Improve every journey with LEA-6S and MKV42F64VLH16
Navigate with precision, anywhere, anytime
Published Aug 30, 2023
Click board™
GPS Click
Dev Board
Fusion for Kinetis v8
Compiler
NECTO Studio
MCU
MKV42F64VLH16
Devoted to heightening the travel experience, this solution functions as a guiding beacon, shedding light on routes and destinations and instilling confidence for exploration
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Hardware Overview
How does it work?
GPS Click is based on the LEA-6S, a high-performance position engine module from u-blox. The versatile, standalone LEA-6S receiver combines extensive features with flexible connectivity options. Its ease of integration results in fast time-to-market for various automotive and industrial applications. The positioning engine consists of cold start navigation, AssitsNow Autonomous for faster acquisition, configurable power management, a hybrid GPS/SBAS engine (WAAS, EGNOS, MSAS), and anti-jamming technology. The GPS module needs an SMA GPS antenna for the GPS applications, which can be bought from Mikroe separately. Different power modes (Maximum performance, Eco, Power Save) allow you to control the acquisition and tracking engines to balance performance and power consumption. During a Cold start, a receiver in Maximum Performance Mode continuously deploys the acquisition engine to search for all satellites. Once the receiver has a position fix (or if pre-positioning information is available), the acquisition
engine continues to search for all visible satellites that are not being tracked. During a Cold start, a receiver in Eco Mode works exactly as in Maximum Performance Mode. Once a position can be calculated and a sufficient number of satellites are tracked, the acquisition engine is powered off, resulting in significant power savings. The tracking engine continuously tracks acquired satellites and acquires other available or emerging satellites. Note that even if the acquisition engine is powered off, satellites continue to be acquired. Power Save Mode reduces system power consumption by selectively switching receiver parts on and off. GPS click can simultaneously track up to 16 satellites while searching for new ones. The LEA-6S module’s TTFF (time to first fix) is less than one second — this is the measure of time necessary for a GPS receiver to get satellite signals and navigation data, and based on this information, calculate a position (a fix). The GPS Click is equipped with a TIME PULSE LED as a 1PPS LED for that purpose. The Time Pulse has a 99%
accuracy, and its frequency range is adjustable from 0.25Hz to 1kHz. The Time Pulse can be tracked over the TP pin of the mikroBUS™ socket, too. GPS Click as default communication with the host MCU uses a standard 2-Wire UART interface with commonly used UART RX and TX and supports 4800 and 9600bps, depending on settings. The I2C-compatible Display Data Channel (DDC) can also be used to interface host MCU. It is a standard mode compliant with a maximum bandwidth of 100kbps. On the other hand, GPS Click supports a full-speed USB 2.0 at 1.2Mbps. If such a case emerges, you can always reset the module over the RST pin. 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. Also, this Click board™ comes equipped with a library containing easy-to-use functions and an example code that can be used as a reference for further development.
Features overview
Development board
Fusion for KINETIS v8 is a development board specially designed for the needs of rapid development of embedded applications. It supports a wide range of microcontrollers, such as different 32-bit ARM® Cortex®-M based MCUs from NXP Semiconductor, regardless of their number of pins, and a broad set of unique functions, such as the first-ever embedded debugger/programmer over a WiFi network. The development board is well organized and designed so that the end-user has all the necessary elements, such as switches, buttons, indicators, connectors, and others, in one place. Thanks to innovative manufacturing technology, Fusion for KINETIS v8 provides a fluid and immersive working experience, allowing
access anywhere and under any circumstances at any time. Each part of the Fusion for KINETIS v8 development board contains the components necessary for the most efficient operation of the same board. An advanced integrated CODEGRIP programmer/debugger module offers many valuable programming/debugging options, including support for JTAG, SWD, and SWO Trace (Single Wire Output)), and seamless integration with the Mikroe software environment. Besides, it also includes a clean and regulated power supply module for the development board. It can use a wide range of external power sources, including a battery, an external 12V power supply, and a power source via the USB Type-C (USB-C) connector.
Communication options such as USB-UART, USB HOST/DEVICE, CAN (on the MCU card, if supported), and Ethernet is also included. In addition, it also has the well-established mikroBUS™ standard, a standardized socket for the MCU card (SiBRAIN standard), and two display options for the TFT board line of products and character-based LCD. Fusion for KINETIS v8 is an integral part of the Mikroe ecosystem for rapid development. Natively supported by Mikroe software tools, it covers many aspects of prototyping and development thanks to a considerable number of different Click boards™ (over a thousand boards), the number of which is growing every day.
Microcontroller Overview
MCU Card / MCU
Type
8th Generation
Architecture
ARM Cortex-M4
MCU Memory (KB)
64
Silicon Vendor
NXP
Pin count
64
RAM (Bytes)
16384
You complete me!
Accessories
Active GPS antenna is designed to enhance the performance of your GPS and GNSS Click boards™. This external antenna boasts a robust construction, making it ideal for various weather conditions. With a frequency range of 1575.42MHz and a 50Ohm impedance, it ensures reliable signal reception. The antenna delivers a gain of greater than -4dBic within a wide angular range, securing over 75% coverage. The bandwidth of +/- 5MHz further guarantees precise data acquisition. Featuring a Right-Hand Circular Polarization (RHCP), this antenna offers stable signal reception. Its compact dimensions of 48.53915mm and a 2-meter cable make it easy to install. The magnetic antenna type with an SMA male connector ensures a secure and convenient connection. If you require a dependable external antenna for your locator device, our active GPS antenna is the perfect solution.
Used MCU Pins
mikroBUS™ mapper
Take a closer look
Schematic
Step by step
Project assembly
Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the Fusion for Kinetis v8 as your development board.
