Trimble Lassen SQ Reference Manual

Lassen™ SQ GPS

Receiver

System Designer Reference Manual

F

Part Number 47838-00

Revision A

June 2002

Corporate Office

Release Notice

Trimble Navigation Limited
Components Technologies Division
645 North Mary Avenue
Post Office Box 3642
Sunnyvale, CA 94088-3642
U.S.A.
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.trimble.com

Support Offices

Trimble Navigation Limited
Components Technologies Division
645 North Mary Avenue
Post Office Box 3642
Sunnyvale, CA 94088-3642
U.S.A.
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Trimble Navigation Europe Limited
Trimble House
Meridian Office Park
Osborn Way, Hook
Hampshire RG27 9HX
England
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

Copyright and Trademarks

© 2002 Trimble Navigation Limited. All rights
reserved. No part of this manual may be copied,
reproduced, translated, or reduced to any
electronic medium or machine-readable form for
any use other than with the Lassen™ SQ GPS
Receiver.

This is the June 2002 release (Revision A) of the
Lassen™ SQ GPS Receiver System Designer
Reference Manual, part number 47838-00.

The following limited warranties give you specific
legal rights. You may have others, which vary
from state/jurisdiction to state/jurisdiction.

Hardware Limited Warranty

Trimble warrants that this Trimble hardware
product (the “Product”) shall be free from defects
in materials and workmanship and will
substantially conform to Trimble’s applicable
published specifications for the Product for a
period of one (1) year, starting from the date of
delivery. The warranty set forth in this paragraph
shall not apply to software/firmware products.

Software and Firmware License, Limited
Warranty

This Trimble software and/or firmware product
(the “Software”) is licensed and not sold. Its use is
governed by the provisions of the applicable End
User License Agreement (“EULA”), if any,
included with the Software. In the absence of a
separate EULA included with the Software
providing different limited warranty terms,
exclusions, and limitations, the following terms
and conditions shall apply. Trimble warrants that
this Trimble Software product will substantially
conform to Trimble’s applicable published
specifications for the Software for a period of
ninety (90) days, starting from the date of
delivery.

Warranty Remedies

The Globe & Triangle logo, Trimble, Colossus,
FirstGPS, and Lassen, are trademarks of Trimble
Navigation Limited.

The Sextant logo with Trimble is a trademark of
Trimble Navigation Limited, registered in the
United States Patent and Trademark Office.

All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.

Trimble's sole liability and your exclusive remedy
under the warranties set forth above shall be, at
Trimble’s option, to repair or replace any Product
or Software that fails to conform to such warranty
(“Nonconforming Product”), or refund the
purchase price paid by you for any such
Nonconforming Product, upon your return of any
Nonconforming Product to Trimble in accordance
with Trimble’s standard return material
authorization procedures.

Warranty Exclusions and Disclaimer

These warranties shall be applied only in the event
and to the extent that: (i) the Products and
Software are properly and correctly installed,
configured, interfaced, maintained, stored, and
operated in accordance with Trimble’s relevant
operator's manual and specifications, and; (ii) the
Products and Software are not modified or
misused. The preceding warranties shall not apply
to, and Trimble shall not be responsible for defects
or performance problems resulting from (i) the
combination or utilization of the Product or
Software with products, information, data,
systems or devices not made, supplied or specified
by Trimble; (ii) the operation of the Product or
Software under any specification other than, or in
addition to, Trimble's standard specifications for
its products; (iii) the unauthorized modification or
use of the Product or Software; (iv) damage
caused by accident, lightning or other electrical
discharge, fresh or salt water immersion or spray;
or (v) normal wear and tear on consumable parts
(e.g., batteries).

