Equipped with enhanced SAM-M10Q chip-antenna module
Receives signals from up to four GNSS constellations
Offers 1.5m horizontal position accuracy and 18 Hz update rate
Features a rechargeable 3V/1mAh battery for backup power
Integrates seamlessly into the Qwiic system with no soldering required
The SparkFun GPS Breakout - Chip Antenna, SAM-M10Q (Qwiic) is equipped with the SAM-M10Q chip-antenna module from u-blox. This module is the successor to the M8Q module found on the previous version of the SparkFun GPS Breakout, and it offers enhanced features that significantly reduce power consumption while simultaneously improving performance and accuracy. The SAM-M10Q is capable of receiving signals from up to four GNSS constellations simultaneously, which enhances time-to-fix and positional accuracy, even in locations with limited sky visibility.
The SAM-M10Q module comes with an integrated chip antenna and is compatible with the L1 band across all five GNSS constellations, namely GPS L1 C/A, QZSS L1 C/A L1S, GLONASS L1OF, BeiDou B1C, and Galileo E1B/C. It boasts a horizontal position accuracy of 1.5m and a maximum update rate of 18 Hz when transmitting with a single GNSS constellation, or 5 Hz when transmitting with four GNSS constellations. The module also features a cold start time to fix of 23 seconds. The board is equipped with a rechargeable 3V/1mAh battery that can provide backup power for up to four hours, ensuring a hot start of just one second.
This board is designed to integrate seamlessly into the Qwiic system, eliminating the need for soldering when connecting it to the rest of the I2C system. However, for users who prefer a soldered connection or prototyping on a breadboard, the board also breaks out 0.1"-spaced pins.
The GPS products based on u-blox can be configured using the Windows program called u-center2. This program allows for the customization of a wide range of settings for the SAM-M10Q, including baud rates, update rates, geofencing, spoofing detection, external interrupts, SBAS/D-GPS, and more. There is also an Arduino library available for configuring the SAM-M10Q.
It is strongly recommended to use the u-center2 program with this board, rather than the original u-center.