Intermediate
30 min

Achieve precise positioning with SAM-M8Q and TM4C129ENCPDT for accurate and reliable location tracking

Navigate like a pro

GNSS 4 click with Fusion for Tiva v8

Published Aug 30, 2023

Click board™

GNSS 4 click

Dev. board

Fusion for Tiva v8

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

TM4C129ENCPDT

By fostering positioning awareness, our solution empowers individuals to prioritize accurate location data, promoting a reliable navigation and connectivity culture

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Hardware Overview

How does it work?

GNSS 4 Click is based on the SAM-M8Q, a patch antenna module from u-blox. The click is designed to run on a 3.3V power supply. It communicates with the target microcontroller over the I2C or UART interface. GNSS stands for Global Navigation Satellite System, an umbrella term that describes the United States GPS, the Russian GLONASS global positioning systems, and European Galileo. The SAM-M8Q module utilizes concurrent reception of up to three GNSS systems (GPS/Galileo and GLONASS), recognizes multiple constellations simultaneously, and provides outstanding positioning accuracy in scenarios involving urban canyons or weak signals.

The GNSS patch antenna is RHCP (right-hand circular polarization) and has a peak gain of 3 dBic. The patch antenna is insensitive to surroundings and has a high tolerance against frequency shifts. u-blox M8 technology offers a power-optimized architecture with built-in autonomous power-saving functions to minimize power consumption at any given time. Furthermore, the receiver can be used in two operating modes: Continuous mode for best performance or Power Save Mode for optimized power consumption. The u-blox SAM-M8Q module can also benefit from the u-blox AssistNow assistance service. The Online service provides GNSS broadcast parameters,

e.g., ephemeris, almanac plus time, or rough position, to reduce the receiver’s time first to fix significantly and improve acquisition sensitivity. The extended validity of AssistNow Offline data (up to 35 days) and AssistNow Autonomous data (up to 3 days) provide faster acquisition after a long time. 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, it comes equipped with a library containing functions and an example code that can be used as a reference for further development.

GNSS 4 Click top side image
GNSS 4 Click bottom side image

Features overview

Development board

Fusion for TIVA 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 Texas Instruments, 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 TIVA v8 provides a fluid and immersive working experience, allowing access

anywhere and under any circumstances at any time. Each part of the Fusion for TIVA 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 TIVA 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.

Fusion for Tiva v8 horizontal image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

Type

8th Generation

Architecture

ARM Cortex-M4

MCU Memory (KB)

1024

Silicon Vendor

Texas Instruments

Pin count

128

RAM (Bytes)

262144

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

NC
NC
AN
Reset
PK3
RST
NC
NC
CS
NC
NC
SCK
NC
NC
MISO
NC
NC
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
NC
NC
PWM
NC
NC
INT
UART TX
PK1
TX
UART RX
PK0
RX
I2C Clock
PD2
SCL
I2C Data
PD3
SDA
NC
NC
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Click board™ Schematic

GNSS 4 click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

Fusion for PIC v8 front image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the Fusion for Tiva v8 as your development board.

Fusion for PIC v8 front image hardware assembly
GNSS2 Click front image hardware assembly
SiBRAIN for PIC32MZ1024EFK144 front image hardware assembly
Board mapper by product7 hardware assembly
Necto image step 2 hardware assembly
Necto image step 3 hardware assembly
Necto image step 4 hardware assembly
NECTO Compiler Selection Step Image hardware assembly
NECTO Output Selection Step Image hardware assembly
Necto image step 6 hardware assembly
Necto image step 7 hardware assembly
Necto image step 8 hardware assembly
Necto image step 9 hardware assembly
Necto image step 10 hardware assembly
Necto PreFlash Image hardware assembly

Track your results in real time

Application Output

1. Application Output - In Debug mode, the 'Application Output' window enables real-time data monitoring, offering direct insight into execution results. Ensure proper data display by configuring the environment correctly using the provided tutorial.