THE WARRANTIES ABOVE STATE TRIMBLE'S
ENTIRE LIABILITY, AND YOUR EXCLUSIVE
REMEDIES, RELATING TO PERFORMANCE OF
THE PRODUCTS AND SOFTWARE. EXCEPT AS
OTHERWISE EXPRESSLY PROVIDED HEREIN
THE PRODUCTS, SOFTWARE, AND
ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION AND
MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED “AS-IS” AND
WITHOUT EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY
OF ANY KIND BY EITHER TRIMBLE
NAVIGATION LIMITED OR ANYONE WHO HAS
BEEN INVOLVED IN ITS CREATION
PRODUCTION, INSTALLATION, OR
DISTRIBUTION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED
TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND
NONINFRINGEMENT. THE STATED EXPRESS
WARRANTIES ARE IN LIEU OF ALL
OBLIGATIONS OR LIABILITIES ON THE PART
OF TRIMBLE ARISING OUT OF, OR IN
CONNECTION WITH, ANY PRODUCTS OR
SOFTWARE. SOME STATES AND
JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS
ON DURATION OR THE EXCLUSION OF AN
IMPLIED WARRANTY, SO THE ABOVE
LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU

,

,

.

TRIMBLE NAVIGATION LIMITED IS NOT
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OPERATION OR
FAILURE OF OPERATION OF GPS SATELLITES
OR THE AVAILABILITY OF GPS SATELLITE
SIGNALS

.

Limitation of Liability

TRIMBLE’S ENTIRE LIABILITY UNDER ANY
PROVISION HEREIN SHALL BE LIMITED TO
THE GREATER OF THE AMOUNT PAID BY YOU
FOR THE PRODUCT OR SOFTWARE LICENSE OR

.$25.00. TO

U.S
PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO
EVENT SHALL TRIMBLE OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE
LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL
INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
WHATSOEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE
OR LEGAL THEORY RELATING IN ANY WAY TO
THE PRODUCTS, SOFTWARE, AND
ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION AND
MATERIALS
LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF
BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION
LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, OR ANY
OTHER PECUNIARY LOSS
WHETHER TRIMBLE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF
THE POSSIBILITY OF ANY SUCH LOSS AND
REGARDLESS OF THE COURSE OF DEALING
WHICH DEVELOPS OR HAS DEVELOPED
BETWEEN YOU AND TRIMBLE. BECAUSE SOME
STATES AND JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW
THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL
DAMAGES, THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT
APPLY TO YOU

THE MAXIMUM EXTENT

, (

INCLUDING, WITHOUT

),

REGARDLESS OF

.

,

,

Contents

1Starter Kit

Product Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Starter Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Removing the Lassen SQ GPS Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Receiver Performance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Interface Protocols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

TSIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

NMEA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Ordering Starter Kit Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Starter Kit Interface Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Serial Port Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Pulse-Per-Second (PPS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Hardware Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Software Toolkit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

2 Hardware Integration

General Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Digital IO/Power Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

RF Connector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Digital IO/Power Connector Pinout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Power Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Serial Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Lassen SQ GPS Receiver v

Contents

Pulse-Per-Second (PPS). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Mounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

GPS Antennas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

3 Software Interface

Start-up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Communicating with the Lassen SQ GPS receiver Module . . . . . . 35

Software Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Port Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Port Protocol and Data Output Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Protocol Configuration and Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

TSIP Data Output Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Automatic TSIP Output Options and Defaults. . . . . . . . . . 38

Automatic TSIP Output Packets (fixed rate) . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Packet Output Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

NMEA 0183 Protocol and Data Output Options. . . . . . . . . 41

Custom Port Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Timing Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Extended GPS Week Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

4 Operation and Performance

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

GPS Satellite Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Satellite Acquisition and Time to First Fix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Cold-Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Warm Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Hot Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Garage Search Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

System Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Satellite Mask Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Elevation Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

SNR Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

DOP Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

vi Lassen SQ GPS Receiver

Contents

PDOP Switch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Standard Operating Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Fix Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Position Accuracy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Coordinate Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

TSIP Coordinate Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

NMEA 0183 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Performance Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Update Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Dynamic Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Re-Acquisition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

GPS Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Serial Time Output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Pulse-Per-Second (PPS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

System Architecture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

A Trimble Standard Interface Protocol (TSIP)

Interface Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Packet Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Automatic Output Packets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Customizing Receiver Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Automatic Position and Velocity Reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Initialization Packets to Speed Start-up. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Packets Output at Power-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Timing Packets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Satellite Data Packets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Backwards Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Recommended TSIP Packets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Command Packets Sent to the Receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Report Packets Sent by the Receiver to the User . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Key Setup Parameters or Packet BB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Set Fix Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Dynamics Code . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Lassen SQ GPS Receiver vii

Contents

Packet Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

Elevation Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Signal Level Mask . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

