MicroMod GNSS Carrier Board (ZED-F9P) Hookup Guide

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Contributors: bboyho, Elias The Sparkiest
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Introduction

The SparkFun MicroMod GNSS Carrier Board (ZED-F9P) combines high-precision GPS and the flexibility of MicroMod onto one board. Utilizing u-blox's ZED-F9P module, MicroMod GNSS Carrier Board is capable of 10mm 3 dimensional accuracy. Yes, you read that right, these boards can output your X, Y, and Z location that is roughly the width of your fingernail. With great power comes a few requirements: high precision GPS requires a clear view of the sky (sorry, no indoor location) and a stream of correction data from an RTCM source. We’ll get into this more in a later section but as long as you have two ZED-F9P breakout boards, or access to an online correction source, your ZED-F9P can output lat, long, and altitude with centimeter grade accuracy.

SparkFun MicroMod GNSS Carrier Board (ZED-F9P)

SparkFun MicroMod GNSS Carrier Board (ZED-F9P)

GPS-17722
$324.95

Required Materials

To follow along with this tutorial, you will need the following materials at a minimum to get started. You may not need everything though depending on what you have. Add it to your cart, read through the guide, and adjust the cart as necessary. To get the most out of the ZED-F9P, you will need a correction source. Depending on your setup, you may need a second ZED-F9P or access to an online correction source.

MicroMod Processor Board

You'll need a Processor Board with the MicroMod GNSS Carrier Board. We recommend using the MicroMod ESP32 Processor to connect to the cloud. Depending on your setup, you may need a transceiver to pass the correction data.

SparkFun MicroMod Teensy Processor

SparkFun MicroMod Teensy Processor

DEV-16402
$21.50
7
SparkFun MicroMod ESP32 Processor

SparkFun MicroMod ESP32 Processor

WRL-16781
$16.95
1
SparkFun MicroMod Artemis Processor

SparkFun MicroMod Artemis Processor

DEV-16401
$14.95
SparkFun MicroMod SAMD51 Processor

SparkFun MicroMod SAMD51 Processor

DEV-16791
$18.95
1

Antenna

We recommend using a GNSS multi-band magnetic mount antenna for the full RF reception. The length of the antenna cable was also useful in mounting it.

GNSS Multi-Band L1/L2 Surveying Antenna - TNC (TOP106)

GNSS Multi-Band L1/L2 Surveying Antenna - TNC (TOP106)

GPS-17751
$133.95
14
GNSS L1/L2 Multi-Band Magnetic Mount Antenna - 5m (SMA)

GNSS L1/L2 Multi-Band Magnetic Mount Antenna - 5m (SMA)

GPS-15192
$72.95
1

GNSS Multi-Band L1/L2 Helical Antenna (SMA) BT-560

GPS-17383
3 Retired
MagmaX2 Active Multiband GNSS Magnetic Mount Antenna - AA.200

MagmaX2 Active Multiband GNSS Magnetic Mount Antenna - AA.200

GPS-17108
$83.50

GPS Antenna Accessories

You can use the GPS antenna ground plate to improve your GPS antenna's performance. If you are using the GNSS Multi-Band L1/L2 Surveying Antenna (TNC) - TOP106, you'll need to grab the interface cable.

Interface Cable - SMA Male to TNC Male (300mm)

CAB-17833
Retired
GPS Antenna Ground Plate

GPS Antenna Ground Plate

GPS-17519
$6.95

Accessories

At a minimum, you will need a USB C cable to power and program the boards. Depending on your application, you may want to grab a Qwiic cable to connect a Qwiic-enabled device.

SparkFun Qwiic Cable Kit

SparkFun Qwiic Cable Kit

KIT-15081
$8.95
20
USB 3.1 Cable A to C - 3 Foot

USB 3.1 Cable A to C - 3 Foot

CAB-14743
$5.50
4

Tools

You will need a screw driver to tighten the screw between the processor board and carrier board.

SparkFun Mini Screwdriver

SparkFun Mini Screwdriver

TOL-09146
$1.05
3

Suggested Reading

If you aren't familiar with the MicroMod ecosystem, we recommend reading here for an overview. We recommend reading here for an overview if you decide to take advantage of the Qwiic connector.

MicroMod Logo Qwiic Connect System
MicroMod EcosystemQwiic Connect System

If you aren’t familiar with the following concepts, we recommend checking out these tutorials before continuing.

I2C

An introduction to I2C, one of the main embedded communications protocols in use today.

Getting Started with U-Center for u-blox

Learn the tips and tricks to use the u-blox software tool to configure your GPS receiver.

Getting Started with MicroMod

Dive into the world of MicroMod - a compact interface to connect a microcontroller to various peripherals via the M.2 Connector!

MicroMod ESP32 Processor Board Hookup Guide

A short hookup guide to get started with the SparkFun MicroMod ESP32 Processor Board.

This tutorial is based on the GPS-RTK2's ZED-F9P. Make sure to check out the breakout boards for more information on GPS-RTK. Be sure to checkout our What is GPS RTK? tutorial.

What is GPS RTK?

September 14, 2018

Learn about the latest generation of GPS and GNSS receivers to get 14mm positional accuracy!

GPS-RTK Hookup Guide

September 13, 2018

Find out where you are! Use this easy hook-up guide to get up and running with the SparkFun high precision GPS-RTK NEO-M8P-2 breakout board.

GPS-RTK2 Hookup Guide

January 14, 2019

Get precision down to the diameter of a dime with the new ZED-F9P from u-blox.