Contributors:
bboyho,
Elias The Sparkiest Introduction
The u-blox NEO-M8U is a powerful GPS units that takes advantage of untethered dead reckoning (UDR) technology for navigation. The module provides continuous positioning for vehicles in urban environments and during complete signal loss (e.g. short tunnels and parking garages). We will quickly get you set up using the Qwiic ecosystem and Arduino so that you can start reading the output!
GPS-16329
The SparkFun NEO-M9N GPS Breakout is a high quality GPS board with equally impressive configuration options through Dead Reck…
Required Materials
To follow along with this tutorial, you will need the following materials. 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.
Microcontroller
One method of connecting to the GPS is using a Qwiic cable and microcontroller. We will use the RredBoard Qwiic fo the scope of this tutorial.
DEV-15123
The SparkFun RedBoard Qwiic is an Arduino-compatible development board with a built in Qwiic connector, eliminating the need …
PRT-14427
This is a 100mm long 4-conductor cable with 1mm JST termination. It’s designed to connect Qwiic enabled components together…
CAB-10215
USB 2.0 type A to Micro-B 5-pin. This is a new, smaller connector for USB devices. Micro-B connectors are about half the heig…
Additional GPS Antenna Options
Below are some other GPS Antenna options. Some of the options below have an SMA connector, so make sure to get the u.FL to SMA cable if you decide to use those. Link for that is below in the GPS accessories.
GPS-14986
This exceptional GPS/GNSS antenna is designed for both GPS and GLONASS reception.
GPS-14987
This tri-band GNSS antenna is ideal for GPS L1, GLONASS L1, and Beidou B2 reception.
GPS-00177
Embedded antenna for small, mobile applications. Basic unpackaged antenna with LNA. 5inch cable terminated with standard male…
GPS Antenna Accessories
WRL-09145
This is a 4" connector cable that interfaces U.FL RF connectors to regular SMA connectors. This cable is commonly used to con…
GPS-15004
Want to improve your GPS antenna multipath convergence time performance to near survey-grade GNSS levels? Just using this sim…
Retired
Other Qwiic Cable Accessories
KIT-15081
To make it even easier to get started, we've assembled this Qwiic Cable Kit with a variety of Qwiic cables from 50mm to 500mm…
PRT-14427
This is a 100mm long 4-conductor cable with 1mm JST termination. It’s designed to connect Qwiic enabled components together…
PRT-14426
This is a 50mm long 4-conductor cable with 1mm JST termination. It’s designed to connect Qwiic enabled components together …
PRT-14428
This is a 200mm long 4-conductor cable with 1mm JST termination. It’s designed to connect Qwiic enabled components together…
Retired
Heads up! If you are using the
RedBoard without a Qwiic connector, we recommend getting the Qwiic Shield for Arduino.
DEV-14352
The SparkFun Qwiic Shield is an easy-to-assemble board that provides a simple way to incorporate the Qwiic Connect System wit…
Suggested Reading
If you aren't familiar with the Qwiic system, we recommend reading here for an overview.
We would also recommend taking a look at the following tutorials if you aren't familiar with them.
GPS Basics
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is an engineering marvel that we all have access to for a relatively low cost and no subscription fee. With the correct hardware and minimal effort, you can determine your position and time almost anywhere on the globe.
I2C
An introduction to I2C, one of the main embedded communications protocols in use today.
How to Work with Jumper Pads and PCB Traces
Handling PCB jumper pads and traces is an essential skill. Learn how to cut a PCB trace, add a solder jumper between pads to reroute connections, and repair a trace with the green wire method if a trace is damaged.