DOP Mask and Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Command Packet 0x1E - Clear Battery Backup, then Reset. . . 84

Command Packet 0x1F - Request Software Versions . . . . . . 85

Command Packet 0x21 - Request Current Time . . . . . . . . . 85

Command Packet 0x23 - Initial Position

(XYZ Cartesian ECEF) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Command Packet 0x24 - Request GPS Position Fix Mode . . . 86

Command Packet 0x25 - Initiate Soft Reset & Self Test . . . . 86

Command Packet 0x26 - Request Health . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Command Packet 0x27 - Request Signal Levels. . . . . . . . . 86

Command Packet 0x2A - Altitude for 2-D Mode . . . . . . . . 86

Command Packet 0x2B - Initial Position . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Command Packet 0x2D - Request Oscillator Offset. . . . . . . 88

Command Packet 0x2E - Set GPS Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Command Packet 0x31 - Accurate Initial Position . . . . . . . 90

Command Packet 0x32 - Accurate Initial Position, . . . . . . . 91

Command Packet 0x35 - Set/Request I/O Options . . . . . . . 92

Command Packet 0x37 - Request Last Position and Velocity . . 95
Command Packet 0x38 - Request/Load Satellite System Data . 95
Command Packet 0x3C - Request Current Satellite Tracking . 97

Report Packet 0x41 - GPS Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Report Packet 0x42 - Single-Precision Position Fix . . . . . . . 99

Report Packet 0x43 - Velocity Fix, XYZ ECEF . . . . . . . . . 100

Report Packet 0x45 - Software Version Information. . . . . . . 101

Report Packet 0x46 - Health of Receiver . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Report Packet 0x47 - Signal Levels for all Satellites . . . . . . 103

Report Packet 0x4A - 20 Byte Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Report Packet 0x4A - 9 Byte Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Report Packet 0x4B - Machine/Code ID and Additional Status . 106

viii Lassen SQ GPS Receiver

Contents

Report Packet 0x4D - Oscillator Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Report Packet 0x4E - Response to Set GPS Time . . . . . . . . 107

Report Packet 0x55 - I/O Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Report Packet 0x56 - Velocity Fix, East-North-Up (ENU) . . . 110
Report Packet 0x57 - Information About Last Computed Fix . . 111
Report Packet 0x58 - Satellite System Data/Acknowledge . . . 112

Report Packet 0x5C - Satellite Tracking Status . . . . . . . . . 116

Report Packet 0x6D - All-In-View Satellite Selection . . . . . . 118

Command Packet 0x70 - Filter Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119

Report Packet 0x70. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Command Packet 0x7A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121

Report Packet 0x7B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122

Report Packet 0x82 - Differential Position Fix Mode . . . . . . 122

Report Packet 0x83 - Double-Precision XYZ Fix and Bias . . 123
Report Packet 0x84 - Double-Precision LLA Fix and Bias . . 124

Packets 0x8E and 0x8F - Superpacket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Command Packet 0xBB - Navigation Configuration . . . . . . 125

Command Packet 0xBC - Protocol Configuration . . . . . . . . 126

TSIP Superpackets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128

Command Packet 0x8E-20 - Request Last Fix with Extra Info. . 128
Report Packet 0x8F-20 - Last Fix with Extra Info. (binary) . . . 129
Command Packet 0x8E-26 - Non-Volatile Memory Storage . . 132

Report Packet 0x8F-26 - Non-Volatile Memory Status . . . . . 132

B TSIP Tool kit User’s Guide

SQ_Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Delta Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135

File Storage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

C NMEA 0183

The NMEA 0183 Communication Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

NMEA 0183 Message Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Field Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Lassen SQ GPS Receiver ix

Contents

NMEA 0183 Message Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

NMEA 0183 Message Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

GGA - GPS Fix Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

GLL - Geographic Position - Latitude/Longitude . . . . . . . . 144

GSA - GPS DOP and Active Satellites . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

GSV - GPS Satellites in View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

RMC - Recommended Minimum Specific GPS/Transit Data . . 147

VTG - Track Made Good and Ground Speed . . . . . . . . . . 148

ZDA - Time & Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Exception Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Power-up with No BBRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Power-up with BBRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Interruption of GPS Signal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

D Specifications and Mechanical Drawings

Lassen SQ GPS Receiver Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154

Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154

Electrical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Environmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155

