked together in the same pass.
A power budget the module cannot meetOnly with workarounds
The sleep current depends on the variant and the connected current on the technology, so it takes lookups and a cross-field rule that a rep can bypass by changing the variant later.		Both currents are computed from the selection and compared with the budgets on every call.
Every problem returned in one answerOnly with workarounds
Rules tend to fire as the quote is saved or a step is completed, so a rep often fixes one error and meets the next.		All findings come back together, whatever order the choices arrived in.

  

  

    
What this validator catches: findings from its test cases
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Every rule is checked on every call, in any order the choices arrive; one problem never hides another. Blocking findings stop the quote; approval findings need a person to sign off; everything else is computed.

    
1The first required LTE band, band 7, is not among the bands the SARA-R5 series supports (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 66, 71 and 85).
2The second required LTE band, band 14, is not among the bands the SARA-R5 series supports (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 66, 71 and 85).
3The design needs 376 kbps download, but the selected technology gives up to 375 kbps.
4The design needs 1,201 kbps upload, but the selected technology gives up to 1,200 kbps.
5The design needs 126 kbps download, but the selected technology gives up to 125 kbps.
6The design needs 141 kbps upload, but the selected technology gives up to 140 kbps.
7An integrated GNSS receiver is only in the SARA-R510M8S; the selected model has external GNSS control only.
8The SARA-R510M8S integrated GNSS receiver has its own antenna connection; the design has no dedicated GNSS antenna.
9External GNSS control is listed for the SARA-R500S and SARA-R510S; the SARA-R510M8S has the integrated receiver instead.
10The design uses 3 UART interfaces; the module has 2.
11The design uses 2 USB interfaces; the module has 1.
12The design uses 2 I2C (DDC) interfaces; the module has 1.
13The design uses 7 GPIO pins; the module has 6 configurable GPIOs.
14The design uses 2 SIM interfaces; the module has 1 USIM interface.
15The selected model draws 62,000 nA in power-saving mode, but the design budget is 61,999 nA.
16The selected model draws 500 nA in power-saving mode, but the design budget is 499 nA.
17The selected model draws 62,000 nA in power-saving mode, but the design budget is 1,000 nA.
18The module draws 135 mA when connected at 23 dBm with the selected technology, but the design budget is 134 mA.
19The module draws 195 mA when connected at 23 dBm with the selected technology, but the design budget is 194 mA.

  

  

    
Scenarios and results
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The recorded result of the validator for each scenario on this page: the request the AI agent sent, the verdict, and every finding, in the order they appear above.

    
1. Asset tracker with GNSS: A SARA-R500S tracker with integrated GNSS on LTE band 7

    
The agent's request. Please recommend a SARA-R500S over LTE-M for a design that needs LTE band 7, 100 kbps down and 100 kbps up, 1 UART, 0 USB, 0 I2C, 2 GPIOs and 1 SIM, integrated GNSS and a sleep budget of 100,000 nA and a connected budget of 500 mA. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • First LTE band not supported. The first required LTE band, band 7, is not among the bands the SARA-R5 series supports (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 66, 71 and 85).
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  • Integrated GNSS needs the SARA-R510M8S. An integrated GNSS receiver is only in the SARA-R510M8S; the selected model has external GNSS control only.
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2. Asset tracker with GNSS: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please recommend a SARA-R510M8S over LTE-M for a design that needs LTE band 7, 100 kbps down and 100 kbps up, 1 UART, 0 USB, 0 I2C, 2 GPIOs and 1 SIM, integrated GNSS and a sleep budget of 100,000 nA and a connected budget of 500 mA. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • First LTE band not supported. The first required LTE band, band 7, is not among the bands the SARA-R5 series supports (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 66, 71 and 85).
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  • Integrated GNSS needs a GNSS antenna. The SARA-R510M8S integrated GNSS receiver has its own antenna connection; the design has no dedicated GNSS antenna.
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3. Asset tracker with GNSS: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please recommend a SARA-R510M8S over LTE-M for a design that needs LTE band 12, 100 kbps down and 100 kbps up, 1 UART, 0 USB, 0 I2C, 2 GPIOs and 1 SIM, integrated GNSS with a dedicated GNSS antenna and a sleep budget of 100,000 nA and a connected budget of 500 mA. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Selection summary. The selected model draws 62,000 nA in power-saving mode and 195 mA when connected at 23 dBm; the selected technology gives up to 375 kbps down and 1,200 kbps up.
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4. Battery-powered sensor: A three-UART sensor with a 1,000 nA sleep budget

