EVK-M8N-0 - FASTRAX - Datasheet.Live

EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8

Evaluation Kits (PCB Version C/D)

User Guide



Abstract

This document describes the structure and use of the EVK-7 / EVK-

8 / EVK M8 evaluation kits and

provides information for evaluating and testing u blox 7, u-blox 8 and u-

blox M8 positioning

technology.

www.u-blox.com

UBX-14002502 - R10

EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8 - User Guide

UBX-14002502 - R10 Early Production Information Page 2 of 25

Document Information

Title EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8

Subtitle User Guide

Document type User Guide

Document number UBX-14002502

Revision and date R10 3-Sep-2018

Document status Early Production Information

European Union regulatory compliance

EVK-7P, EVK-M8N, EVK-M8C, EVK-M8MEVA, EVK-M8QEVA and EVK-8N comply with all relevant requirements for RED

2014/53/EU. The relevant Declaration of Conformity (DoC) is available at www.u-blox.com within Support > Product

resources > Conformity Declaration.

This document applies to the following products:

Product name Type number Hardware version ROM/FLASH version EOL/PCN reference

EVK-7N EVK-7N-0-000 C ROM 1.00 Flash FW1.00 UBX-17049159 (EOL)

EVK-7C EVK-7C-0-000 C ROM 1.00, 1.01, Flash FW1.00 UBX-17049159 (EOL)

EVK-7P EVK-7P-0-000 C ROM 1.00 PPP1.01, Flash FW1.00 N/A

EVK-7EVA EVK-7EVA-0-000 C ROM 1.00 UBX-17049159 (EOL)

EVK-M8N EVK-M8N-0-01 D Flash SPG 3.01 N/A

EVK-M8C EVK-M8C-0-01 D Flash SPG 3.01 N/A

EVK-M8MEVA EVK-M8MEVA-0-01 D ROM SPG 3.01 N/A

EVK-M8QEVA EVK-M8QEVA-0-00 D ROM SPG 3.01 N/A

EVK-8N EVK-8N-0-00 D ROM SPG 3.01 N/A

u-blox or third parties may hold intellectual property rights in the products, names, logos and designs included in this

document. Copying, reproduction, modification or disclosure to third parties of this document or any part thereof is only

permitted with the

express written permission of u-blox.

The information contained herein is provided “as is” and u

-blox assumes no liability for its use. No warranty, either express or

implied, is given, including but not limited

to, with respect to the accuracy, correctness, reliability and fitness for a particular

purpose of the information. This document may be revised by u

-blox at any time without notice. For the most recent

documents, visit www.u

-blox.com.

-blox AG.

EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8 - User Guide

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Contents

Contents .......................................................................................................................................................... 3

1 Product description .............................................................................................................................. 4

1.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................................................ 4

1.2 Kit includes ................................................................................................................................................... 4

1.3 Software and documentation ................................................................................................................... 4

1.3.1 u-center GNSS evaluation software ............................................................................................... 5

1.4 System requirements ................................................................................................................................ 5

2 Specifications ......................................................................................................................................... 6

2.1 Safety precautions ..................................................................................................................................... 6

3 Getting Started ...................................................................................................................................... 7

3.1 Software installation .................................................................................................................................. 7

3.2 Hardware installation ................................................................................................................................. 7

3.3 Serial port default configuration.............................................................................................................. 7

4 Device description ................................................................................................................................. 8

4.1 Interface connection and measurement ................................................................................................ 8

4.2 Active antenna ............................................................................................................................................. 8

4.3 Evaluation unit ............................................................................................................................................. 8

4.3.1 Antenna connector ............................................................................................................................. 9

4.3.2 USB ........................................................................................................................................................ 9

4.3.3 UART ..................................................................................................................................................... 9

4.3.4 Time Pulse ............................................................................................................................................ 9

4.3.5 RST button ......................................................................................................................................... 10

4.3.6 Safe boot button ............................................................................................................................... 10

4.3.7 Slide Switch ....................................................................................................................................... 10

4.3.8 Test Connector ................................................................................................................................. 10

4.3.9 LED....................................................................................................................................................... 12

4.3.10 Backup Battery .................................................................................................................................. 12

4.3.11 GNSS Configuration ......................................................................................................................... 12

4.3.12 RTC Configuration (EVK-7EVA and EVK-M8MEVA) ................................................................. 12

5 Measuring tracking current ............................................................................................................ 13

6 Board layout .......................................................................................................................................... 14

6.1 PCB Version C ............................................................................................................................................ 14

6.2 PCB Version D ............................................................................................................................................ 16

7 Schematic ............................................................................................................................................. 18