Physical. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155

Accessories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

Ultra Compact Embedded Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Antenna. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159

LNA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Overall Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

Storage Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160

Compact Magnetic Mount Antenna. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Antenna. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162

LNA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Overall Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Storage Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

x Lassen SQ GPS Receiver

Contents

General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163

Mechanical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164

Compact Unpackaged Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

Glossary

Lassen SQ GPS Receiver xi

Contents

xii Lassen SQ GPS Receiver

About this Manual

Welcome to System Designer Reference Manual for the Lassen SQ
GPS receiver. This manual describes how to integrate and operate the
Lassen SQ GPS receiver.

If you are not familiar with GPS, visit Trimble’s website,
www.trimble.com, for an interactive look at Trimble and GPS.

Trimble assumes that you are familiar with Microsoft Windows and
know how to use a mouse, select options from menus and dialogs,
make selections from lists, and refer to online help.

Technical Assistance

If you have a problem and cannot find the information you need in the
product documentation, contact the Trimble Technical Assistance
Center at 800-767-4822.

Your Comments

Your feedback about the supporting documentation helps us to
improve it with each revision. To forward your comments, send an e­mail to [e-mail].

Lassen SQ GPS Receiver xiii

About this Manual

xiv Lassen SQ GPS Receiver

CHAPTER

1

Starter Kit

■

Product Overview

■

Starter Kit

■

Receiver Performance

■

Interface Protocols

■

Ordering Starter Kit Components

■

Starter Kit Interface Unit

■

Power

■

Hardware Setup

■

Software Toolkit

1

1 Starter Kit

1.1

Product Overview

The Lassen SQ GPS receiver is a full featured, ultra low power
receiver on a miniature form factor, suitable for a variety of mobile,
embedded applications. The Lassen SQ GPS receiver incorporates
Trimble’s FirstGPS
Colossus RF down converter and IO-TS-C33 baseband chip. The IO­TS-C33 integrates Trimble’s IO digital signal processor with the
Epson C33 RISC processor, real-time clock, UART, and 1Mbit
memory. Together with the colossus RF, this implementation of
FirstGPS technology makes possible one of the smallest
(26 mm x 26 mm x 6mm) and lowest power (100mW) GPS modules
available.

The Lassen SQ GPS receiver outputs a complete position, velocity,
and time (PVT) solution in the NMEA Version 3.0 ASCII protocol,
and the Trimble TSIP binary protocol. A Pulse-Per-Second signal is
available for very accurate timing applications.

TM

architecture in the form of two ASICS:

2 Lassen SQ GPS Receiver

1.2

Starter Kit

Starter Kit 1

The Starter Kit makes it simple to evaluate the Lassen SQ GPS
receiver’s exceptional performance. The Starter Kit can be used as a
platform for configuring the receiver module and as a platform for
troubleshooting your design. The Starter Kit includes:

• Shielded Lassen SQ GPS module mounted on an interface
motherboard in a durable metal enclosure. The motherboard
accepts 9 - 32 VDC power and provides regulated +3.3V power
to the Lassen SQ GPS receiver. The motherboard also contains:

– 3.6V lithium battery that provides back-up power to the

receiver.

– Circuitry to convert the TTL output to RS-232, enabling

the user to connect the RS-232 port in the Starter Kit to the
PC COM port via an RS-232 cable connection.

• Compact Magnetic-Mount GPS Antenna with a 5 meter cable.

• Ultra-Compact Embedded Antenna with an 8 cm cable.

• 9-pin RS-232 interface cable.

• AC/DC power supply adapter (input: 100-240VAC,
output: 12 VDC).

• DC power cable.

• Cigarette lighter adapter power cable.

• CD containing software tools used to communicate with the
receiver, the System Designer Reference Manual, and “C”
programming source routines to be used as a template for
communicating with the receiver.

Lassen SQ GPS Receiver 3

1 Starter Kit

1.2.1

Removing the Lassen SQ GPS Module

The Lassen SQ GPS module is secured to the motherboard with
double-sided adhesive tape allowing for easy removal and integration
with the user’s application. (The adhesive tape used by Trimble is 3M
Scotch, part number 4945).

Follow these steps to remove the module from the motherboard:

• Unplug the I/O cable and the RF cable from the module.

