Intermediate
30 min

Navigate like a PRO with NEO-M9N and ATmega2560

Find your way, anywhere, anytime

GNSS 7 Click with Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3

Published Feb 14, 2024

Click board™

GNSS 7 Click

Dev. board

Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

ATmega2560

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 Mega 2560 is a robust microcontroller platform built around the ATmega 2560 chip. It has extensive capabilities and boasts 54 digital input/output pins, including 15 PWM outputs, 16 analog inputs, and 4 UARTs. With a 16MHz crystal

oscillator ensuring precise timing, it offers seamless connectivity via USB, a convenient power jack, an ICSP header, and a reset button. This all-inclusive board simplifies microcontroller projects; connect it to your computer via USB or power it up

using an AC-to-DC adapter or battery. Notably, the Mega 2560 maintains compatibility with a wide range of shields crafted for the Uno, Duemilanove, or Diecimila boards, ensuring versatility and ease of integration.

Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3 double side image

Microcontroller Overview

MCU Card / MCU

default

Architecture

AVR

MCU Memory (KB)

256

Silicon Vendor

Microchip

Pin count

100

RAM (Bytes)

8192

You complete me!

Accessories

Click Shield for Arduino Mega comes equipped with four mikroBUS™ sockets, with two in the form of a Shuttle connector, allowing all the Click board™ devices to be interfaced with the Arduino Mega board with no effort. Featuring an AVR 8-bit microcontroller with advanced RISC architecture, 54 digital I/O pins, and Arduino™ compatibility, the Arduino Mega board offers limitless possibilities for prototyping and creating diverse applications. This board is controlled and powered conveniently through a USB connection to program and debug the Arduino Mega board efficiently out of the box, with an additional USB cable connected to the USB B port on the board. Simplify your project development with the integrated ATmega16U2 programmer and unleash creativity using the extensive I/O options and expansion capabilities. There are eight switches, which you can use as inputs, and eight LEDs, which can be used as outputs of the MEGA2560. In addition, the shield features the MCP1501, a high-precision buffered voltage reference from Microchip. This reference is selected by default over the EXT REF jumper at the bottom of the board. You can choose an external one, as you would usually do with an Arduino Mega board. There is also a GND hook for testing purposes. Four additional LEDs are PWR, LED (standard pin D13), RX, and TX LEDs connected to UART1 (mikroBUS™ 1 socket). 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 Mega board with Click Shield for Arduino Mega, you can access hundreds of Click boards™, working with 3.3V or 5V logic voltage levels.

Click Shield for Arduino Mega 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
PF1
AN
Reset
PL1
RST
SPI Chip Select
PL4
CS
SPI Clock
PB1
SCK
SPI Data OUT
PB3
MISO
SPI Data IN
PB2
MOSI
Power Supply
3.3V
3.3V
Ground
GND
GND
External Interrupt
PE4
PWM
Timepulse Signal
PB6
INT
UART TX
PE0
TX
UART RX
PE1
RX
I2C Clock
PD0
SCL
I2C Data
PD1
SDA
NC
NC
5V
Ground
GND
GND
1

Take a closer look

Click board™ Schematic

GNSS 7 Click Schematic schematic

Step by step

Project assembly

Click Shield for Arduino Mega front image hardware assembly

Start by selecting your development board and Click board™. Begin with the Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3 as your development board.

Click Shield for Arduino Mega front image hardware assembly
Arduino Mega 2560 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
Board mapper by product8 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 MEGA 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 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

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 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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