Intermediate
30 min

Navigate like a PRO with NEO-M9N and ATmega328P

Find your way, anywhere, anytime

GNSS 7 Click with Arduino UNO Rev3

Published Feb 14, 2024

Click board™

GNSS 7 Click

Dev Board

Arduino UNO Rev3

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

ATmega328P

Our GNSS solution stands at the forefront of location accuracy, redefining navigation as you know it. Experience unparalleled precision that transforms your journeys into seamless adventures

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Hardware Overview

How does it work?

GNSS 7 Click is based on the NEO-M9N, an ultra-robust meter-level GNSS positioning receiver module from u-blox. The module features onboard serial flash memory, message integrity protection, anti-jamming, anti-spoofing, and many more, making this Click board™ meet even the most stringent requirements in versatile industrial and consumer applications, such as UAVs, vehicles, and assets tracking. For RF optimization, the NEO-M9N module features Advanced filtering algorithms that mitigate the impact of RF interference and jamming, thus enabling the product to operate as intended. NEO-M9N click is designed mainly for use with NSS/GLONASS-compatible active antennas. The NEO-M9 series utilizes concurrent reception of up to four GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo), simultaneously recognizes

multiple constellations, and provides outstanding positioning accuracy in scenarios involving urban canyons or weak signals. The u-blox NEO-M9 modules can also benefit from the u-blox AssistNow assistance service. The Online service provides GNNS 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. Hardware Backup Mode - If the main supply voltage fails and a battery is connected to V_BCKP, parts of the receiver switch off, but the RTC still runs, providing a timing reference for the receiver. This operating mode enables all relevant data to be saved in the backup RAM to allow a hot or warm start later. The GNSS 7-click supports both SPI and I2C/UART communication protocol configurations.

Therefore, this Click board™ has communication interface selection jumpers to allow the user to set whether to use SPI communication or combination. A USB interface (micro USB port), compatible with the USB version 2.0 FS (Full Speed, 12 Mbit/s), can be used for communication as an alternative to the UART. The USB port can also be used as a power supply if you need the click board™ to be a standalone device. 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 7 Click hardware overview image

Features overview

Development board

Arduino UNO is a versatile microcontroller board built around the ATmega328P chip. It offers extensive connectivity options for various projects, featuring 14 digital input/output pins, six of which are PWM-capable, along with six analog inputs. Its core components include a 16MHz ceramic resonator, a USB connection, a power jack, an

ICSP header, and a reset button, providing everything necessary to power and program the board. The Uno is ready to go, whether connected to a computer via USB or powered by an AC-to-DC adapter or battery. As the first USB Arduino board, it serves as the benchmark for the Arduino platform, with "Uno" symbolizing its status as the

first in a series. This name choice, meaning "one" in Italian, commemorates the launch of Arduino Software (IDE) 1.0. Initially introduced alongside version 1.0 of the Arduino Software (IDE), the Uno has since become the foundational model for subsequent Arduino releases, embodying the platform's evolution.

Arduino UNO Rev3 double side image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

Architecture

AVR

MCU Memory (KB)

32

Silicon Vendor

Microchip

Pin count

28

RAM (Bytes)

2048

You complete me!

Accessories

Click Shield for Arduino UNO has two proprietary mikroBUS™ sockets, allowing all the Click board™ devices to be interfaced with the Arduino UNO board without effort. The Arduino Uno, a microcontroller board based on the ATmega328P, provides an affordable and flexible way for users to try out new concepts and build prototypes with the ATmega328P microcontroller from various combinations of performance, power consumption, and features. The Arduino Uno has 14 digital input/output pins (of which six can be used as PWM outputs), six analog inputs, a 16 MHz ceramic resonator (CSTCE16M0V53-R0), a USB connection, a power jack, an ICSP header, and reset button. Most of the ATmega328P microcontroller pins are brought to the IO pins on the left and right edge of the board, which are then connected to two existing mikroBUS™ sockets. This Click Shield also has several switches that perform functions such as selecting the logic levels of analog signals on mikroBUS™ sockets and selecting logic voltage levels of the mikroBUS™ sockets themselves. Besides, the user is offered the possibility of using any Click board™ with the help of existing bidirectional level-shifting voltage translators, regardless of whether the Click board™ operates at a 3.3V or 5V logic voltage level. Once you connect the Arduino UNO board with our Click Shield for Arduino UNO, you can access hundreds of Click boards™, working with 3.3V or 5V logic voltage levels.

Click Shield for Arduino UNO accessories 1 image

GNSS Active External Antenna is a unique multi-band type of antenna coming from u-Blox that is the perfect selection for high precision GNSS applications, which require highly accurate location abilities such as RTK. The ANN-MB-00 is a multi-band (L1, L2/E5b/B2I) active GNSS antenna with a 5m cable and SMA connector. The antenna supports GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou and includes a high-performance multi-band RHCP dual-feed patch antenna element, a built-in high-gain LNA with SAW pre-filtering, and a 5 m antenna cable with SMA connector, and is waterproof.