• Use a small flat-head screw driver to pry the Lassen SQ GPS
receiver module off the motherboard.

Warning – Once the Lassen SQ GPS receiver module is removed from
the motherboard, the double-sided tape looses some of it’s adhesive
quality. This adhesive tape may only be re-used for laboratory testing. The
original adhesive tape should not be re-used for drive testing the Starter
Kit interface unit because the module could loosen and cause short circuit
when contacting other motherboard components. If drive testing is
required, use a new piece of double-sided adhesive tape to re-attach the
Lassen SQ GPS receiver module to the motherboard.

4 Lassen SQ GPS Receiver

1.3

Receiver Performance

The Lassen SQ GPS receiver is a complete 8-channel parallel tracking
GPS receiver designed to operate with the L1 frequency, Standard
Position Service, Coarse Acquisition code. Using two highly
integrated Trimble custom integrated circuits, the receiver is designed
in a modular format especially suited for embedded applications
where small size and extremely low power consumption are required.
The receiver features Trimble's latest signal processing code, a high­gain RF section for compatibility with standard 27 dB active gain GPS
antennas, and a CMOS TTL level pulse-per-second (PPS) output for
timing applications or for use as a general purpose synchronization
signal.

The Lassen SQ GPS receiver acquires a position fix with minimal
delay after power cycling. The battery back-up RAM is used to keep
the Real Time clock (RTC) alive, and to store the following:

• Almanac

Starter Kit 1

• Ephemeris

• Last position

User settings such as port parameters and NMEA settings can be
stored in the receiver’s non-volatile (Flash) memory. These settings
are retained without application of main power or battery back-up
power.

The Lassen SQ GPS receiver has a single configurable serial I/O
communication port.

Warning – When customizing port assignments or characteristics,
confirm that your changes do not affect your ability to communicate with
the receiver (see Chapter 3, Software Interface).

Lassen SQ GPS Receiver 5

1 Starter Kit

1.4

Interface Protocols

The Lassen SQ GPS receiver operates using one of two protocols —
Trimble Standard Interface Protocol (TSIP) or NMEA 0183. The
factory default setting for the I/O port is TSIP bi-directional. Protocol
selection and port characteristics are user configurable.

1.4.1

1.4.2

TSIP

TSIP is a powerful binary packet protocol that allows the system
designer maximum configuration control over the GPS receiver for
optimum performance in any number of applications. TSIP supports
over 20 commands and their associated response packets for use in
configuring the Lassen SQ GPS receiver to meet user requirements.

NMEA

NMEA 0183 is an industry standard protocol common to marine
applications. NMEA provides direct compatibility with other NMEA­capable devices such as chart plotters, radars, etc. The Lassen SQ GPS
receiver supports most NMEA messages for GPS navigation. NMEA
messages and output rates can be user selected as required.

6 Lassen SQ GPS Receiver

1.5

Ordering Starter Kit Components

The Lassen SQ GPS receiver is available in a Starter Kit or as an
individual module and associated antenna. The Starter Kit
(PN 47225-00) includes all the components necessary to quickly test
and integrate the module:

• Compact Magnetic-Mount Antenna with 5m cable

• Ultra-Compact Embedded Antenna with 8cm cable

• AC/DC power supply adapter

• DC Power cable (3-wire)

• RS-232 interface cable DB9M/DB9F (pin to pin)

• Cigarette lighter adapter power cable

• CD-ROM containing software tools and the System Designer
Reference Manual

Starter Kit 1

Table 1.1 provides ordering information for the Lassen SQ GPS
module and the associated antennas and cables.

Table 1.1 Lassen SQ GPS Receiver Ordering Information

Products Part Number

Lassen SQ GPS receiver Module 46240-00

Lassen SQ GPS receiver Starter Kit 47225-00

Lassen SQ GPS receiver antenna transition cable 47274

Ultra-Compact Embedded Antenna, 3.3V, 8cm cable 45336-00

Compact Unpackaged Antenna, 3V, 11cm cable 39265-51

Compact Magnetic Mount Antenna, 3V, 5m cable 39265-50

Note – Part numbers are subject to change. Confirm part numbers
with your Trimble representative when placing your order.