2. UART Terminal - Use the UART Terminal to monitor data transmission via a USB to UART converter, allowing direct communication between the Click board™ and your development system. Configure the baud rate and other serial settings according to your project's requirements to ensure proper functionality. For step-by-step setup instructions, refer to the provided tutorial.

3. Plot Output - The Plot feature offers a powerful way to visualize real-time sensor data, enabling trend analysis, debugging, and comparison of multiple data points. To set it up correctly, follow the provided tutorial, which includes a step-by-step example of using the Plot feature to display Click board™ readings. To use the Plot feature in your code, use the function: plot(*insert_graph_name*, variable_name);. This is a general format, and it is up to the user to replace 'insert_graph_name' with the actual graph name and 'variable_name' with the parameter to be displayed.

Software Support

Library Description

This library contains API for GNSS 4 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • gnss4_generic_parser - Generic parser function

  • gnss4_generic_read - Generic read function

  • gnss4_module_wakeup - Wake-up module.

Open Source

Code example

The complete application code and a ready-to-use project are available through the NECTO Studio Package Manager for direct installation in the NECTO Studio. The application code can also be found on the MIKROE GitHub account.

/*!
 * \file 
 * \brief Gnss4 Click example
 * 
 * # Description
 * This example reads and processes data from GNSS4 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
 * - gnss4_process ( ) - The general process of collecting data the module sends.
 * 
 * ## NOTE 
 * Depending on the environmental conditions and the satellites availability
 * it may take up to 10 minutes for the module to receive the position fix.
 * 
 * \author MikroE Team
 *
 */
// ------------------------------------------------------------------- INCLUDES

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "gnss4.h"
#include "string.h"

#define PROCESS_COUNTER 15
#define PROCESS_RX_BUFFER_SIZE 600
#define PROCESS_PARSER_BUFFER_SIZE 600

// ------------------------------------------------------------------ VARIABLES

static gnss4_t gnss4;
static log_t logger;

static char current_parser_buf[ PROCESS_PARSER_BUFFER_SIZE ];

// ------------------------------------------------------- ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS

static void gnss4_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 = gnss4_generic_read( &gnss4, &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_ms ( 100 );
        }
    }
}

static void parser_application ( char *rsp )
{
    char element_buf[ 200 ] = { 0 };
    
    log_printf( &logger, "\r\n-----------------------\r\n" ); 
    gnss4_generic_parser( rsp, GNSS4_NEMA_GNGGA, GNSS4_GNGGA_LATITUDE, element_buf );
    if ( strlen( element_buf ) > 0 )
    {
        log_printf( &logger, "Latitude:  %.2s degrees, %s minutes \r\n", element_buf, &element_buf[ 2 ] );
        gnss4_generic_parser( rsp, GNSS4_NEMA_GNGGA, GNSS4_GNGGA_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 ) );
        gnss4_generic_parser( rsp, GNSS4_NEMA_GNGGA, GNSS4_GNGGA_ALTITUDE, element_buf );
        log_printf( &logger, "Alitude: %s m", element_buf );  
    }
    else
    {
        log_printf( &logger, "Waiting for the position fix..." );
    }
}

// ------------------------------------------------------ APPLICATION FUNCTIONS

void application_init ( void )
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;
    gnss4_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.

    gnss4_cfg_setup( &cfg );
    GNSS4_MAP_MIKROBUS( cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    gnss4_init( &gnss4, &cfg );

    gnss4_module_wakeup( &gnss4 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
    Delay_ms ( 1000 );
}

void application_task ( void )
{
    gnss4_process(  );
    parser_application( current_parser_buf );
}

int main ( void ) 
{
    /* Do not remove this line or clock might not be set correctly. */
    #ifdef PREINIT_SUPPORTED
    preinit();
    #endif
    
    application_init( );
    
    for ( ; ; ) 
    {
        application_task( );
    }

    return 0;
}


// ------------------------------------------------------------------------ END

Additional Support

Resources

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