8 Battery replacement ......................................................................................................................... 19

9 Troubleshooting .................................................................................................................................. 20

10 Common evaluation pitfalls ............................................................................................................ 22

Related documents ................................................................................................................................... 23

Revision history .......................................................................................................................................... 24

Contact .......................................................................................................................................................... 25

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1 Product description

1.1 Overview

EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8 evaluation kits make evaluating the high performance u-blox 7, u-blox 8 and

u-blox M8 positioning products simple. The built-in USB interface provides both power supply and

high-speed data transfer, and eliminates the need for an external power supply. The u-blox

evaluation kits are compact, and their user friendly interface and power supply make them ideally

suited for use in laboratories, vehicles and outdoor locations. Furthermore, they can be used with a

PDA or a notebook PC, making them the perfect companion through all stages of design-in projects.

Evaluation Kit Description Suitable for

EVK-7N u-blox 7 Evaluation Kit with TCXO MAX-7Q; MAX-7W; NEO-7N

u-blox 7 GNSS chips with TCXO

EVK-7C u-blox 7 Evaluation Kit with Crystal MAX-7C; NEO-7M

u-blox 7 GNSS chips with Crystal

EVK-7P u-blox 7 Evaluation Kit with Precise Point Positioning NEO-7P

EVK-7EVA u-blox 7 Evaluation Kit with EVA-7M EVA-7M

EVK-M8N u-blox M8 Evaluation Kit with TCXO MAX-M8Q;MAX-M8W; NEO-M8N; NEO-M8Q; LEA-

M8S u-blox M8 concurrent GNSS chips with TCXO

EVK-M8C u-blox M8 Evaluation Kit with Crystal MAX-M8C; NEO-M8M

u-blox M8 concurrent GNSS chips with Crystal

MAX-8C, u-blox 8 GNSS chips with Crystal

EVK-M8MEVA u-blox M8 Evaluation Kit with EVA-M8M-0 EVA-M8M, EVA-8M

EVK-M8QEVA u-blox M8 Evaluation Kit with EVA-M8Q EVA-M8Q

EVK-8N u-blox 8 Evaluation Kit with TCXO MAX-8Q; NEO-8Q

u-blox 8 GNSS chips with TCXO

Table 1: List of available EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8 evaluation kits

☞ The EVK may have features not available on the real product. Refer to the product data sheet to

see if a feature is available on the specific product.

☞ EVK-M8C and EVK-M8MEVA to be set in single GPS or single GLONASS mode for evaluating

MAX-8C, u-blox 8 chip with crystal or EVA-8M. More information about GNSS configuration, see

section 4.3.11.

1.2 Kit includes

• Evaluation unit

• USB cable

• antenna with 3 m cable

o For u-blox 7 and 8 EVK: Active GPS / GLONASS antenna

o For u-blox M8 EVK: Active GPS / Galileo / GLONASS / BeiDou antenna

• Quick Start card

1.3 Software and documentation

The EVK installation software (and documentation) package can be downloaded from the Web; see

the Quick Start card for the URL. Separate installation packages are available for EVK-7, EVK-8 or

EVK-M8.

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1.3.1 u-center GNSS evaluation software

The installation software includes u-center, an interactive tool for configuration, testing,

visualization and data analysis of GNSS receivers. It provides useful assistance during all phases of

a system integration project.

1.4 System requirements

• PC with USB interface

• Operating system: Windows Vista onwards (x86 and x64 versions)

• USB drivers are provided in the evaluation kit installation software

EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8 User Guide

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2 Specifications

Parameter Specification

Serial Interfaces 1 USB V2.0

1 RS232, max. baud rate 921,6 kBd

DB9 +/- 12 V level

14 pin – 3.3 V logic

1 DDC (I2C compatible) max. 400 kHz

1 SPI – clock signal max. 5,5 MHz – SPI DATA max. 1 Mbit/s

Timing Interfaces 1 Time pulse output1

Dimensions 105 x 64 x 26 mm

Power Supply 5V via USB or external powered via extra power supply

pin 14 (V5_IN) 13 (GND)

Normal Operating temperature -40°C to +65°C

Table 2: EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8 specifications

2.1 Safety precautions

EVK-7 and EVK-M8 must be supplied by an external limited power source in compliance with clause

2.5 of the standard IEC 60950-1. In addition to an external limited power source, only separated or

Safety Extra-Low Voltage (SELV) circuits are to be connected to the evaluation kit, including

interfaces and antennas.

☞ For more information about SELV circuits see section 2.2 in

Safety standard IEC 60950-1

[26].

1 Time pulse not available in all EVK versions. Refer to section 4.3.4 on how to check availability of Time pulse 1 on your EVK.

