SparkFun RTK Facet Hookup Guide

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Contributors: Nate
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Introduction

The RTK Facet from SparkFun is our most advanced GNSS receiver to date. It's your one stop shop for high precision geolocation and surveying needs. For basic users, it’s incredibly easy to get up and running and for advanced users, the RTK Facet is a flexible and powerful tool.

SparkFun RTK Facet

SparkFun RTK Facet

GPS-19984
$699.95
16

With just a few minutes of setup, the RTK Facet is one of the fastest ways to take centimeter grade measurements.

Image of Nate getting measurements

Surveying with a monopod and SW Maps

RTK Fix in SW Maps

An RTK Fix with 14mm accuracy in SW Maps

By connecting your phone to the RTK Facet over Bluetooth, your phone can act as the radio link to provide correction data as well as receive the NMEA output from the device. It’s how $10,000 surveying devices have been operating for the past decade - we just made it easier, smaller, and a lot more economical.

Watch A Quick Setup

Required Materials

The RTK Facet has all you need built into one small unit. In addition, the RTK Facet Kit includes everything you might need as well. The only thing you need to add is your own tablet or cell phone (Andriod and iOS are supported).

Depending on your setup you may want to use your phone for RTCM correction data. If a source is not available online, you will need a 2nd RTK Facet setup in base mode and a radio link connecting the Base to the Rover. We'll go into details but we designed RTK Facet to work with these 100mW 915MHz telemetry radios out of the box.

SiK Telemetry Radio V3 - 915MHz, 100mW

SiK Telemetry Radio V3 - 915MHz, 100mW

WRL-19032
$89.95

To charge the RTK Facet you will need a USB C cable and a power supply. These are included with the kit but any USB C port should charge the Facet at a maximum rate of 1A per hour.

USB 2.0 Type-C Cable - 1 Meter

USB 2.0 Type-C Cable - 1 Meter

CAB-16905
$4.95
1
Reversible USB A to C Cable - 0.8m

Reversible USB A to C Cable - 0.8m

CAB-15425
$5.50
2
USB-C Wall Adapter - 5.1V, 3A (Black)

USB-C Wall Adapter - 5.1V, 3A (Black)

TOL-16272
$5.50
1
USB Wall Charger - 5V, 2A

USB Wall Charger - 5V, 2A

TOL-16893
$6.50
1

Suggested Reading

GNSS RTK is an incredible feat of engineering that has been made easy to use by powerful GNSS receivers such as the ZED-F9P by u-blox (the receiver inside RTK Facet). The process of setting up an RTK system will be covered in this tutorial but if you want to know more about RTK here are some good tutorials to brush up on:

What is GPS RTK?

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

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.

GPS-RTK2 Hookup Guide

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

Setting up a Rover Base RTK System

Getting GNSS RTCM correction data from a base to a rover is easy with a serial telemetry radio! We'll show you how to get your high precision RTK GNSS system setup and running.

How to Build a DIY GNSS Reference Station

Learn how to affix a GNSS antenna, use PPP to get its ECEF coordinates and then broadcast your own RTCM data over the internet and cellular using NTRIP to increase rover reception to 10km!