Lassen SQ GPS Receiver 7

1 Starter Kit

1.6

Starter Kit Interface Unit

The Starter Kit interface unit consists of a Lassen SQ GPS module
attached to an interface motherboard, housed in a sturdy metal
enclosure. This packaging simplifies testing and evaluation of the
module by providing an RS-232 serial interface which is compatible
with most PC communication ports. Power (9-32 VDC) is supplied
through the power connector on the front of the interface unit. The
motherboard features a switching power supply which converts this
voltage input to the 3.3 volts required by the module. The DB9
connector allows for an easy connection to a PC serial port using the
serial interface cable provided in the Starter Kit. The metal enclosure
protects the module and the motherboard for testing outside of the
laboratory environment.

The Lassen SQ GPS receiver is a single module encased in a sturdy
metal enclosure. The dimensions of the receiver in this enclosure are
26 mm H x 26 mm L x 6 mm H (1.02” W x 1.02” L x 0.24” H). A
straight-in, panel-mount RF connector (J1) supports the GPS antenna
connection. The center conductor of the coaxial connector also
supplies +3.3 VDC for the Low Noise Amplifier of the active antenna.
An 8-pin (2x4), 0.09 inch header (J2) supports the serial interface
(CMOS TTL level), the pulse-per-second (PPS) signal (CMOS TTL
level), and the input power (+3.3 VDC). Figur e1.1 illustrates the
module in the metal enclosure.

8 Lassen SQ GPS Receiver

Starter Kit 1

Bottom Shield

Figure 1.1 Lassen SQ GPS receiver Module

The interface motherboard includes a 9 to 32 VDC switching power
supply which provides regulated +3.3 VDC power to the receiver, and
contains circuitry which provides an RS-232 interface to a computer.
A 3.6V lithium backup battery enables quick hot starts. The TTL level
PPS is brought directly out to Pin 9 of the Port 2 DB9 connector on the
front of the interface unit.

The Starter Kit includes an AC/DC converter for powering the module
from an AC wall socket. The metal enclosure (see Figure 1.2.)
provides 2 DB9 interface port connectors, an antenna connector, and a
power connector. Port 1 is for serial I/O.

Top Shield

Lassen SQ GPS Receiver 9

1 Starter Kit

The mounting plate is secured to the metal enclosure with four screws.
The eight pin I/O header on the receiver module connects to a mating
connector on a ribbon cable. The ribbon cable is attached to a mating
I/O connector on the interface motherboard. Figure 1.2 illustrates the
Starter Kit interface unit.

Figure 1.2 Starter Kit Interface Unit

Port 2

Port 1

10 Lassen SQ GPS Receiver

Starter Kit 1

1.6.1

Serial Port Interface

The Starter Kit interface unit is a DCE (Data Communication
Equipment) device. To connect to a host computer, or DTE (Data
Terminal Equipment) device, use a straight through cable. To connect
a Differential Radio (DCE device) to the receiver (DCE Device) use a
cross over cable or null modem cable.

Table 1.2 Port 1 Pinouts

Pin Description

1NC

2TX

3RX

4NC

5GND

6NC

7NC

8NC

9NC

Table 1.3 Port 2 Pinouts

Pin Description

1NC

2NC

3NC

4NC

5GND

6NC

7NC

8NC

9 PPS Out

Lassen SQ GPS Receiver 11

1 Starter Kit

1.6.2

Pulse-Per-Second (PPS)

The Lassen SQ GPS receiver provides a four microsecond wide,
CMOS compatible TTL level Pulse-Per-Second (PPS). The PPS is a
positive pulse available on pin 9 of the port 2 DB9 connector of the
interface unit (see Table 1.3). The rising edge of the PPS pulse is
synchronized with respect to UTC. The timing accuracy is ±95
nanoseconds when valid position fixes are being reported.

The rising edge of the pulse is typically less than 20 nanoseconds. The
distributed impedance of the attached signal line and input circuit can
affect the pulse shape and rise time. The PPS can drive a load up to
5mA without damaging the module. The falling edge of the pulse
should not be used. The PPS is always on (early PPS) and is driven by
the Real Time Clock (RTC) until the receiver acquires GPS time from
the satellite and generates position fixes. The PPS is output
immediately after main power is applied, and continues even if the
receiver loses GPS lock. The drift of the PPS, when the receiver is not
tracking satellites, is unspecified and should not be used for
synchronization.