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3 Getting Started

3.1 Software installation

☞ Installation of the EVK-7, EVK-8 or EVK-M8 software and documentation requires Internet

access.

Choose Software only or Software and documentation installation package from u-blox website.

Once the zip file is downloaded and unzipped, unzip the file in Tools folder and double-click the

extracted exe file.

The software components will be installed on your system and placed under the “u-blox” folder in the

“Start  Programs” menu.

3.2 Hardware installation

1. Connect the unit to a PC running Microsoft Windows. Options:

o USB: Connect via USB port.

o UART: Connect via RS232. Set slide switch to I2C.

o SPI / I2C compliant DDC: Connect corresponding pins (see Table 5 for pin description). Set

slide switch accordingly to SPI or I2C.

☞ Press the RST button after changing the switch.

2. The device must always have power, either via USB on the back or the V5_IN input on the front.

3. Connect the GNSS antenna to the evaluation unit and place the antenna in a location with good

sky view.

4. Start the u-center GNSS Evaluation Software and select corresponding COM port and baud rate.

☞ Refer to the u-center User Guide [21] for more information.

3.3 Serial port default configuration

Parameter Description Remark

UART Port 1, Input UBX and NMEA protocol at 9’600 Bd

UART Port 1, Output UBX and NMEA protocol at 9’600 Bd Only NMEA messages are activated

USB, Input UBX and NMEA protocol

USB, Output UBX and NMEA protocol Only NMEA messages are activated

Table 3: Default configuration

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4 Device description

4.1 Interface connection and measurement

For connecting the EVK to a PC, use a standard SUBD-9 cable and the included USB cable.

Additional measurement equipment can be connected to the front connector.

Figure 1: Connecting the unit for power supply and communication

4.2 Active antenna

EVK-7 and EVK-8 evaluation kits include a GPS / GLONASS antenna with a 3.0 m cable. It is possible

to connect various active and passive GNSS antennas with SMA connectors to the evaluation unit.

EVK-M8 evaluation kits include a GPS / Galileo / GLONASS / BeiDou antenna with a 3 m cable. It is

possible to connect various active and passive GNSS antennas with SMA connectors to the

evaluation unit.

The recommended maximum antenna supply current for active antennas is 30 mA.

☞ The characterization and certifications for EVK-M8MEVA and EVK-M8QEVA are applicable only

with the active GNSS antenna included in the evaluation kit (or comparable),

4.3 Evaluation unit

Figure 2 shows the front and the rear panel of the EVK-7 or EVK-M8 evaluation unit.

Front panel

Rear panel

Figure 2: EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8 evaluation unit – front and rear panels

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4.3.1 Antenna connector

An SMA female jack is available on the front side (see Figure 2) of the evaluation unit for connecting

an active or passive antenna. DC voltage at the RF input is 3.3 V. The internal short circuit protection

limits the maximum current to 60 mA. Please note that the 30 mA maximum supply current for

active antenna stays the same. This pin is also ESD protected.

To avoid the damage of RF input caused by ESD or Electrical Overstress, and to seek maximum

consistency and repeatability of performance independently of the RF component used, all EVK-7,

EVK-8 and EVK-M8 have an onboard LNA.

⚠ The connector is only to be used with a GNSS antenna or simulator. Do not connect this

equipment to cable distribution systems.

4.3.2 USB

A USB V2.0 compatible serial port is featured for data communication and power supply.

4.3.3 UART

The evaluation unit includes an RS232 port for serial communication that is compatible with PC

serial ports.

Connect using a straight RS232 serial cable with male and female connectors to the port on your PC.

The maximum cable length is < 3.0 meters. To configure the RS232 port, use the CFG-PRT command

in the u-center application. The maximum operating baud rate is 921.6 kBd.

If you are using a USB to RS232 adaptor cable, you can connect it directly to the evaluation kit RS232

port.

The 9-pin D-SUB female connector is assigned as listed in Table 4:

Pin Nr. Assignment

1 not connected

2 TXD, GNSS Transmit Data, serial data to DTE

3 RXD, GNSS Receive Data, serial data from DTE

4 not connected

5 GND

6 not connected

7-9 not connected

Table 4: SUB-D9 Connector pin description for EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8

4.3.4 Time Pulse

u-blox receivers include a time pulse function providing clock pulses with a configurable pulse period,

pulse length and polarity (rising or falling edge). Check the product data sheet for detailed

specifications of configurable values.

