Beginner
10 min

Achieve high-precision navigation and tracking capabilities, particularly in the automotive sector, with TESEO-VIC3DA and PIC18F57Q43

Upgrade automotive and precision applications with next-generation navigation and tracking technology

GNSS 15 Click with Curiosity Nano with PIC18F57Q43

Published Feb 23, 2024

Click board™

GNSS 15 Click

Dev. board

Curiosity Nano with PIC18F57Q43

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

PIC18F57Q43

Precision GNSS tracking and accurate odometer readings converge in a single solution optimized for superior automotive navigation and distance monitoring

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Hardware Overview

How does it work?

GNSS 15 Click is based on the TESEO-VIC3DA, an advanced automotive GNSS dead-reckoning module from STMicroelectronics that integrates a 6-axis IMU. This module stands out for its capability to simultaneously utilize data from multiple satellite constellations such as GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou, and QZSS, thanks to the TeseoIII single-die standalone positioning receiver IC. Additionally, it incorporates an ST 3D IMU sensor to facilitate Teseo dead reckoning in an automotive context (Teseo-DRAW). Thanks to its rich features, this Click board™ is designed for ease of use in automotive applications, delivering high accuracy, quick time-to-first-fix (TTFF), and reliable dead reckoning. The TESEO-VIC3DA supports firmware configurability and upgrades, further simplifying its integration and use. It features onboard firmware that eliminates the need for external memory for GNSS operations, including tracking, sensor fusion, and navigation. It enhances its usability with

features like autonomous assisted GNSS for up to 7 days and predictive and real-time assisted GNSS. GNSS 15 Click supports UART and I2C interfaces to communicate with a host MCU. By default, the board communicates via UART, providing various functionalities similar to the industry-standard 16C650 UART. When operating in I2C mode, the module functions as a slave device only. Besides communication pins, additional used pins on the mikroBUS™ socket include the WUP pin for asynchronous wake-up from Standby mode, the IRQ pin for internal event notifications, and the RST pin for module resets. The Click board™ features two specialized pins, FWD and WTICK, to acquire odometer information. The FWD pin indicates movement direction, with high and low logic levels signifying forward and backward movement, respectively. Meanwhile, the WTICK pin generates a pulse signal corresponding to wheel movement. An orange PPS LED indicator on the board

signifies the time pulse per second, which can be configured to various pulse conditions. Moreover, the GNSS 15 Click includes an SMA antenna connector for connecting an active GNSS antenna, available through the MIKROE shop. The antenna's circuit also utilizes a TPS22943 current-limited load switch from Texas Instruments to manage power consumption efficiently during Standby mode, optimizing for low-power operation. The TESEO-VIC3DA operates at a 3.3V logic voltage level, supplied through the mikroBUS™ power rail. It also has a backup supply, selected through a VBAT switch, provided via VEXT pins or a 3.3V power rail, ensuring compatibility with different power sources. When pairing the board with MCUs operating at non-3.3V logic levels, appropriate logic voltage level conversion is required. Additionally, this Click board™ comes equipped with a library containing functions and an example code that can be used as a reference for further development.

GNSS 15 Click hardware overview image

Features overview

Development board

PIC18F57Q43 Curiosity Nano evaluation kit is a cutting-edge hardware platform designed to evaluate microcontrollers within the PIC18-Q43 family. Central to its design is the inclusion of the powerful PIC18F57Q43 microcontroller (MCU), offering advanced functionalities and robust performance. Key features of this evaluation kit include a yellow user LED and a responsive

mechanical user switch, providing seamless interaction and testing. The provision for a 32.768kHz crystal footprint ensures precision timing capabilities. With an onboard debugger boasting a green power and status LED, programming and debugging become intuitive and efficient. Further enhancing its utility is the Virtual serial port (CDC) and a debug GPIO channel (DGI

GPIO), offering extensive connectivity options. Powered via USB, this kit boasts an adjustable target voltage feature facilitated by the MIC5353 LDO regulator, ensuring stable operation with an output voltage ranging from 1.8V to 5.1V, with a maximum output current of 500mA, subject to ambient temperature and voltage constraints.

