GPS Breakout Ublox SAM-M8Q (Qwiic)

Ublox is known for making top - notch GPS receivers, and the SAM - M8Q is no exception. It offers high - quality performance and great configurability at a lower price. We've made it even more user - friendly by breaking out basic pins and adding supporting circuitry. The M8Q is a GNSS receiver that can pick up signals from GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and other constellations. This boosts precision and shortens lock time. With the onboard rechargeable RTC battery, you can get a GPS lock in seconds. It supports I2C, allowing you to use the SparkFun Ublox Arduino Library via Qwiic and keep your serial port free. No more relying on Software Serial for GPS parsing! Compared to our Qwiic Titan X1 - based product, the Ublox - based SAM - M8Q is configurable with the well - known u - center program. You can set things like baud rates, update rates, and more. The SAM - M8Q has a ton of features, and the u - center software makes configuration a breeze. The Qwiic Breakout for the SAM - M8Q comes with two Qwiic connectors for easy I2C access and an 'FTDI' style connector for USB to Serial connection. Use USB to Serial for module configuration and I2C to receive NMEA sentences, though you can also use the RX pin at 9600bps. The onboard rechargeable battery powers the RTC, slashing the time to first fix from cold start to warm start. It can maintain RTC and GNSS orbit data for up to two weeks without power. Note that this is an experimental SparkX product. These are quickly made to offer the latest tech, are tested but come with no guarantees. There's no live technical support, so visit our forum for help. And hurry, as we don't plan to regularly produce SparkX products!

Using this GPS Breakout Ublox SAM - M8Q (Qwiic) is quite straightforward. First, for configuration, connect it to your device using the 'FTDI' style connector and a USB to Serial converter like the Serial Basic. Then, use the u - center program to set things such as baud rates, update rates, etc. For receiving NMEA sentences, you can use the I2C connection via the Qwiic connectors. You can also use the RX pin, but make sure to set the speed to 9600bps. When it comes to the onboard rechargeable battery, it helps reduce the time to get a GPS lock. Just keep in mind that it can maintain the RTC and GNSS orbit data for up to two weeks without power. As this is an experimental SparkX product, there's no live technical support. If you run into any issues or have questions, head over to our forum. And since we don't plan to regularly produce these products, make the most of it while you have it!