In the latest EVK-8N and EVK-M8 versions of the evaluation unit, the time pulse signal is connected

to the LED on the front panel of the unit and also to the Test Connector. The “TIMEPULSE” text on

the evaluation unit label indicates this (see Figure 3). In older versions of the evaluation unit, the time

pulse signal is not available in the Test Connector, and the label shows the corresponding pin to be

“RESERVED0”.

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Figure 3: EVK Label

4.3.5 RST button

The RST button on the front panel resets the unit. To avoid an inadvertent reset, the button is

recessed.

4.3.6 Safe boot button

This is used to set the unit in safe boot mode. In this mode the receiver executes only the minimal

functionality, such as updating new firmware into the SQI flash. In order to set the receiver in safe

boot mode please follow these steps.

1. Press the BOOT button and keep holding

2. Press the RST button

3. Release the RST button

4. Release the BOOT button

5. If the UART interface has to be used, the training sequence has to be sent to the receiver.

The training sequence is a transmission of 0x55 55 at the baud rate of 9600 Bd. Wait for at

least 100 milliseconds before the interface is ready to accept commands.

4.3.7 Slide Switch

Use the slide switch on the front panel to choose between I2C (and UART) and SPI communication

ports. You must reset the unit by pressing the RST button when the slide switch has been changed.

I2C

– In this selection the EVK operates with the UART (RS232 DB9 – rear panel or the 3.3 V

level TxD (MISO), RxD (MOSI) at the front panel). Also the communication via 3.3 V DDC

interface (I2C) is selected.

SPI –

In this selection the EVK operates only with the SPI interface. RS232 (DB9) is switched

off.

4.3.8 Test Connector

This 14-pin test-connector provides additional functionality to the EVK, allowing access to the

interface pins and an ability to measure the current used by the EVK. All pins are ESD protected.

For accurate measurements, it is recommended to use a cable of at most 1 meter in length. Figure

3 shows an example of a power supply connected to the test connector by using standard adapter

cables from the manufacture Hirschmann. Figure 4 shows an example for overall current

measurement. When connecting the 3.3 V digital interfaces RS232, SPI and DDC to your application,

a cable length less than 25 cm is recommended.

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PIN Nr.: PIN NAME I/O LEVEL DESCRIPTION

14 V5_IN I 4.75 V –

5.25 V

Power input – can be used instead of USB

13 GND I - Common ground pin

12 P1A (VCC) O 3.3 V Power output – max. current supply 100 mA

1Ω 1% resistor for over-all current measurement to pin 11 (P1B)

NOTE: the current includes also SQI Flash, LNA

11 P1B O Second connection for over-all current measurement (see Figure 5)

10 P2A O 3.0 V Battery output (unloaded)

100 Ω 1% resistor for battery backup current measurement to pin 9 (P2B)

NOTE: There is a current protection to 3 mA. See circuit in figure 7 (D2, D4, R29)

9 P2B O Second junction for battery backup current measurement

8 TIMEPULSE1

O 3.3 V Time pulse 1 (internally buffered output)2

7 EXTINT0 I 3.3 V External interrupt input

6 RESERVED1 - - not connected

5 SDA /CS I/O 3.3 V If slide switch on I2C, then DDC interface selected; Function: data input / output

If slide switch on SPI, then SPI interface selected; chip select input – LOW ACTIVE

4 SCL / SCK I/O 3.3 V Clock input / output

3 TxD / MISO I/O 3.3 V If slide switch on I2C, then DDC interface selected / UART TxD (3.3V Level)

If slide switch on SPI, then SPI interface selected; Master in Slave out (MISO)

2 RxD / MOSI I/O 3.3 V If slide switch on I2C, then DDC interface selected / UART RxD (3.3V Level)

If slide switch on SPI, then SPI interface selected; Master out Slave in (MOSI)

1 GND I - Common ground pin

Table 5: Connector pin description for EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8 (pins numbered from right to left on the front panel)

2 Time pulse not available in all EVK versions. Refer to section 4.3.4 on how to check availability of Time pulse 1 on your EVK.

V5_IN

GND

V5_IN

Hirschmann

Part Nr.: 934160100

Figure

4: Example 5V DC power supply

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4.3.9 LED

On the front panel of the unit, a single blue LED shows the time pulse 1 signal. The LED starts

flashing one pulse per second during a GNSS fix. If there is no GNSS fix, the LED will only light, without

flashing.

4.3.10 Backup Battery

There is a backup battery in the evaluation unit. This is necessary to store orbital information

between operations and to enable faster start-up. It is a RENATA 3.0 V Li / MnO² battery of the type

CR2450. The battery has a rated capacity of 540 mA. The battery operating temperature range is -

40° C to +85° C.

In case the built-in backup battery runs low or empty after a long storage period, purchase the above

described battery for replacement (refer to the section 10 for battery replacement guidelines).

