GNSS MAX Click

How does it work?

GNSS MAX Click as its foundation uses the MAX-M10S (MAX-M10S-00B-01), a high-performance GNSS module from u-blox. The MAX-M10S features the u-blox M10 standard precision GNSS platform and provides exceptional sensitivity and acquisition times for all L1 GNSS signals. It also supports concurrent reception of up to four GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou), maximizing position availability, particularly under challenging conditions such as in deep urban canyons. The MAX-M10S offers high sensitivity and minimal acquisition times while maintaining low system power.

The MAX-M10S module integrates an LNA followed by a SAW filter in the RF path for maximum sensitivity. Also, it detects jamming and spoofing attempts and reports them to the host so that the system can react to such events. Advanced filtering algorithms mitigate the impact of RF interference and jamming, thus enabling the product to operate as intended. The u-blox Super-S technology offers great RF sensitivity that improves the dynamic position accuracy by up to 25% with small antennas or in a non-line-of-sight scenario.

This Click board™ comes with a configurable host interface that allows communication with MCU using the selected interface. The MAX-M10S can communicate with MCU using the UART interface with commonly used UART RX and TX pins as its default communication protocol operating at 9600bps to transmit and exchange data with the host MCU or using the I2C interface. I2C interface is compatible with the Fast-Mode allowing a maximum bit rate of 400kbit/s.

In addition to these features, it also uses several mikroBUS™ pins. An active-low reset signal routed on the RST pin of the mikroBUS™ socket activates a hardware reset of the system, while the EXT pin routed to the PWM pin on the mikroBUS™ socket represents an external interrupt used for the module Wake-Up function. It also uses a PPS signal routed on the INT pin of the mikroBUS™ socket alongside a blue LED indicator marked as STATUS used for time pulse signal information and indication.

GNSS MAX Click possesses the SMA antenna connector on which an appropriate antenna connects that Mikroe has in its offer for improved range and received signal strength. Also, in the case of the primary supply failure, the module can use a backup supply voltage from a connected battery if you need the Click board™ to be a standalone device.

This Click board™ can be operated only with a 3.3V logic voltage level. The board must perform appropriate logic voltage level conversion before using MCUs with different logic levels. However, the Click board™ comes equipped with a library containing functions and an example code that can be used, as a reference, for further development.

Specifications

Pinout diagram

This table shows how the pinout on GNSS MAX Click corresponds to the pinout on the mikroBUS™ socket (the latter shown in the two middle columns).

Notes	Pin					Pin	Notes
	NC	1	AN	PWM	16	EXI	Wake-Up Interrupt
Reset	RST	2	RST	INT	15	PPS	Time Pulse Signal
	NC	3	CS	RX	14	TX	UART TX
	NC	4	SCK	TX	13	RX	UART RX
	NC	5	MISO	SCL	12	SCL	I2C Clock
	NC	6	MOSI	SDA	11	SDA	I2C Data
Power Supply	3.3V	7	3.3V	5V	10	NC
Ground	GND	8	GND	GND	9	GND	Ground

Onboard settings and indicators

GNSS MAX Click electrical specifications

Software Support

We provide a library for the GNSS MAX Click as well as a demo application (example), developed using MikroElektronika compilers. The demo can run on all the main MikroElektronika development boards.

Package can be downloaded/installed directly from NECTO Studio Package Manager(recommended way), downloaded from our LibStock™ or found on Mikroe github account.

Library Description

This library contains API for GNSSMAX Click driver.

Key functions:

• gnssmax_generic_read – GNSS MAX data reading function.
• gnssmax_reset – GNSS MAX reset function.
• gnssmax_get_pps – GNSS MAX reads timestamp pin state.

Examples description

This example showcases device abillity to read data outputed from device and show it’s coordinates and altitude when connected.

void application_task ( void ) 
{
    gnssmax_process();
    
    err_t error_flag = gnssmax_element_parser( RSP_GNGGA, RSP_GNGGA_LATITUDE_ELEMENT, 
                                             latitude_data );
    
    error_flag |= gnssmax_element_parser(  RSP_GNGGA, RSP_GNGGA_LONGITUDE_ELEMENT, 
                                         longitude_data );
    
    error_flag |= gnssmax_element_parser(  RSP_GNGGA, RSP_GNGGA_ALTITUDE_ELEMENT, 
                                         altitude_data );
    
    
    if ( error_flag == GNSSMAX_OK )
    {
        if ( last_error_flag != GNSSMAX_OK )
        {
            log_printf( &logger, "rn" );
        }
        log_printf( &logger, ">Latitude:rn - deg: %.2s rn - min: %srn", 
                    latitude_data, &latitude_data[ 2 ] );
        
        log_printf( &logger, ">Longitude:rn - deg: %.3s rn - min: %srn", 
                    longitude_data, &longitude_data[ 3 ] );
        
        log_printf( &logger, ">Altitude:rn - %smrn", 
                    altitude_data );
        
        log_printf( &logger, "----------------------------------------rn" );
    }
    else if ( error_flag < GNSSMAX_ERROR )
    {
        if ( last_error_flag == GNSSMAX_OK )
        {
            log_printf( &logger, "Waiting for data " );
        }
        log_printf( &logger, "." );
    }
    
    if ( error_flag != GNSSMAX_ERROR )
    {
        last_error_flag = error_flag;
        gnssmax_clear_app_buf(  );
    }
}

The full application code, and ready to use projects can be installed directly from NECTO Studio Package Manager(recommended way), downloaded from our LibStock™ or found on Mikroe github account.

Other mikroE Libraries used in the example:

• MikroSDK.Board
• MikroSDK.Log
• Click.GNSSMAX

Additional notes and informations

Depending on the development board you are using, you may need USB UART click, USB UART 2 click or RS232 click to connect to your PC, for development systems with no UART to USB interface available on the board. The terminal available in all MikroElektronika compilers, or any other terminal application of your choice, can be used to read the message.

mikroSDK

This Click board™ is supported with mikroSDK – MikroElektronika Software Development Kit. To ensure proper operation of mikroSDK compliant Click board™ demo applications, mikroSDK should be downloaded from the LibStock and installed for the compiler you are using.

For more information about mikroSDK, visit the official page.