SparkFun GPS-RTK Dead Reckoning Breakout - ZED-F9R, SMA (Qwiic)

The SparkFun Dead Reckoning Breakout SMA - ZED-F9R is a state-of-the-art, high-precision GPS board that leverages u-blox's Automotive Dead Reckoning technology. This sensor fusion board offers an array of configuration options and provides continuous and accurate positioning by combining a 3D IMU sensor, wheel ticks, a vehicle dynamics model, correction data, and GNSS measurements.

The ZED-F9R module is a 184-channel GNSS receiver capable of receiving signals from GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou constellations with an accuracy of approximately 0.2 meters. This level of precision is achievable with an RTK navigation solution when used with a correction source. Please note that the ZED-F9R can only operate as a rover, requiring connection to a base station. The module supports the concurrent reception of four GNSS systems. The integration of GNSS and 3D sensor measurements on the ZED-F9R enables accurate, real-time positioning rates of up to 30Hz.

Compared to other GPS modules, this breakout significantly improves position accuracy in dense urban areas or covered locations. It provides continuous positioning in urban environments under poor signal conditions and even during complete signal loss, such as in short tunnels or parking garages. The ZED-F9R is the ultimate solution for autonomous robotic applications requiring accurate positioning in challenging conditions.

The u-blox receiver of the ZED-F9R also supports I2C, making it ideal for Qwiic compatibility, thus saving your valuable UART ports. With the Qwiic system, no soldering is required to connect it to the rest of your system. However, 2.54mm-spaced pins are still available if you prefer to use a breadboard.

The ZED-F9R can be configured using the popular but dense Windows program called u-center. You can configure many different functions such as baud rates, update rates, geofencing, spoofing detection, external interrupts, SBAS/D-GPS, and more using the SparkFun Arduino Library.

The SparkFun ZED-F9R GPS Breakout comes with an onboard rechargeable battery that powers the RTC on the ZED-F9R. This feature reduces the time-to-first fix from a cold start (~26s) to a hot start (~2s). The battery can maintain RTC and GNSS orbit data for a significant time without being connected to power.

Please note that this product requires an antenna. Check the related products and choose a suitable SMA antenna for your project.

The SparkFun Qwiic Connect System is an ecosystem of I2C sensors, actuators, shields, and cables that makes prototyping faster and less prone to error. All Qwiic-enabled boards use a common 1mm pitch, 4-pin JST connector. This design reduces the amount of required PCB space, and polarized connections mean you can’t connect it incorrectly.

The SparkFun GPS-RTK Dead Reckoning ZED-F9R Guide is a great resource to get started with this module.

Key features of the SparkFun Dead Reckoning Breakout SMA - ZED-F9R include 2x Qwiic Connectors, an integrated SMA connector for antenna use, concurrent reception of GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou, 184-Channel GNSS Receiver, reception of both L1C/A and L2C bands, max navigation rate of up to 30Hz, operational limits of max G: ≤4G, max altitude: 80km, max velocity: 500m/s, velocity accuracy: 0.05m/s, heading accuracy: 0.2 degrees, built-in accelerometer and gyroscope, time pulse accuracy: 30ns, voltage: 5V or 3.3V but all logic is 3.3V, current: ~85mA to ~130mA, software configurable features like geofencing, odometer, spoofing detection, external interrupt, pin control, low power mode, and many others, and support for NMEA, UBX, and RTCM protocols over UART or I2C interfaces. The module measures 43.18mm x 50.8mm and weighs 12.1g.

Revision Change: With v1.1 of the GPS-RTK Dead Reckoning Breakout, an SMA connector has been included instead of a u.FL connector.

Supporting documents such as the schematic, Eagle Files, board dimensions, hookup guide, datasheet (ZED-F9R), product summary, integration manual, u-blox interface description, u-blox ECCN, Arduino Library, and GitHub Hardware Repo are available for download.