⚠ CAUTION! RISK OF EXPLOSION IF BATTERY IS REPLACED BY AN INCORRECT TYPE. DISPOSE

OF USED BATTERIES ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTIONS!

4.3.11 GNSS Configuration

The EVK-7 and EVK-8 supports GPS, QZSS and GLONASS. The EVK-M8N/C and EVK-

M8MEVA/EVK-M8QEVA supports GPS, Galileo, QZSS, GLONASS, and BeiDou.

The GNSS to be used can be configured on u-center (View  Messages View then UBX-CFG-GNSS).

For more information, refer to the

u-center User Guide

[21], the

u-blox 7 Receiver Description

including Protocol Specification

[9] and

u-blox 8 / u-blox M8 Receiver Description including Protocol

Specification

[20].

4.3.12 RTC Configuration (EVK-7EVA and EVK-M8MEVA)

The EVK-7EVA and EVK-M8MEVA include the EVA-7M or EVA-M8M GNSS receiver with an external

RTC. By default, the EVA-7M or EVA-M8M module is not running in single crystal mode. The

EVK-7EVA and EVK-M8MEVA evaluation kits can be set to single crystal mode by using the

configuration string described in the EVA-7M Hardware Integration Manual [8] and the EVA-8M /

EVA-M8M Hardware

Integration Manual

[18].

☞ Applying the configuration string results in a permanent change and cannot be reversed. The

current consumption is significantly higher in single crystal mode. For more information see the

EVA-7M Data Sheet

[5],

EVA-8M Data Sheet

[25] and the

EVA-M8 Data Sheet

[13].

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5 Measuring tracking current

To measure the tracking current with EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8, follow these steps:

1. Connect a true RMS voltmeter across P1A (VCC) and P1B of the front connector. (see Figure 5)

2. Wait 12 minutes to download all GNSS orbital data, or download all the Aiding Data via the

AssistNow Online service

3. Read the voltage (and average if necessary) on the voltmeter and convert to current (1 mV equals

1 mA)

4. Perform the test with good signals and clear sky view to ensure that the receiver can acquire the

satellite signals.

☞ The overall current measurement also includes the internal SQI flash. For ROM based products

the current will be lower.

For more details see the circuit in Figure 9.

Hirschmann

Part Nr.: 934160100

P1A

(VCC)

P1B

P1A

(VCC)

Figure

5: Example – tracking current measurement

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6 Board layout

6.1 PCB Version C

Figure 7 shows the EVK-7 layout (PCB Version C). See Table 6 for the component list of the EVB.

