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Introduction

  • SparkPNT RTK Facet mosaic L-Band
    SKU: GPS-24903

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    QR code to product video

  • Designed and manufactured in Boulder, Colorado, USA, and utilizing the multi-band mosaic-X5 from Septentrio, the SparkPNT RTK Facet mosaic L-Band is the top of the line receiver for high precision geolocation and surveying needs. For basic users, it's incredibly easy to get up and running; for advanced users, the RTK Facet mosaic L-Band is a flexible and powerful tool. With just the press of a button, the RTK Facet mosaic L-Band is the fastest way to take centimeter-grade measurements. With a subscription to the PointPerfect service (not included), 10mm Real Time Kinematic fixes are less than a minute away. By connecting your phone to the RTK Facet mosaic L-Band over Bluetooth®, your phone or tablet can receive the NMEA output and work with most GIS software programs. This is exactly how $10,000 surveying devices have been operating for the past decade - we just made it faster, more precise, and a lot more economical.

    The RTK Facet mosaic L-Band works with common GIS software for Android and iOS including SW Maps Android / iOS, Field Genius, SurvPC, Survey Master, Vespucci, QGIS, QField, and any GIS software that supports NMEA over Bluetooth.

    The RTK Facet mosaic L-Band can utilize corrections from u-blox's PointPerfect service broadcast from a geosynchronous Inmarsat satellite. Users only need to setup a subscription service with their product registration and provide a WiFi SSID and password. Once entered, the device will provision itself and periodically (once a month, over WiFi) update the decryption keys necessary to use the PointPerfect service.

    Subscription Required

    This service requires an additional monthly subscription fee. Please see this page for more details.

    Under the hood of the SparkPNT RTK Facet mosaic L-Band is an ESP32-WROVER-E connected to a mosaic-X5 GNSS multi-band receiver, and a variety of peripheral hardware (LiPo fuel gauge, microSD, etc). Additionally, housed under the dome of the RTK Facet mosaic L-Band is a surveyor grade L1/L2/L5-Band antenna. This antenna is a unique combination of elements designed to receive the GNSS signals (L1/L2/L5) alongside the 1.55GHz PointPerfect corrections. The RTK Facet mosaic L-Band is programmed in Arduino and can be tailored by you to fit whatever your needs may be.

    This device can be used in five modes:

    • GNSS Positioning (~30cm accuracy) - also known as Rover
    • GNSS Positioning with RTK L-Band (1.4 to 6cm accuracy) - also known as Rover with L-Band RTK Fix
    • GNSS Positioning with RTK (1.4cm accuracy) - also known as Rover with RTK Fix
    • GNSS Base Station
    • GNSS Base Station NTRIP Server

    At Power On the device will enter Rover or Base mode; whichever state the device was in at the last power down. When the POWER/SETUP button is pressed momentarily, a menu is presented to change the RTK Facet mosaic L-Band from Rover to Base mode or vice-versa. The display will indicate the change with a small car (Rover) or flag (Base) icon.

    In Rover mode the RTK Facet mosaic L-Band will check if WiFi is available and update any L-Band keys needed (keys expire every 56 days). The device will automatically begin receiving and decrypting position correction data. Simultaneously, the RTK L-Band will receive L1, L2, and L5 GNSS signals from the four constellations (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou). The device will calculate the position based on the combination of GNSS and correction signals. The receiver will quickly (within 60 seconds) obtain an RTK float, then fix. Similar to a standard grade GPS receiver, the RTK Facet mosaic L-Band will output industry standard NMEA sentences at 4Hz and broadcast them to any paired Bluetooth® device. The end user will need to parse the NMEA sentences using commonly available mobile apps, GIS products, or embedded devices (there are many open source libraries). Unlike standard grade GPS receivers that have 2500mm accuracy, the accuracy in this mode is approximately 10 to 60mm horizontal positional accuracy.