Track your results in real time
Application Output
After pressing the "FLASH" button on the left-side panel, it is necessary to open the UART terminal to display the achieved results. By clicking on the Tools icon in the right-hand panel, multiple different functions are displayed, among which is the UART Terminal. Click on the offered "UART Terminal" icon.
Once the UART terminal is opened, the window takes on a new form. At the top of the tab are two buttons, one for adjusting the parameters of the UART terminal and the other for connecting the UART terminal. The tab's lower part is reserved for displaying the achieved results. Before connecting, the terminal has a Disconnected status, indicating that the terminal is not yet active. Before connecting, it is necessary to check the set parameters of the UART terminal. Click on the "OPTIONS" button.
In the newly opened UART Terminal Options field, we check if the terminal settings are correct, such as the set port and the Baud rate of UART communication. If the data is not displayed properly, it is possible that the Baud rate value is not set correctly and needs to be adjusted to 115200. If all the parameters are set correctly, click on "CONFIGURE".
The next step is to click on the "CONNECT" button, after which the terminal status changes from Disconnected to Connected in green, and the data is displayed in the Received data field.
Software Support
Library Description
This library contains API for GPS Click driver.
Key functions:
gps_generic_parser- Generic parser functiongps_generic_read- Generic read functiongps_module_wakeup- Wake-up module
Open Source
Code example
This example can be found in NECTO Studio. Feel free to download the code, or you can copy the code below.
/*!
* \file
* \brief Gps Click example
*
* # Description
* This example reads and processes data from GPS clicks.
*
* The demo application is composed of two sections :
*
* ## Application Init
* Initializes driver and wake-up module.
*
* ## Application Task
* Reads the received data and parses it.
*
* ## Additional Function
* - gps_process ( ) - The general process of collecting data the module sends.
*
*
* \author MikroE Team
*
*/
// ------------------------------------------------------------------- INCLUDES
#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "gps.h"
#include "string.h"
#define PROCESS_COUNTER 15
#define PROCESS_RX_BUFFER_SIZE 600
#define PROCESS_PARSER_BUFFER_SIZE 600
// ------------------------------------------------------------------ VARIABLES
static gps_t gps;
static log_t logger;
static char current_parser_buf[ PROCESS_PARSER_BUFFER_SIZE ];
// ------------------------------------------------------- ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS
static void gps_process ( void )
{
int32_t rsp_size;
uint16_t rsp_cnt = 0;
char uart_rx_buffer[ PROCESS_RX_BUFFER_SIZE ] = { 0 };
uint16_t check_buf_cnt;
uint8_t process_cnt = PROCESS_COUNTER;
// Clear parser buffer
memset( current_parser_buf, 0 , PROCESS_PARSER_BUFFER_SIZE );
while( process_cnt != 0 )
{
rsp_size = gps_generic_read( &gps, &uart_rx_buffer, PROCESS_RX_BUFFER_SIZE );
if ( rsp_size > 0 )
{
// Validation of the received data
for ( check_buf_cnt = 0; check_buf_cnt < rsp_size; check_buf_cnt++ )
{
if ( uart_rx_buffer[ check_buf_cnt ] == 0 )
{
uart_rx_buffer[ check_buf_cnt ] = 13;
}
}
// Storages data in parser buffer
rsp_cnt += rsp_size;
if ( rsp_cnt < PROCESS_PARSER_BUFFER_SIZE )
{
strncat( current_parser_buf, uart_rx_buffer, rsp_size );
}
// Clear RX buffer
memset( uart_rx_buffer, 0, PROCESS_RX_BUFFER_SIZE );
}
else
{
process_cnt--;
// Process delay
Delay_100ms( );
}
}
}
static void parser_application ( char *rsp )
{
char element_buf[ 200 ] = { 0 };
log_printf( &logger, "\r\n-----------------------\r\n" );
gps_generic_parser( rsp, GPS_NEMA_GPGGA, GPS_GPGGA_LATITUDE, element_buf );
if ( strlen( element_buf ) > 0 )
{
log_printf( &logger, "Latitude: %.2s degrees, %s minutes \r\n", element_buf, &element_buf[ 2 ] );
gps_generic_parser( rsp, GPS_NEMA_GPGGA, GPS_GPGGA_LONGITUDE, element_buf );
log_printf( &logger, "Longitude: %.3s degrees, %s minutes \r\n", element_buf, &element_buf[ 3 ] );
memset( element_buf, 0, sizeof( element_buf ) );
gps_generic_parser( rsp, GPS_NEMA_GPGGA, GPS_GPGGA_ALTITUDE, element_buf );
log_printf( &logger, "Altitude: %s m", element_buf );
}
else
{
log_printf( &logger, "Waiting for the position fix..." );
}
}
// ------------------------------------------------------ APPLICATION FUNCTIONS
void application_init ( void )
{
log_cfg_t log_cfg;
gps_cfg_t cfg;
/**
* Logger initialization.
* Default baud rate: 115200
* Default log level: LOG_LEVEL_DEBUG
* @note If USB_UART_RX and USB_UART_TX
* are defined as HAL_PIN_NC, you will
* need to define them manually for log to work.
* See @b LOG_MAP_USB_UART macro definition for detailed explanation.
*/
LOG_MAP_USB_UART( log_cfg );
log_init( &logger, &log_cfg );
log_info( &logger, "---- Application Init ----" );
// Click initialization.
gps_cfg_setup( &cfg );
GPS_MAP_MIKROBUS( cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
gps_init( &gps, &cfg );
gps_module_wakeup( &gps );
Delay_ms( 5000 );
}
void application_task ( void )
{
gps_process( );
parser_application( current_parser_buf );
}
void main ( void )
{
application_init( );
for ( ; ; )
{
application_task( );
}
}
// ------------------------------------------------------------------------ END