PIC18F57Q43 Curiosity Nano double side image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

Architecture

PIC

MCU Memory (KB)

128

Silicon Vendor

Microchip

Pin count

48

RAM (Bytes)

8196

You complete me!

Accessories

Curiosity Nano Base for Click boards is a versatile hardware extension platform created to streamline the integration between Curiosity Nano kits and extension boards, tailored explicitly for the mikroBUS™-standardized Click boards and Xplained Pro extension boards. This innovative base board (shield) offers seamless connectivity and expansion possibilities, simplifying experimentation and development. Key features include USB power compatibility from the Curiosity Nano kit, alongside an alternative external power input option for enhanced flexibility. The onboard Li-Ion/LiPo charger and management circuit ensure smooth operation for battery-powered applications, simplifying usage and management. Moreover, the base incorporates a fixed 3.3V PSU dedicated to target and mikroBUS™ power rails, alongside a fixed 5.0V boost converter catering to 5V power rails of mikroBUS™ sockets, providing stable power delivery for various connected devices.

Curiosity Nano Base for Click boards accessories 1 image

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.

GNSS 15 Click accessories 1 image

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

NC
NC
AN
Reset
PA7
RST
ID COMM
PD4
CS
NC
NC
SCK
NC
NC
MISO
NC
NC
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
Module Wake-Up
PB0
PWM
Interrupt
PA6
INT
UART TX
PC3
TX
UART RX
PC2
RX
I2C Clock
PB2
SCL
I2C Data
PB1
SDA
NC
NC
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Click board™ Schematic

GNSS 15 Click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

Curiosity Nano Base for Click boards front image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the Curiosity Nano with PIC18F57Q43 as your development board.

Curiosity Nano Base for Click boards front image hardware assembly
Charger 27 Click front image hardware assembly
PIC18F47Q10 Curiosity Nano front image hardware assembly
Prog-cut hardware assembly
Charger 27 Click complete accessories setup image hardware assembly
Curiosity Nano with PICXXX Access MB 1 - upright/background hardware assembly
Necto image step 2 hardware assembly
Necto image step 3 hardware assembly
Necto image step 4 hardware assembly
Necto image step 5 hardware assembly
Necto image step 6 hardware assembly
PIC18F57Q43 Curiosity MCU Step hardware assembly
Necto No Display image step 8 hardware assembly
Necto image step 9 hardware assembly
Necto image step 10 hardware assembly
Debug Image Necto Step 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 15 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • gnss15_parse_gpgga - This function parses the GPGGA data from the read response buffer

  • gnss15_reset_device - This function resets the device by toggling the RST pin

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 main.c
 * @brief GNSS 15 Click Example.
 *
 * # Description
 * This example demonstrates the use of GNSS 15 click board by processing
 * the incoming data and displaying them on the USB UART.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 *
 * ## Application Init
 * Initializes the driver and resets the click board.
 *
 * ## Application Task
 * Reads the received data, parses the GPGGA info from it, and once it receives the position fix
 * it will start displaying the coordinates on the USB UART.
 *
 * ## Additional Function
 * - static void gnss15_clear_app_buf ( void )
 * - static err_t gnss15_process ( gnss15_t *ctx )
 * - static void gnss15_parser_application ( uint8_t *rsp )
 *
 * @author Nenad Filipovic
 *
 */

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "gnss15.h"

// Application buffer size
#define PROCESS_BUFFER_SIZE         200

static gnss15_t gnss15;
static log_t logger;

static uint8_t app_buf[ PROCESS_BUFFER_SIZE ] = { 0 };
static int32_t app_buf_len = 0;

/**
 * @brief GNSS 15 clearing application buffer.
 * @details This function clears memory of application buffer and reset its length.
 * @note None.
 */
static void gnss15_clear_app_buf ( void );

/**
 * @brief GNSS 15 data reading function.
 * @details This function reads data from device and concatenates data to application buffer. 
 * @param[in] ctx : Click context object.
 * See #gnss15_t object definition for detailed explanation.
 * @return @li @c  0 - Read some data.
 *         @li @c -1 - Nothing is read.
 * See #err_t definition for detailed explanation.
 * @note None.
 */
static err_t gnss15_process ( gnss15_t *ctx );