GNSS 7 Click accessories image

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

Interface Selection
PC0
AN
Reset
PD2
RST
SPI Chip Select
PB2
CS
SPI Clock
PB5
SCK
SPI Data OUT
PB4
MISO
SPI Data IN
PB3
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
External Interrupt
PD6
PWM
Timepulse Signal
PC3
INT
UART TX
PD0
TX
UART RX
PD1
RX
I2C Clock
PC5
SCL
I2C Data
PC4
SDA
NC
NC
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Schematic

GNSS 7 Click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

Click Shield for Arduino UNO front image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the Arduino UNO Rev3 as your development board.

Click Shield for Arduino UNO front image hardware assembly
Arduino UNO Rev3 front image hardware assembly
Charger 27 Click front image hardware assembly
Prog-cut hardware assembly
Charger 27 Click complete accessories setup image hardware assembly
Arduino UNO Rev3 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
Arduino UNO 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 via Debug Mode

1. Once the code example is loaded, pressing the "DEBUG" button initiates the build process, programs it on the created setup, and enters Debug mode.

2. After the programming is completed, a header with buttons for various actions within the IDE becomes visible. Clicking the green "PLAY" button starts reading the results achieved with the Click board™. The achieved results are displayed in the Application Output tab.

DEBUG_Application_Output

Software Support

Library Description

This library contains API for GNSS 7 Click driver.

Key functions:

  • gnss7_generic_read - This function reads a desired number of data bytes by using UART serial interface

  • gnss7_clear_ring_buffers - This function clears UART tx and rx ring buffers

  • gnss7_parse_gngga - This function parses the GNGGA data from the read response buffer

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 main.c
 * @brief GNSS 7 Click Example.
 *
 * # Description
 * This example demonstrates the use of GNSS 7 click by reading and displaying
 * the GPS coordinates.
 *
 * The demo application is composed of two sections :
 *
 * ## Application Init
 * Initializes the driver and logger.
 *
 * ## Application Task
 * Reads the received data, parses the GNGGA info from it, and once it receives the position fix
 * it will start displaying the coordinates on the USB UART.
 *
 * ## Additional Function
 * - static void gnss7_clear_app_buf ( void )
 * - static err_t gnss7_process ( gnss7_t *ctx )
 * - static void gnss7_parser_application ( char *rsp )
 * 
 * @author Stefan Filipovic
 *
 */

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "gnss7.h"
#include "string.h"

#define PROCESS_BUFFER_SIZE 200

static gnss7_t gnss7;
static log_t logger;

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

/**
 * @brief GNSS 7 clearing application buffer.
 * @details This function clears memory of application buffer and reset its length.
 * @return None.
 * @note None.
 */
static void gnss7_clear_app_buf ( void );

/**
 * @brief GNSS 7 data reading function.
 * @details This function reads data from device and concatenates data to application buffer.
 * @param[in] ctx : Click context object.
 * See #gnss7_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 gnss7_process ( gnss7_t *ctx );

/**
 * @brief GNSS 7 parser application function.
 * @details This function parses GNSS data and logs it on the USB UART. It clears app and ring buffers
 * after successfully parsing data.
 * @param[in] ctx : Click context object.
 * See #gnss7_t object definition for detailed explanation.
 * @param[in] rsp Response buffer.
 * @return None.
 * @note None.
 */
static void gnss7_parser_application ( gnss7_t *ctx, char *rsp );

void application_init ( void ) 
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;  /**< Logger config object. */
    gnss7_cfg_t gnss7_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.
    gnss7_cfg_setup( &gnss7_cfg );
    GNSS7_MAP_MIKROBUS( gnss7_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    if ( UART_ERROR == gnss7_init( &gnss7, &gnss7_cfg ) ) 
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}

void application_task ( void ) 
{
    if ( GNSS7_OK == gnss7_process( &gnss7 ) )
    {
        if ( PROCESS_BUFFER_SIZE == app_buf_len )
        {
            gnss7_parser_application( &gnss7, app_buf );
        }
    }
}

void main ( void ) 
{
    application_init( );

    for ( ; ; ) 
    {
        application_task( );
    }
}

static void gnss7_clear_app_buf ( void ) 
{
    memset( app_buf, 0, app_buf_len );
    app_buf_len = 0;
}

static err_t gnss7_process ( gnss7_t *ctx ) 
{
    char rx_buf[ PROCESS_BUFFER_SIZE ] = { 0 };
    int32_t rx_size = 0;
    rx_size = gnss7_generic_read( ctx, rx_buf, PROCESS_BUFFER_SIZE );
    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 GNSS7_OK;
    }
    return GNSS7_ERROR;
}

static void gnss7_parser_application ( gnss7_t *ctx, char *rsp )
{
    char element_buf[ 100 ] = { 0 };
    if ( GNSS7_OK == gnss7_parse_gngga( rsp, GNSS7_GNGGA_LATITUDE, element_buf ) )
    {
        static uint8_t wait_for_fix_cnt = 0;
        if ( strlen( element_buf ) > 0 )
        {
            log_printf( &logger, "\r\n Latitude: %.2s degrees, %s minutes \r\n", element_buf, &element_buf[ 2 ] );
            gnss7_parse_gngga( rsp, GNSS7_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 ) );
            gnss7_parse_gngga( rsp, GNSS7_GNGGA_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++;
        }
        gnss7_clear_ring_buffers( ctx );
        gnss7_clear_app_buf( );
    }
}

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

Additional Support

Resources

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