Intermediate
30 min

Utilize signals from multiple satellite constellations with ZOE-M8 and ATmega2560

Precision in every direction

GNSS ZOE Click with Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3

Published Feb 14, 2024

Click board™

GNSS ZOE Click

Dev. board

Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3

Compiler

NECTO Studio

MCU

ATmega2560

Transform your engineering projects with our cutting-edge navigation solution designed to enhance precision and accuracy

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Hardware Overview

How does it work?

GNSS ZOE Click is based on the ZOE-M8Q, u-blox's super small, highly integrated GNSS SiP (System in Package) modules based on the high-performing u-blox M8 concurrent positioning engine. The ultra-miniature form factor integrates a complete GNSS receiver, including an SAW filter, LNA, and TCXO. Incorporating ZOE-M8 into customer designs is simple and straightforward, thanks to the fully integrated design, single voltage supply, low power consumption, simple interface, and sophisticated interference suppression that ensure maximum performance even in GNSS-hostile environments. The ZOE-M8 GNSS SiPs are concurrent GNSS receivers that can receive and track multiple GNSS systems: GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, and BeiDou. Due to the dual-frequency RF front-end architecture, GLONASS or BeiDou can be processed concurrently with GPS and

Galileo signals, thereby providing reception of three GNSS systems. By default, the M8 receivers are configured for concurrent GPS and GLONASS, including SBAS and QZSS reception. If power consumption is a key factor, the receiver should be configured for a single GNSS operation using GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, or BeiDou and disabling QZSS and SBAS. Thanks to onboard 64 Mbit SQI flash memory, GNSS ZOE click can also be used in data logging applications. The data logging feature enables continuous storage of the flash memory's position, velocity, and time information. The information can be downloaded from the receiver later for further analysis or conversion to a mapping tool. Besides the data logging feature, the flash memory can also be used for the AssistNow Offline service. It allows users to conveniently download long-term orbit data

over the Internet and store it on the onboard 64 Mbit SQI flash memory. The ZOE-M8 SiP supports both SPI and I2C/UART communication protocol configurations. Therefore, this Click board™ has communication interface selection jumpers, named COMM SEL, to allow the user to set whether to use SPI communication or I2C/UART combination. Note that there are five SMD jumpers, all of which should be in the same position. 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 ZOE 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 ZOE Click accessories image

Used MCU Pins

mikroBUS™ mapper

NC
NC
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
NC
NC
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 ZOE 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
Arduino Mega 2560 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 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 ZOE Click driver.

Key functions:

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

  • gnsszoe_generic_read - This function reads a desired number of data bytes from the module

  • gnsszoe_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 ZOE Click example
 *
 * # Description
 * This example demonstrates the use of GNSS ZOE click by reading and displaying
 * the GNSS coordinates.
 *
 * 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 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 gnsszoe_clear_app_buf ( void )
 * - static err_t gnsszoe_process ( gnsszoe_t *ctx )
 * - static void gnsszoe_parser_application ( char *rsp )
 *
 * @author Stefan Filipovic
 *
 */

#include "board.h"
#include "log.h"
#include "gnsszoe.h"

#define PROCESS_BUFFER_SIZE 300

static gnsszoe_t gnsszoe;
static log_t logger;

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

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

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

/**
 * @brief GNSS ZOE parser application.
 * @param[in] rsp Response buffer.
 * @details This function logs GNSS data on the USB UART.
 * @return None.
 * @note None.
 */
static void gnsszoe_parser_application ( char *rsp );

void application_init ( void )
{
    log_cfg_t log_cfg;  /**< Logger config object. */
    gnsszoe_cfg_t gnsszoe_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.
    gnsszoe_cfg_setup( &gnsszoe_cfg );
    GNSSZOE_MAP_MIKROBUS( gnsszoe_cfg, MIKROBUS_1 );
    err_t init_flag = gnsszoe_init( &gnsszoe, &gnsszoe_cfg );
    if ( ( UART_ERROR == init_flag ) || ( I2C_MASTER_ERROR == init_flag ) || ( SPI_MASTER_ERROR == init_flag ) )
    {
        log_error( &logger, " Communication init." );
        for ( ; ; );
    }
    
    log_info( &logger, " Application Task " );
}

void application_task ( void )
{
    gnsszoe_process( &gnsszoe );
    if ( app_buf_len > ( sizeof ( GNSSZOE_RSP_GNGGA ) + GNSSZOE_GNGGA_ELEMENT_SIZE ) ) 
    {
        gnsszoe_parser_application( app_buf );
    }
}

void main ( void )
{
    application_init( );

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

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

static err_t gnsszoe_process ( gnsszoe_t *ctx ) 
{
    int32_t rx_size = 0;
    char rx_buf[ PROCESS_BUFFER_SIZE ] = { 0 };
    if ( GNSSZOE_DRV_SEL_UART == ctx->drv_sel )
    {
        rx_size = gnsszoe_generic_read( ctx, rx_buf, PROCESS_BUFFER_SIZE );
    }
    else if ( ( GNSSZOE_DRV_SEL_I2C == ctx->drv_sel ) || ( GNSSZOE_DRV_SEL_SPI == ctx->drv_sel ) )
    {
        if ( GNSSZOE_OK == gnsszoe_generic_read( ctx, rx_buf, 1 ) )
        {
            if ( GNSSZOE_DUMMY != rx_buf[ 0 ] )
            {
                rx_size = 1;
            }
        }
    }
    if ( rx_size > 0 ) 
    {
        int32_t buf_cnt = 0;
        if ( ( app_buf_len + rx_size ) > PROCESS_BUFFER_SIZE ) 
        {
            gnsszoe_clear_app_buf(  );
            return GNSSZOE_ERROR;
        } 
        else 
        {
            buf_cnt = app_buf_len;
            app_buf_len += rx_size;
        }
        for ( int32_t rx_cnt = 0; rx_cnt < rx_size; rx_cnt++ ) 
        {
            if ( rx_buf[ rx_cnt ] ) 
            {
                app_buf[ ( buf_cnt + rx_cnt ) ] = rx_buf[ rx_cnt ];
            }
            else
            {
                app_buf_len--;
                buf_cnt--;
            }
        }
        return GNSSZOE_OK;
    }
    return GNSSZOE_ERROR;
}

static void gnsszoe_parser_application ( char *rsp )
{
    char element_buf[ 100 ] = { 0 };
    if ( GNSSZOE_OK == gnsszoe_parse_gngga( rsp, GNSSZOE_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 ] );
            gnsszoe_parse_gngga( rsp, GNSSZOE_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 ) );
            gnsszoe_parse_gngga( rsp, GNSSZOE_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++;
        }
        gnsszoe_clear_app_buf(  );
    }
}

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

Additional Support

Resources

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