Figure

6: EVB-7 layout

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PART DESCRIPTION

A1 GNSS RECEIVER -40/+85C

BT1 BATTERY HOLDER RENATA CR2450N 3V

C1 C11 C13 C22 CAP CER X5R 0603 1U0 10% 6.3V

C10 C14 C16 C19 C2 C6 C7 C8 CAP CER X7R 0603 100N 10% 10V

C12 C9 CAP CER X7R 0603 10N 10% 25V

C20 CAP CER COG 0402 1P8 +/-0.1P 25V

C21 CAP CER COG 0402 22P 5% 25V

C23 CAP CER COG 0402 47P 5% 25V

C24 CAP CER X5R 0402 100N 10% 10V

C25 C3 CAP CER X5R 1210 10U 10% 10V

C5 CAP CER X7R 0402 1N0 10% 16V

D1 D2 D4 D5 SURFACE MOUNT SCHOTTKY BARRIER RECTIFIER SS14 1A -55/+125C

D3 R17 R18 R20 R21 R22 R23 ESD PROTECTION FOR HIGH SPEED LINES, TYCO, 0.25PF, PESD0402-140 -55/+125C

DS1 LED OSRAM HYPER MINI TOPLED LB M673-L1N2-35 BLUE 0.02A

FB1 FERRITE BEAD MURATA BLM15HD 0402 1000R@100MHZ

J1 CON USB RECEPTACLE MICRO B TYPE SMD – MOLEX 47346-0001 – TID60001597 30V

J2 CON SMA SMD STRAIGHT JACK 11.4MM HEIGHT WITHOUT WASHER AND NUT

J3 9 POLE SUBD CONNECTOR FEMALE

J4 14PIN 90° 2.54MM PITCH DISCONNECTABLE CRIMP CONNECTOR -40/+85C

L1 IND MURATA LQW15A 0402 8N7 3% 0.54A -55/+125C

L2 IND MURATA LQW15A 0402 120N 5% 0.64A -55/+125C

Q1 MBT3906DW1T1G DUAL GENERAL PURPOSE TRANSISTOR 0.2A 0.15W -40/+125C

R1 RES THICK FILM CHIP 1206 10R 5% 0.25W

R10 RES THICK FILM CHIP 0402 220R 5% 0.1W

R11 R2 R6 RES THICK FILM CHIP 0603 100R 5% 0.1W

R12 RES THICK FILM CHIP 0402 2K2 5% 0.1W

R13 R24 R27 RES THICK FILM CHIP 0603 100K 5% 0.1W

R14 R15 R19 R3 R8 VARISTOR BOURNS MLE SERIES CG0402MLE-18G 18V

R29 RES THICK FILM CHIP 0603 1K0 5% 0.1W

R4 R5 RES THICK FILM CHIP 0603 22R 5% 0.1W -55/+125C

R7 RES THICK FILM CHIP 0603 1R0 5% 0.1W

S1 S2 SWITCH SPST ON 1POL TYCO -40/+85C

S3 2 WAY SUB-MINIATURE SLIDE SWITCH SMD JS SERIES – SPDT -40/+85C

U1 USB DATA LINE PROTECTION ST USBLC6-2SC6 SOT23-6

U2 U4 LOW DROPOUT REGULATOR LINEAR LT1962 MS8 3.3V 0.3A

U3 U9 TINY LOGIC UHS BUFFER OE_N ACTIVE LOW FAIRCHILD NC7SZ125 SC70

U5 LOW NOISE AMPLIFIER GAAS MMIC 1.575 GHZ 1.5V-3.6V JRC EPFFP6-A2 3.6V -

40/+85C

U6 RS-232 TRANSCEIVER 1MBIT 3-5,5VOLT TRSF3223 – VQFN20 5.5V -40/+85C

U7 TINY LOGIC ULP-A 2-INPUT AND GATE 1.45X1.0 6-LEAD MICROPAK -40/+85C

Table 6: EVB-7 component list

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6.2 PCB Version D

Figure 8 shows the EVK-8 / EVK-M8 board layout (PCB Version D). See Table 7 for the component

list of the EVB.

Figure 7: EVB-8 / EVB-M8 layout

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PART

DESCRIPTION

A1 GNSS RECEIVER -40/+85C

BT1 BATTERY HOLDER RENATA CR2450N 3V

C1 C11 C13 C22

CAP CER X5R 0603 1U0 10% 6.3V

C2 C6 C7 C8 C10 C14 C16 C19

CAP CER X7R 0603 100N 10% 10V

C3 C25

CAP CER X5R 1210 10U 10% 10V

C5 CAP CER X7R 0402 1N0 10% 16V

C9 C12 CAP CER X7R 0603 10N 10% 25V

C20

CAP CER COG 0402 1P8 +/-0.1P 25V

C21

CAP CER COG 0402 22P 5% 25V

C23

CAP CER COG 0402 47P 5% 25V

C24 CAP CER X5R 0402 100N 10% 10V

D1 D2 D4 D5 SURFACE MOUNT SCHOTTKY BARRIER RECTIFIER SS14 1A -55/+125C

D3 R17 R18 R20 R21 R22 R23 ESD PROTECTION FOR HIGH SPEED LINES, TYCO, 0.25PF, PESD0402-140 -55/+125C

DS1

LED OSRAM HYPER MINI TOPLED LB M673-L1N2-35 BLUE 0.02A

FB1

FERRITE BEAD MURATA BLM15HD 0402 1000R@100MHZ

J1 CON USB RECEPTACLE MICRO B TYPE SMD - MOLEX 47346-0001 - TID60001597 30V

CON SMA SMD STRAIGHT JACK 11.4MM HEIGHT WITHOUT WASHER AND NUT

9 POLE SUBD CONNECTOR FEMALE

J4 14PIN 90\xB0 2.54MM PITCH DISCONNECTABLE CRIMP CONNECTOR -40/+85C

L1 IND MURATA LQW15A 0402 8N7 3% 0.54A -55/+125C

L2 IND MURATA LQW15A 0402 120N 5% 0.64A -55/+125C

MBT3906DW1T1G DUAL GENERAL PURPOSE TRANSISTOR 0.2A 0.15W -40/+125C

RES THICK FILM CHIP 1206 10R 5% 0.25W

R2 R6 R11

RES THICK FILM CHIP 0603 100R 5% 0.1W

R3 R8 R14 R15 R19 VARISTOR BOURNS MLE SERIES CG0402MLE-18G 18V

R4 R5 RES THICK FILM CHIP 0603 22R 5% 0.1W -55/+125C

RES THICK FILM CHIP 0603 1R0 5% 0.1W

RES THICK FILM CHIP 0603 51R 1% 0.063W (was DNI, but is now installed by default) 3