    
The agent's request. Please recommend a SARA-R500S over LTE-M for a design that needs LTE band 12 and 4, 100 kbps down and 100 kbps up, 3 UARTs, 0 USB, 0 I2C, 4 GPIOs and 1 SIM and a sleep budget of 1,000 nA and a connected budget of 500 mA. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Too many UART interfaces. The design uses 3 UART interfaces; the module has 2.
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  • Sleep current above the power budget. The selected model draws 62,000 nA in power-saving mode, but the design budget is 1,000 nA.
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5. Battery-powered sensor: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please recommend a SARA-R510S over LTE-M for a design that needs LTE band 12 and 4, 100 kbps down and 100 kbps up, 2 UARTs, 0 USB, 0 I2C, 4 GPIOs and 1 SIM and a sleep budget of 1,000 nA and a connected budget of 500 mA. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Selection summary. The selected model draws 500 nA in power-saving mode and 195 mA when connected at 23 dBm; the selected technology gives up to 375 kbps down and 1,200 kbps up.
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6. Throughput: A 200 kbps down, 150 kbps up design on NB-IoT

    
The agent's request. Please recommend a SARA-R510S over NB-IoT for a design that needs LTE band 12 and 4, 200 kbps down and 150 kbps up, 2 UARTs, 0 USB, 0 I2C, 4 GPIOs and 1 SIM and a sleep budget of 1,000 nA and a connected budget of 500 mA. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Download rate above the technology limit. The design needs 200 kbps download, but the selected technology gives up to 125 kbps.
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  • Upload rate above the technology limit. The design needs 150 kbps upload, but the selected technology gives up to 140 kbps.
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7. Throughput: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please recommend a SARA-R510S over LTE-M for a design that needs LTE band 12 and 4, 200 kbps down and 150 kbps up, 2 UARTs, 0 USB, 0 I2C, 4 GPIOs and 1 SIM and a sleep budget of 1,000 nA and a connected budget of 500 mA. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Selection summary. The selected model draws 500 nA in power-saving mode and 195 mA when connected at 23 dBm; the selected technology gives up to 375 kbps down and 1,200 kbps up.
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Narration transcript
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The text of the narrated walkthrough, step by step.

    
    
      
  1. Welcome to a demo of Predictika's Validator. An AI sales agent prepares a module recommendation for a u-blox SARA-R5 series LTE-M / NB-IoT design: the variant (SARA-R500S, SARA-R510S or SARA-R510M8S), the radio technology, the LTE bands, and more. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the limits in u-blox's public product summary and returns a verdict, every reason and the figures it computed.
    2. 
      
  2. I will start with the first request by the agent.
    3. 
      
  3. The agent says. Please recommend a SARA-R500S over LTE-M for a design that needs LTE band 7, 100 kbps down and 100 kbps up. It is ready to send. The rest of the request is on screen.
    4. 
      
  4. Before it goes out, the agent calls the validator.
    5. 
      
  5. Blocked, with two findings, all in one answer. The first required LTE band, band 7, is not among the bands the SARA-R5 series supports (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 66, 71 and 85). An integrated GNSS receiver is only in the SARA-R510M8S; the selected model has external GNSS control only.
    6. 
      
  6. The validator returned two blocking findings in one answer. A check that reads one field at a time would pass most of this; it shows only when the choices in the quote are checked against each other.
    7. 
      
  7. What this shows: for a feature that exists on only one variant, a rules-based CPQ is error-prone for this.
    8. 
      
  8. Now the agent resubmits.
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  9. The corrected request. It changes the module variant to SARA-R510M8S.
    10. 
      
  10. It calls the validator again.
    11. 
      
  11. Still blocked, with two findings, all in one answer. The first required LTE band, band 7, is not among the bands the SARA-R5 series supports (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 66, 71 and 85). The SARA-R510M8S integrated GNSS receiver has its own antenna connection; the design has no dedicated GNSS antenna.
    12. 
      
  12. One finding cleared. Still blocking: first LTE band not supported. Newly found: integrated GNSS needs a GNSS antenna.
    13. 
      
  13. The agent resubmits once more.
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  14. The revised request. It changes the First LTE band to 12 and the Dedicated GNSS antenna to yes.
    15. 
      
  15. It calls the validator once more.
    16. 
      
  16. This time the validator clears it.
    17. 
      
  17. Both earlier findings are cleared.
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  18. Two problems caught in one call, fixed in two passes, and a clean quote. That is the value of Predictika's validator: catching mistakes before they reach the customer. Now you can try the other scenarios yourself.
    19.