Note – Trimble has measured better than 50 nanosecond accuracy on
the Lassen SQ GPS receiver’s PPS signal in static mode. For more
information on use of the Lassen SQ GPS receiver in timing
applications, contact your Trimble sales representative.

12 Lassen SQ GPS Receiver

1.7

Power

Starter Kit 1

The Lassen SQ GPS receiver receiver is designed for embedded
applications and requires a regulated +3.3 VDC input (+3.0 to +3.6
VDC). The receiver provided in the Starter Kit is installed on a
motherboard, providing a DC power regulator which converts a 9 to
32 VDC input to the regulated 3.3 VDC required by the receiver.
Power can be applied to the interface unit using one of three options:
the DC power cable (Figure 1.3), the AC/DC power converter
(Figure 1.4), or the cigarette lighter adapter.

Figure 1.3 DC Power Cable

The DC power cable is ideal for bench-top or automotive testing
environments. The power cable is terminated at one end with a 3-pin
plastic connector which mates with the power connector on the metal
enclosure. The un-terminated end of the cable provides easy
connection to a DC power supply. Connect the red power lead to a
source of DC positive +9 to +32 VDC, and connect the black power
lead to ground. This connection supplies power to both the receiver
and the antenna. The combined power consumption of the interface
unit with the receiver and the antenna is 133 - 145 milli-amps.

Note – To ensure compliance with CE conducted emissions
requirements when using the DC power cable, the Starter Kit interface
unit must be bonded to a ground plane.

Note – The yellow wire of the DC power cable is not used. Battery
back-up power is provided by a factory installed 3.6V lithium battery
on the motherboard.

Lassen SQ GPS Receiver 13

1 Starter Kit

The AC/DC power converter may be used as an alternate power source
for the interface unit. The AC/DC power converter converts 110 or 220
VAC to a regulated 12 VDC compatible with the interface unit. The
AC/DC power converter output cable is terminated with a 3-pin
connector compatible with the power connector on the metal
enclosure. The AC power cable is not provided in the kit, since this
cable is country-specific. The input connector is a standard 3-prong
connector used on many desktop PCs.

Figure 1.4 AC/DC Power Converter

14 Lassen SQ GPS Receiver

1.8

Hardware Setup

The Lassen SQ GPS receiver supports the TSIP and NMEA protocols.
A single port supports both the input/output of TSIP messages and the
output of NMEA messages. Follow the steps below to setup the Starter
Kit

interface unit. Figure 1.5 illustrates the setup.

Starter Kit 1

Po we r

Supply

Lassen SQ GPS
Starter Kit

GPS

DC E

9 to 32 VDC

Re c e ive r

DC E

GPS

Antenna

Figure 1.5 Starter Kit Interface Unit

DTE

Computer

Lassen SQ GPS Receiver 15

1 Starter Kit

1. When using the TSIP protocol, connect one end of the 9-pin
serial interface cable to Port 1 of the interface unit. Connect the
other end of the cable to COM1 or COM2 on a PC. A 9-pin-to­25-pin adapter may be required for the serial interface
connection to a PC, if your PC has a 25-pin communication
port.

2. Connect the antenna cable to the interface unit. This connection
is made by pushing the antenna cable connector onto the MCX
connector on the module. Place the antenna so that it has a clear
view of the sky.

Note – To remove the antenna cable, grasp the antenna mating MCX
connector and pull from the MCX connector mounted on the interface
unit.

3. Using either the DC power cable or an AC/DC power converter,
connect to the 3-pin power connector on the interface unit.

– DC Power Cable — connect the terminated end of the

power cable to the power connector on the interface unit.
Connect the red lead to DC positive voltage (+9 to +32
VDC) and black power lead to DC ground. The yellow
wire is not used. Switch on the DC power source.

– AC/DC Power Converter — connect the output cable of the

converter to the 3-pin power connector on the interface
unit. Using the appropriate 3-prong AC power cable (not
provided), connect the converter to an AC wall socket (110
VAC or 220 VAC). The AC power cable is not provided in
the Starter Kit.

16 Lassen SQ GPS Receiver