Garmin GPS 15 User Manual

GPS 15
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS

GARMIN International, Inc.

1200 E. 151

Olathe, KS 66062 USA

190-00266-00, Revision A

August 2002

st

Street

££££

© Copyright 2002

GARMIN Ltd. or its subsidiaries

All Rights Reserved

Except as expressly provided below, no part of this manual may be reproduced, copied, transmitted, disseminated,
downloaded or stored in any storage medium, for any purpose without the express prior written consent of GARMIN.
GARMIN hereby grants permission to download a single copy of this manual and of any revision to this manual onto a
hard drive or other electronic storage medium to be viewed and to print one copy of this manual or of any revision
hereto, provided that such electronic or printed copy of this manual or revision must contain the complete text of this
copyright notice and provided further that any unauthorized commercial distribution of this manual or any revision
hereto is strictly prohibited.

Information in this document is subject to change without notice. GARMIN reserves the right to change or improve its
products and to make changes in the content without obligation to notify any person or organization of such changes or
improvements.

GARMIN International, Inc.

1200 East 151
Olathe, KS 66062 U.S.A.
Telephone: [phone]

FAX: [phone]

GARMIN (Europe) Ltd.

Unit 5, The Quadrangle, Abbey Park Industrial Estate

Romsey SO51 9AQ, U.K.

Telephone: [phone]

FAX: [phone]

GARMIN Corporation

No. 68, Jangshu 2
Shijr, Taipei County, Taiwan
Telephone: [phone]

FAX: [phone]

Web Site Address: www.garmin.com

st

Street

nd

Road

RECORD OF REVISIONS

Revision Revision

Date

A 8/16/02 Initial Release --

Description ECO #

Page A GPS 15 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Rev. A P/N 190-00266-00

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 CAUTIONS ........................................................................................................................................................ 1

1.2 LIMITED WARRANTY .................................................................................................................................... 2

1.3 OVERVIEW ....................................................................................................................................................... 3

1.4 FEATURES ........................................................................................................................................................ 3

1.5 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS...................................................................................................................... 4

2. PINOUT

2.1 DESCRIPTION .................................................................................................................................................. 6

2.2 DIAGRAMS ....................................................................................................................................................... 7

3. SOFTWARE INTERFACE

3.1 RECEIVED NMEA 0183 SENTENCES............................................................................................................ 8

3.2 TRANSMITTED NMEA 0183 SENTENCES.................................................................................................. 10

4. MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS & MOUNTING.........................................................................14

Appendix A. EARTH DATUMS...................................................................................................................15

GPS 15 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Page i
P/N 190-00266-00 Rev. A

LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE 1. COMPUTER SERIAL PORT INTERCONNECTION ................................................................................ 7

FIGURE 2. PDA SERIAL PORT INTERCONNECTION.............................................................................................. 7

FIGURE 3. BASIC NMEA DEVICE INTERCONNECTION........................................................................................ 7

FIGURE 4. GPS 15-F DIMENSIONS........................................................................................................................... 14

FIGURE 5. GPS 15-W OUTLINE DRAWING............................................................................................................. 14

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE 1. SIGNAL/WIRE DESCRIPTIONS ................................................................................................................. 6

TABLE 2. NMEA 0183 OUTPUT SENTENCE ORDER............................................................................................. 10

Page ii GPS 15 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Rev. A P/N 190-00266-00

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 CAUTIONS

CAUTION

The GPS system is operated by the government of the United States, which is solely responsible for its
accuracy and maintenance. Although the GPS 15 is a precision electronic NAVigation AID (NAVAID),
any NAVAID can be misused or misinterpreted, and therefore become unsafe. Use these products at your
own risk. To reduce the risk, carefully review and understand all aspects of these Technical Specifications
before using the GPS 15. When in actual use, carefully compare indications from the GPS to all available
navigation sources including the information from other NAVAIDs, visual sightings, charts, etc. For safety,
always resolve any discrepancies before continuing navigation.

FCC Compliance

The GPS 15 complies with Part 15 of the FCC interference limits for Class B digital devices FOR HOME
OR OFFICE USE. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference
in a residential installation, and are more stringent than “outdoor” requirements.

Operation of this device is subject to the following conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful
interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.

