GARMIN GPS 15H, GPS 15L TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

GPS 15H & 15L
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS

GARMIN International, Inc.

1200 E. 151

Olathe, KS 66062 USA

190-00266-01, 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 15H & 15L TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Rev. A P/N 190-00266-01

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 .................................................................................................................................................. 7

2.2 DIAGRAMS ....................................................................................................................................................... 8

3. SOFTWARE INTERFACE

3.1 RECEIVED NMEA 0183 SENTENCES............................................................................................................ 9

3.2 TRANSMITTED NMEA 0183 SENTENCES.................................................................................................. 13

3.3 BAUD RATE SELECTION ............................................................................................................................. 17

3.4 ONE-PULSE-PER-SECOND (PPS) OUTPUT ................................................................................................ 18

3.5 RECEIVED RTCM DATA............................................................................................................................... 18

4. MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS & MOUNTING.........................................................................19

Appendix A. EARTH DATUMS...................................................................................................................20

Appendix B. BINARY PHASE OUTPUT FORMAT...................................................................................23

GPS 15H & 15L TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Page i
P/N 190-00266-01 Rev. A

LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE 1. COMPUTER SERIAL PORT INTERCONNECTION ................................................................................ 8

FIGURE 2. PDA SERIAL PORT INTERCONNECTION.............................................................................................. 8

FIGURE 3. BASIC NMEA DEVICE INTERCONNECTION........................................................................................ 8

FIGURE 4. GPS 15H-F & 15L-F DIMENSIONS......................................................................................................... 19

FIGURE 5. GPS 15H-W & 15L-W OUTLINE DRAWING ......................................................................................... 19

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE 1. SIGNAL/WIRE DESCRIPTIONS ................................................................................................................. 7

TABLE 2. NMEA 0183 OUTPUT SENTENCE ORDER AND SIZE .......................................................................... 13

TABLE 3. CHARACTERS PER SECOND FOR AVAILABLE BAUD RATES......................................................... 13

Page ii GPS 15H & 15L TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Rev. A P/N 190-00266-01

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 15H & 15L products are 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 15H & 15L. 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 15H & 15L products comply 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 15H & 15L products do 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 15H & 15L TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Page 1
P/N 190-00266-01 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 15H & 15L TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Rev. A P/N 190-00266-01

1.3 OVERVIEW

The GPS 15H & 15L are 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 15H & 15L will track up to 12 satellites at a
time while providing fast time-to-first-fix, one-second navigation updates and low power consumption. The
GPS 15H & 15L also provide the capability of FAA Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) differential
GPS. Their far-reaching capabilities meet the sensitivity requirements of land navigation, the timing
requirements for precision timing applications, 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 15H & 15L 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 15H & 15L via
two RS-232 compatible receive channels, and one transmit channel. The GPS 15H & 15L internal FLASH
memory allows the GPS to retain critical data such as satellite orbital parameters, last-known position, date
and time. 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.

• Differential DGPS capability utilizing real-time WAAS or RTCM corrections yielding 3-5 meter

position accuracy (see Section 1.5.3.4).

• 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).

• Highly accurate one-pulse-per-second (PPS) output for precise timing measurements. Pulse width is

configurable in 20 millisecond increments from 20 ms to 980 ms.

• Configurable for binary format carrier phase data output on COM 1 port.

• Flexible input voltage levels of 3.3 to 5.0 Vdc (GPS 15L) or 8.0 to 40 Vdc (GPS 15H).

• Built-in backup battery to maintain real-time clock for up to 21 days. Provision for external power to

maintain the real-time clock for longer intervals.

• FLASH-based program and non-volatile memory. New software revisions upgradeable through web

site download and serial interface. Non-volatile memory does not require battery backup.

GPS 15H & 15L TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Page 3
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1.5 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Specifications are subject to change without notice.

1.5.1 Physical Characteristics

1.5.1.1 Size

• GPS 15H & 15L: 1.400” (35.56 mm) wide, 1.805” (45.85 mm) long, 0.327” (8.31 mm) high

1.5.1.2 Weight

• GPS 15H: 0.53 oz. (15.0 g)

• GPS 15L: 0.50 oz. (14.1 g)

1.5.1.3 Available Connector Options

• GPS 15H-F:

GPS 15L-F: 8-pin LIF connector, 1 millimeter pitch

• GPS 15H-W:

GPS 15L-W: 8-pin JST connector, 1 millimeter pitch; mating wire harness included

(NOTE: available in Asia, or by special order)

1.5.2 Electrical Characteristics

1.5.2.1 Input Voltage

• GPS 15H: 8.0 Vdc to 40 Vdc unregulated

• GPS 15L: 3.3 Vdc to 5.4 Vdc (±100 mV)

1.5.2.2 Input Current

• GPS 15H: 60 mA peak, 50 mA nominal @ 8.0 Vdc

40 mA peak, 33 mA nominal @ 12 Vdc
15 mA peak, 12 mA nominal @ 40 Vdc

• GPS 15L: 100 mA peak, 85 mA nominal @ 3.3 to 5.0 Vdc

1.5.2.3 GPS Receiver Sensitivity

• -165 dBW minimum

Page 4 GPS 15H & 15L TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
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1.5.3 GPS Performance

1.5.3.1 Receiver

• WAAS enabled; 12 parallel channel GPS receiver continuously tracks and uses up to 12 satellites (up

to 11 with PPS active) to compute and update your position.

1.5.3.2 Acquisition Times

• Reacquisition: Less than 2 seconds

• Warm: Approximately 15 seconds (all data known)

• Cold: Approximately 45 seconds (initial position, time and almanac known, ephemeris

• AutoLocate

TM

: 5 minutes (almanac known, initial position and time unknown)

• SkySearch: 5 minutes (no data known)

1.5.3.3 Update Rate

• 1 second default; NMEA 0183 output interval configurable from 1 to 900 seconds in one-second

increments

1.5.3.4 Accuracy

• GPS Standard Positioning Service (SPS)

Position: < 15 meters, 95% typical (100 meters with Selective Availability on)
Velocity: 0.1 knot RMS steady state

• DGPS (USCG/RTCM)

Position: 3-5 meters, 95% typical
Velocity: 0.1 knot RMS steady state

• DGPS (WAAS)

Position: < 3 meters, 95% typical
Velocity: 0.1 knot RMS steady state

unknown)

• PPS Time ±1 microsecond at rising edge of PPS pulse (subject to Selective Availability)

• Dynamics: 999 knots velocity (only limited at altitude greater than 60,000 feet), 6g dynamics

1.5.4 Interfaces

1.5.4.1 Electrical Characteristics

• True RS-232 output (Port 2 output not used at time of publication), asynchronous serial input

compatible with RS-232 or TTL voltage levels, RS-232 polarity.

• User selectable NMEA 0183 baud rate (300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400)

GPS 15H & 15L TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Page 5
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