/**
 * @brief GNSS 15 parser application.
 * @details This function reads and parse data from device.
 * @param[in] rsp Response buffer.
 * @details This function logs GNSS data on the USB UART.
 * @return None.
 * @note None.
 */
static void gnss15_parser_application ( uint8_t *rsp );

void application_init ( void ) 
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;  /**< Logger config object. */
    gnss15_cfg_t gnss15_cfg;  /**< Click config object. */

    /** 
     * 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.
    gnss15_cfg_setup( &gnss15_cfg );
    GNSS15_MAP_MIKROBUS( gnss15_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    if ( UART_ERROR == gnss15_init( &gnss15, &gnss15_cfg ) ) 
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}

void application_task ( void ) 
{
    if ( GNSS15_OK == gnss15_process( &gnss15 ) )
    {
        if ( app_buf_len > ( sizeof ( GNSS15_RSP_GPGGA ) + GNSS15_GPGGA_ELEMENT_SIZE ) ) 
        {
            gnss15_parser_application( app_buf );
        }
    }
}

int main ( void ) 
{
    application_init( );
    
    for ( ; ; ) 
    {
        application_task( );
    }

    return 0;
}

static void gnss15_clear_app_buf ( void ) 
{
    memset( app_buf, 0, app_buf_len );
    app_buf_len = 0;
}

static err_t gnss15_process ( gnss15_t *ctx ) 
{
    int32_t rx_size = 0;
    uint8_t rx_buf[ PROCESS_BUFFER_SIZE ] = { 0 };
    if ( GNSS15_DRV_SEL_UART == ctx->drv_sel )
    {
        rx_size = gnss15_generic_read( ctx, rx_buf, PROCESS_BUFFER_SIZE );
    }
    else
    {
        if ( GNSS15_OK == gnss15_generic_read( ctx, rx_buf, 1 ) )
        {
            if ( GNSS15_DUMMY != rx_buf[ 0 ] )
            {
                rx_size = 1;
            }
        }
    }
    if ( rx_size > 0 ) 
    {
        int32_t buf_cnt = app_buf_len;
        if ( ( ( app_buf_len + rx_size ) > PROCESS_BUFFER_SIZE ) && ( app_buf_len > 0 ) ) 
        {
            buf_cnt = PROCESS_BUFFER_SIZE - ( ( app_buf_len + rx_size ) - PROCESS_BUFFER_SIZE );
            memmove ( app_buf, &app_buf[ PROCESS_BUFFER_SIZE - buf_cnt ], buf_cnt );
        }
        for ( int32_t rx_cnt = 0; rx_cnt < rx_size; rx_cnt++ ) 
        {
            if ( rx_buf[ rx_cnt ] ) 
            {
                app_buf[ buf_cnt++ ] = rx_buf[ rx_cnt ];
                if ( app_buf_len < PROCESS_BUFFER_SIZE )
                {
                    app_buf_len++;
                }
            }
        }
        return GNSS15_OK;
    }
    return GNSS15_ERROR;
}

static void gnss15_parser_application ( uint8_t *rsp )
{
    uint8_t element_buf[ 100 ] = { 0 };
    if ( GNSS15_OK == gnss15_parse_gpgga( rsp, GNSS15_GPGGA_LATITUDE, element_buf ) )
    {
        static uint8_t wait_for_fix_cnt = 0;
        if ( ( strlen( element_buf ) > 0 ) && ( !strstr ( element_buf, GNSS15_RSP_NO_FIX ) ) )
        {
            log_printf( &logger, "\r\n Latitude: %.2s degrees, %s minutes \r\n", element_buf, &element_buf[ 2 ] );
            gnss15_parse_gpgga( rsp, GNSS15_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 ) );
            gnss15_parse_gpgga( rsp, GNSS15_GPGGA_ALTITUDE, element_buf );
            log_printf( &logger, " Altitude: %s m \r\n", element_buf );
            wait_for_fix_cnt = 0;
        }
        else
        {
            if ( wait_for_fix_cnt % 5 == 0 )
            {
                log_printf( &logger, " Waiting for the position fix...\r\n\n" );
                wait_for_fix_cnt = 0;
            }
            wait_for_fix_cnt++;
        }
        gnss15_clear_app_buf(  );
    }
}

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

Additional Support

Resources

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