U-blox C099-F9P Users manual

- User guide



Abstract

F9P high precision

Fi for

C099-F9P

Application board (rev. E), ODIN-W2 u-connectXpress
software

User guide

The C099-F9P board enables customers to evaluate RTK operation with the ZED­GNSS receiver. The board provides short-range wireless connection via Bluetooth® or Wi­receiving correction data and logging via wireless connectivity.

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C099-F9P - User guide

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Document information

Title C099-F9P

Subtitle Application board (rev. E), ODIN-W2 u-connectXpress software

Document type User guide

Document number UBX-18055649

Revision and date R09 29-Jun-2020

Disclosure restriction

C1-Public

This document applies to the following products:

Product name Type number Firmware version PCN reference

C099-F9P C099-F9P-0-03

C099-F9P-1-03
C099-F9P-2-03

FW 1.00 HPG 1.13
u-connectXpress SW 5.0.1 or
later

N/A Production ready

Product status

-blox or third parties may hold intellectual property rights in the products, names, logos and designs included in this

express written permission of u-blox.

-blox assumes no liability for its use. No warranty, either express or

to, with respect to the accuracy, correctness, reliability and fitness for a particular

-blox at any time without notice. For the most recent

-blox.com.

-blox AG.

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Contents

Document information ................................................................................................................................ 2

Contents .......................................................................................................................................................... 3

1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 5

1.1 Package contents ....................................................................................................................................... 6

1.2 Additional sources of information ........................................................................................................... 6

2 C099-F9P quick start ........................................................................................................................... 7

2.1 Starting up ................................................................................................................................................... 7

3 C099-F9P description .......................................................................................................................... 9

3.1 Component overview .................................................................................................................................. 9

3.2 Component identification ......................................................................................................................... 9

3.2.1 ZED-F9P status LEDs ......................................................................................................................11

3.2.2 ODIN-W2 activity LED ......................................................................................................................12

4 Using the C099-F9P ........................................................................................................................... 13

4.1 Powering the board ...................................................................................................................................13

4.1.1 Non-wireless operation ....................................................................................................................14

4.2 GNSS RF input ...........................................................................................................................................14

4.3 User interfaces ..........................................................................................................................................15

4.3.1 FTDI USB bridge ................................................................................................................................15

4.3.2 Bluetooth serial COM port connection .........................................................................................16

5 Rover operation using NTRIP .......................................................................................................... 20

5.1 PC hosting via u-center ............................................................................................................................20

5.2 Mobile hosting ...........................................................................................................................................21

5.3 Pairing the host with the C099-F9P ......................................................................................................21

6 Reference station and rover pairing ............................................................................................. 22

6.1 Wi-Fi connection between two C099-F9P boards ..............................................................................22

6.1.1 Configuring a C099-F9P rover for Wi-Fi operation ....................................................................22

6.1.2 Configuring a C099-F9P reference station (Base) for Wi-Fi operation .................................25

6.1.3 ZED-F9P reference station (Base) and rover configuration ....................................................26

7 Firmware update ................................................................................................................................. 29

7.1 ZED-F9P firmware update ......................................................................................................................29

7.2 ODIN-W2 firmware update ......................................................................................................................31

7.2.1 Mbed OS 3 application firmware ...................................................................................................32

7.2.2 u-connectXpress software .............................................................................................................32

8 Arduino header connections ........................................................................................................... 36

Appendix ....................................................................................................................................................... 37

A Glossary ................................................................................................................................................. 37

B Resources .............................................................................................................................................. 37

C u-blox ODIN-W2 BT Rover.txt ......................................................................................................... 37

D Rover ODIN-W2 Access Point UDP Server.txt .......................................................................... 39

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E Reference station ODIN-W2 UDP client.txt ............................................................................... 39

F F9P Base config C99.txt ................................................................................................................... 40

G F9P Rover config C99.txt ................................................................................................................. 41

H C099-F9P antenna specification ................................................................................................... 41

H.1 Wi-Fi/Bluetooth antenna specification ................................................................................................41

I Mechanical board dimensions ........................................................................................................ 42

J C099-F9P schematics ....................................................................................................................... 42

Related documents ................................................................................................................................... 48

Revision history .......................................................................................................................................... 48

Contact .......................................................................................................................................................... 49

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1 Introduction

The C099-F9P board is a convenient tool that allows customers to become familiar with the u-blox
ZED-F9P high precision GNSS module. The board provides facilities for evaluating the product and
demonstrating its key features. The C099-F9P application board offers:

• A ZED-F9P module for use as an RTK rover or reference station

• An ODIN-W2 short-range module to provide untethered operation using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi

• Power supply options comprising a USB connection, Li-Po (lithium polymer) cell with recharging

ability, and 6-17 V DC input

• Small, lightweight board (110 x 55 mm) with Arduino R3/Uno shield connections for host
expansion

The C099-F9P board allows for two alternative firmware versions to be used with the ODIN-W2
short-range module. These are:

1. C099-F9P Mbed3 application firmware. This is the default ODIN-W2 firmware pre-loaded to C099-

F9P boards.