    If the device is in Rover mode but L-Band is not available, regular RTCM based RTK is still available. When RTCM correction data is sent over Bluetooth® or into the radio port, the device will automatically enter Positioning with RTK mode. In this mode RTK Facet mosaic L-Band will receive L1/L2/L5 signals from the antenna and correction data from a base station. The receiver will quickly (within a second) obtain an RTK float, then fix. The NMEA sentences will have increased accuracy of 10mm horizontal and 10mm vertical accuracy. The RTCM correction data is most easily obtained over the Internet using a free app on your phone (see our SW Maps (Android/iOS) or Lefebure NTRIP instructions) and sent over Bluetooth® to the RTK Facet mosaic L-Band. However, RTCM correction data can also be received over an external cellular or radio link from a 2nd RTK Facet, Surveyor, Express, etc. that is setup as a base station.

    In Base mode the device will enter Base Station mode. This is used when the device is mounted to a fixed position (like a tripod or roof). The RTK Facet mosaic L-Band will initiate a survey. After 60 to 120 seconds the survey will complete and the RTK Facet mosaic L-Band will begin transmitting RTCM correction data out the radio port. A base is often used in conjunction with a second RTK Facet mosaic L-Band (or RTK Surveyor, Express, Express Plus, etc) unit set to Rover to obtain the 10mm accuracy. Said differently, the Base sits still and sends correction data to the Rover, so that the Rover can output really accurate position data for its location.

    In addition to supplying position data, the RTK Facet mosaic L-Band is capable of logging NMEA, RAWX, and SFRBX for post processing making it ideal for research and advanced positioning applications.

    The RTK Facet mosaic L-Band is an open-source hardware product meaning you can fully obtain, see, and even modify the electrical and mechanical design files. This allows for easier maintenance and repair over time.

    The SparkPNT RTK Facet mosaic L-Band kit includes everything you need: the enclosed device, thread adapter, charger, data cables, and carrying case. It does NOT include a surveying pole (any additional items will need to be purchased separately).

     QR code to product page  Purchase from SparkFun    

PointPerfect Coverage

PointPerfect L-Band correction service for the SparkPNT RTK Facet mosaic L-Band is currently only available in the USA's 48 continuous states and the southern portion of Canada shown in the coverage map below. More information on PointPerfect can be found here.

Coverage Map
Coverage map for the PointPerfect service.

Permanent Installation

The SparkPNT RTK Facet mosaic L-Band is not designed for permanent outdoor mounting. Please use the RTK mosaic-X5 or the RTK Reference Station that is located inside or protected from the elements. Or, for a DIY solution, the ESP32 attached to our ZED-F9P breakout is a great way to go. See our How to Build a DIY GNSS Reference Station tutorial for more information.

Completely Open-Source

  • The RTK Everywhere firmware is open-source, so users can obtain, check, and even modify the device's functionality. This allows for easier feature expansion, bug maintenance, and longer device longevity.
  • Additionally, the hardware is also open-source, so users can obtain, check, and even modify the device's design.

Required Materials

To get started, users will need a few items. Some users may already have a few of these items, feel free to adjust accordingly.

Serial Transceivers, UART Adapters, and USB Cables

To configure the UART ports that are broken out on the board, users will need a UART adapter. Once configured, the UART ports can utilize one of our RF transceivers to send/receive RTCM messages.

Jumper Modification

To modify the jumpers, users will need soldering equipment and/or a hobby knife.

New to jumper pads?

Check out our Jumper Pads and PCB Traces Tutorial for a quick introduction!

Suggested Reading

As a more sophisticated product, we will skip over the more fundamental tutorials (i.e. Ohm's Law and What is Electricity?). However, below are a few tutorials that may help users familiarize themselves with various aspects of the board.

Tip

Check out the www.gps.gov website to learn more about the U.S.-owned Global Positioning System (GPS) and the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) of other countries.

Related Blog Posts

Additionally, users may be interested in these blog post articles on GNSS technologies: