SparkFun GNSS Timing Breakout - ZED-F9T (Qwiic)

The SparkFun GNSS Timing Breakout is a versatile addition to SparkFun's geospatial catalogue. This product features the ZED-F9T GNSS receiver from u-blox, which offers an impressive timing accuracy of up to five nanoseconds under clear skies, without requiring any external GNSS correction. This makes it an ideal choice for applications where precise timing is crucial, such as optimizing the efficiency of an IoT network of 5G devices.

The ZED-F9T is a multi-band GNSS module that is capable of concurrently receiving signals from all major constellations, including GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou. This feature enhances its versatility and ensures that its timing precision is maintained even if the module loses lock with one or more of the visible constellations.

The GNSS Timing Breakout shares a similar design with the SparkFun GPS-RTK-SMA Breakout, making it a comprehensive development tool for the ZED-F9T. It features a USB-C connector for primary power and communication, two Qwiic connectors for I²C communication, three SMA connectors for the antenna and timing pulse signals, and a host of PTH pins for direct interaction with most of the ZED-F9T's pinout. An on-board rechargeable backup battery is also included, which powers the RTC on the ZED-F9T and reduces the time-to-first fix from a cold start to a hot start.

SparkFun's Qwiic Connect System is an ecosystem that makes prototyping faster and less prone to error. All Qwiic-enabled boards use a common 1mm pitch, 4-pin JST connector, which minimizes the required PCB space and prevents incorrect connections due to its polarized design.

The GNSS Timing Breakout offers a range of features, including concurrent reception of GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou constellations, reception of L1/L2/E5b bands, and a voltage range of 5V or 3.3V. The current varies between 68mA and 130mA depending on operating conditions and constellations. Fix acquisition times are approximately 24s (Cold) / 2s (Hot). The time pulse signal accuracy is 5ns in Absolute Timing Mode and 2.5ns in Differential Timing Mode (with correction data). The time pulse signal frequency ranges from 0.25Hz to 25MHz, with a jitter of ±4ns. The horizontal position accuracy is 2.0m, with a maximum altitude of 80km and a maximum velocity of 500m/s. The I²C address is 0x42, and there are 2x Qwiic connectors.