This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there
is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause
harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off
and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

The GPS 15 does not contain any user-serviceable parts. Unauthorized repairs or modifications could result
in permanent damage to the equipment, and void your warranty and your authority to operate this device
under Part 15 regulations.

GPS 15 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Page 1
P/N 190-00266-00 Rev. A

1.2 LIMITED WARRANTY

This GARMIN product is warranted to be free from defects in materials or workmanship for one year from the
date of purchase. Within this period, GARMIN will at its sole option, repair or replace any components that fail
in normal use. Such repairs or replacement will be made at no charge to the customer for parts or labor,
provided that the customer shall be responsible for any transportation cost. This warranty does not cover failures
due to abuse, misuse, accident or unauthorized alteration or repairs.

THE WARRANTIES AND REMEDIES CONTAINED HEREIN ARE EXCLUSIVE AND IN LIEU OF ALL
OTHER WARRANTIES EXPRESS OR IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY LIABILITY
ARISING UNDER ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS,
WHICH MAY VARY FROM STATE TO STATE.

IN NO EVENT SHALL GARMIN BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, WHETHER RESULTING FROM THE USE, MISUSE, OR INABILITY TO
USE THIS PRODUCT OR FROM DEFECTS IN THE PRODUCT. Some states do not allow the exclusion of
incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitations may not apply to you.

GARMIN retains the exclusive right to repair or replace the unit or software or offer a full refund of the purchase
price at its sole discretion. SUCH REMEDY SHALL BE YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY FOR
ANY BREACH OF WARRANTY.

To obtain warranty service, contact your local GARMIN authorized dealer. Or call GARMIN Customer Service
at one of the numbers shown below, for shipping instructions and an RMA tracking number. The unit should be
securely packed with the tracking number clearly written on the outside of the package. The unit should then be
sent, freight charges prepaid, to any GARMIN warranty service station. A copy of the original sales receipt is
required as the proof of purchase for warranty repairs.

GARMIN International, Inc. GARMIN (Europe) Ltd.
1200 East 151
Olathe, Kansas 66062, U.S.A. Romsey, SO51 9AQ, U.K.
Phone: [phone] Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone] FAX: [phone]

st

Street Unit 5, The Quadrangle, Abbey Park Industrial Estate

Page 2 GPS 15 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Rev. A P/N 190-00266-00

1.3 OVERVIEW

The GPS 15 is part of GARMIN’s latest generation of GPS sensor boards designed for a broad spectrum of
OEM (Original Equipment Manufacture) system applications. Based on the proven technology found in
other GARMIN 12-channel GPS receivers, the GPS 15 will track up to 12 satellites at a time while
providing fast time-to-first-fix, one-second navigation updates and low power consumption. Its far-reaching
capabilities meet the sensitivity requirements of land navigation as well as the dynamics requirements of
high-performance aircraft.

These GPS designs utilize the latest technology and high-level circuit integration to achieve superior
performance while minimizing space and power requirements. All critical components of the system
including the RF/IF receiver hardware and the digital baseband are designed and manufactured by
GARMIN to ensure the quality and capability of the GPS. The hardware capability combined with software
intelligence makes the GPS 15 easy to integrate and use.

These are complete GPS receivers that require minimal additional components to be supplied by an OEM
or system integrator. A minimum system must provide the GPS with a source of power, an active GPS
antenna, and a clear view of the GPS satellites. The system may communicate with the GPS 15 via its
CMOS-level serial port. The GPS 15 stores data such as satellite orbital parameters, last-known position,
date and time in battery backed up SRAM. End user interfaces such as keyboards and displays are the
responsibility of the application designer.

1.4 FEATURES

• 12-channel GPS receiver tracks and uses up to 12 satellites for fast, accurate positioning and low power

consumption.

• Compact, rugged design ideal for applications with minimal space. May be remotely mounted in an

out-of-the-way location. Receiver status information can be displayed directly on a chartplotter or PC.

• User initialization is not required. Once installed, unit will automatically transmit navigation data.

• User-configurable navigation mode (2-dimensional or 3-dimensional fix).

• Provision for external power to maintain the non-volatile SRAM and real-time clock.

• Optional on-board backup battery to maintain the non-volatile SRAM and real-time clock for up to

21 days.

GPS 15 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Page 3
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