R10

RES THICK FILM CHIP 0402 220R 5% 0.1W

R12 RES THICK FILM CHIP 0402 2K2 5% 0.1W

R13 R24 R27 RES THICK FILM CHIP 0603 100K 5% 0.1W

R29 RES THICK FILM CHIP 0603 1K0 5% 0.1W

R43 R44 R46 R47 R48 R49 R50

RES THICK FILM CHIP 0402 0R 0 0.1W

S1 S2

SWITCH SPST ON 1POL TYCO -40/+85C

S3 2 WAY SUB-MINIATURE SLIDE SWITCH SMD JS SERIES - SPDT -40/+85C

U1 USB DATA LINE PROTECTION ST USBLC6-2SC6 SOT23-6

U2 U4 LOW DROPOUT REGULATOR LINEAR LT1962 MS8 3.3V 0.3A

U3 U9

TINY LOGIC UHS BUFFER OE_N ACTIVE LOW FAIRCHILD NC7SZ125 SC70

U5 LOW NOISE AMPLIFIER GAAS MMIC 1.575 GHZ 1.5V-3.6V JRC EPFFP6-A2 3.6V -

40/+85C

U6 RS-232 TRANSCEIVER 1MBIT 3-5,5VOLT TRSF3223 - VQFN20 5.5V 5.5V -40/+85C

TINY LOGIC ULP-A 2-INPUT AND GATE 1.45X1.0 6-LEAD MICROPAK -40/+85C

Table 7: EVB-8 / EVB-M8 component list

3 Time pulse not available in all EVK versions. Refer to section 4.3.4 on how to check availability of Time pulse 1 on your EVK.

EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8 User Guide

UBX-14002502 - R10 Early Production Information Schematic

Page 18 of 25

7 Schematic

Figure 8: Schematic EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8: DNI=TRUE in the schematic means: Component not installed

EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8 User Guide

UBX-14002502 - R10 Early Production Information Battery replacement

Page 19 of 25

8 Battery replacement

To replace the battery (Number 5 in Figure 10), open the unit (unscrew four screws on the front panel).

Figure 9: EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8 battery location

EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8 User Guide

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Early Production Information

9 Troubleshooting

My application (e.g. u-center) does not receive anything

Check whether the blue LED on the evaluation unit is blinking. Also make sure that the USB cable is

properly connected to the evaluation unit and the PC. By default, the evaluation unit outputs NMEA

protocol on Serial Port 1 at 9600 Bd, or on the USB.

My application (e.g. u-center) does not receive all messages

When using UART, make sure the baud rate is sufficient. If the baud rate is insufficient, GNSS

receivers based on u-blox 7 and u-blox M8 GNSS technology

will skip excessive messages. Some serial

port cards/adapters (i.e. USB to RS232 converter) frequently generate errors. If a communication

error occurs while u-center receives a message, the message will be discarded.

My application (e.g. u-center) loses the connection to the GNSS receiver

u-blox 7 / u-blox 8 / u-blox M8 positioning technology and u-center have an autobauding feature. If

frequent communication errors occur (e.g. due to problems with the serial port), the connection may

be lost. This happens because u-center and the GNSS receiver both autonomously try to adjust the

baud rate. Do not enable the u-center autobauding feature if the GNSS receiver has the autobauding

flag enabled.

The COM port does not send any messages

Be sure that the slide switch at the front panel is set to I2C and not SPI. In SPI Mode the RS232 pins

on the DB9 connector are switched off and the RxD and TxD output at the front panel are used for SPI

(MISO, MOSI).

NOTE: After changing the slide switch, always reset the EVK, otherwise the change will not take place.

Some COM ports are not shown in the port list of my application (e.g. u-center)

Only the COM ports that are available on your computer will show up in the COM port drop down list.

If a COM Port is gray, another application running on this computer is using it.

The position is off by a few dozen meters

u-blox 7 / u-blox 8 / u-blox M8 GNSS technology starts up with the WGS84 standard GNSS datum. If

your application expects a different datum, you’ll most likely find the positions to be off by a few dozen

meters. Don’t forget to check the calibration of u-center map files.

The position is off by hundreds of meters

Position drift may also occur when almanac navigation is enabled. The satellite orbit information

retrieved from an almanac is much less accurate than the information retrieved from the ephemeris.

With an almanac only solution, the position will only have an accuracy of a few kilometers but it may

start up faster or still navigate in areas with obscured visibility when the ephemeris from one or

several satellites have not yet been received. The almanac information is NOT used for calculating a

position, if valid ephemeris information is present, regardless of the setting of this flag.

In NMEA protocol, position solutions with high deviation (e.g. due to enabling almanac navigation) can

be filtered with the Position Accuracy Mask. UBX protocol does not directly support this since it

provides a position accuracy estimation, which allows the user to filter the position according to his

requirements. However, the ‘Position within Limits’ flag of the UBX-NAV-STATUS message indicates

whether the configured thresholds (i.e. P Accuracy Mask and PDOP) are exceeded.

EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8 User Guide

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Early Production Information

TTFF times at startup are much longer than specified

At startup (after the first position fix), the GNSS receiver performs an RTC calibration to have an

accurate internal time source. A calibrated RTC is required to achieve minimal startup time.

Before shutting down the receiver externally, check the status in MON-HW in field ‘Real Time Clock

Status’. Do not shut down the receiver if the RTC is not calibrated.

The EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8 does not meet the TTFF specification

Make sure the antenna has a good sky view. An obstructed view leads to prolonged startup times. In

a well-designed system, the average of the C/No ratio of high elevation satellites should be in the

range of 40 dBHz to about 50 dBHz. With a standard off-the-shelf active antenna, 47 dBHz should

easily be achieved. Low C/No values lead to a prolonged startup time.

EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8 does not preserve the configuration in case of reset

u-blox 7 / u-blox 8 / u-blox M8 GNSS technology uses a slightly different concept than most other

GNSS receivers do. Settings are initially stored to volatile memory. In order to save them permanently,

sending a second command is required. This allows testing the new settings and reverting to the old

settings by resetting the receiver if the new settings aren’t good. This provides safety, as it is no

longer possible to accidentally program a bad configuration (e.g. disabling the main communication

port).

The EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8 does not work properly when connected with a GNSS simulator

When using an EVK together with a GNSS simulator, please pay attention to proper handling of the

EVK. A GNSS receiver is designed for real-life use, i.e. time is always moving forward. By using a GNSS

simulator, the user can change scenarios, which enables jumping backwards in time. This can have

serious side effects on the performance of GNSS receivers.

The solution is to configure the GPS week rollover to 1200 (as indicated in Figure 10), which

corresponds to Jan 2003. Then, issue the Cold Start command before every simulator test to avoid

receiver confusion due to the time jumps.

Figure 10: Configuration instruction for using the EVK with a GNSS simulator

EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8 User Guide

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Early Production Information

Power Save Mode and USB

For communication in Power Save Mode, use the RS232.

EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8 receives GPS and GLONASS

Use u-center, version 7.02 or later (version 8.20 upwards for EVK-M8 and EVK-8). Message UBX-CFG-

GNSS allows switching on and off the supported GNSS.

10 Common evaluation pitfalls

• Parameter may have the same name but a different definition. GNSS receivers may have a similar

size, price and power consumption but can still have different functionalities (e.g. no support for

passive antennas, different temperature range). Also, the definitions of Hot, Warm, Cold Start

times may differ between suppliers.

• Verify design-critical parameters; do not base a decision on unconfirmed numbers from

datasheets.

• Try to use identical or at least similar settings when comparing the GNSS performance of different

receivers.

• Data, which has not been recorded at the same time and the same place, should not be compared.

The satellite constellation, the number of visible satellites and the sky view might have been

different.

• Do not compare momentary measurements. GNSS is a non-deterministic system. The satellite

constellation changes constantly. Atmospheric effects (i.e. dawn and dusk) have an impact on

signal travel time. The position of the GNSS receiver is typically not the same between two tests.

Comparative tests should therefore be conducted in parallel by using one antenna and a signal

splitter; statistical tests shall be run for 24 hours.

• Monitor the Carrier-To-Noise-Ratio. The average C/No ratio of the high elevation satellites should

be between 40 dBHz and about 50 dBHz. A low C/No ratio will result in a prolonged TTFF and more

position drift.

• When comparing receivers side by side, make sure that all receivers have the same signal levels.

The best way to achieve this is by using a signal splitter. Comparing results measured with

different antenna types (with different sensitivity) will lead to incorrect conclusions.

• Try to feed the same signal to all receivers in parallel (i.e. through a splitter); the receivers won’t

have the same sky view otherwise. Even small differences can have an impact on the accuracy.

One additional satellite can lead to a lower DOP and less position drift.

• When doing reacquisition tests, cover the antenna in order to block the sky view. Do not unplug

the antenna since the u-blox 7 / u-blox 8 / u-blox M8 positioning technology continuously performs

a noise calibration on idle channels.

EVK-7 / EVK-8 / EVK-M8 User Guide

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Early Production Information