2. ODIN-W2 u-connectXpress software. This is the standard firmware for ODIN-W2 modules. See

section 7.2 on how to change to this firmware.

1

☞ This User guide describes how to use the C099-F9P board with the ODIN-W2 u-connectXpress

software.

This User guide describes the following use cases:

1. Base and rover operation via serial connectivity

2. Base and rover operation via Wi-Fi (with ODIN-W2 u-connectXpress software)

3. Rover operation via Bluetooth Classic (with ODIN-W2 u-connectXpress software)

This user guide is split into several sections:

• Section 2: C099-F9P quick start provides information on how to get C099-F9P up and running
straight out of the box.

• Section 3: C099-F9P description identifies the board’s facilities.

• Section 4: Using the C099-F9P provides a comprehensive guide for in-depth usage.

• Section 5: Rover operation using NTRIP shows different ways of connecting to an NTRIP service.

• Section 6: Reference station and rover pairing shows pairing using two C099-F9P boards as a

reference/rover pair.

• Section 7: Firmware update provides instructions for updating the firmware of the ZED-F9P high
precision GNSS module as well as the ODIN-W2 short-range module.

• Section 8: Arduino header connections provides mechanical specifications for Arduino R3/Uno.

• The sections in the Appendix provide the u-blox configuration files and give information on C099-

F9P antenna schematics, and C099-F9P mechanical board dimensions and schematics.

1

The C099-F9P kit does not contain a battery or an external power adapter.

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1.1 Package contents

The delivered package contains:

• C099-F9P board (rev. E)

• u-blox ANN-MB-00 multi-band GNSS antenna and ground plane

• Wi-Fi/Bluetooth antenna

• USB interconnect cable

• Quick start guide

• USB-to-DC plug adapter cable

Figure 1: C099-F9P board and antennas

1.2 Additional sources of information

Prior to using the board, it is useful to download the appropriate evaluation software and keep handy
the documents listed in the Related documents section.

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2 C099-F9P quick start

This section provides some quick steps to enable ZED-F9P operation before exploring the more
complex configurations described later.

USB port ZED-F9P LEDs ZED-F9P module ZED-RF connector

Figure 2: Basic C099-F9P overview with details needed for quick start

2.1 Starting up

• Connect the supplied multi-band GNSS antenna to the ZED-RF SMA connector. Ensure good
signal reception.

• Connect the USB to a Windows PC; this will power the board. The FTDI and USB drivers will be
installed automatically
time. Note that the board has current limitation functionality on USB. Thus, ZED-F9P and ODIN­W2 modules will power up after the drivers have been successfully installed and the USB
enumeration is completed.

• Start u-center and connect to the COM port identified as C099 application board, ZED-F9P using
Device Manager. Set the baud rate to 460800 baud. See section 4.3.1 for detailed instructions.

• The time pulse LED on the C099-F9P board will blink in blue once the ZED-F9P has obtained valid
time information. Figure 3 below shows a typical u-center view with active satellite signal levels.

To operate the ZED-F9P in RTK mode, the GNSS antenna must be placed in an open environment and
the unit must be connected to an RTK correction service. Where available, the evaluation kit comes
with a free trial of the SmartNet correction service. Consult the leaflet included with the kit for
information on how to register for the service and how to obtain mount point and user connection
details before moving to the next steps.

RTK corrections can be applied using a u-center built-in NTRIP client. To use the C099-F9P board with
a correction service follow these next steps:

• In u-center, click on the Receiver menu item.

• Select NTRIP Client…

• Fill in the settings for the NTRIP caster, username and password.

• Click Update source table and select the recommended NTRIP mount point.

• Click OK to close the dialog and connect to the service.

• In the Data View of u-center, the Fix Mode should change from 3D to 3D/DGNSS when RTCM

corrections are received. The RTK LED will blink in green.

2

from Windows Update when the user connects the board for the first

2

For manual driver installation, check GNSS Sensor and VCP Device Driver User guide in Related documents

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• Eventually, the status will change to 3D/DGNSS/FIXED and the RTK LED will show a steady green
light.

Figure 3: u-center showing a view of the ZED-F9P default operation

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3 C099-F9P description

3.1 Component overview

The C099-F9P houses the ZED-F9P RTK high precision positioning module and an ODIN-W2 module
for wireless short-range communications. An FTDI component provides dedicated COM port
connections with the ZED-F9P and ODIN-W2 via a USB connector.

The board can be powered by USB, a DC supply socket, or by a Li-Po (lithium polymer) battery. The
board has been designed using an Arduino form factor with the modules’ serial ports routed to the
shield headers. Note that a secondary USB power source is available via the USB-to-DC plug adapter
cable.

The block diagram in Figure 4 shows the logical signal flow between the individual parts.

Figure 4: C099-F9P block diagram

3.2 Component identification

The following images show the position of major parts and user interfaces.

• Main components – Figure 5

• Switches and LEDs – Figure 6

Their functions are described later on in this section.

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J9

J8

J3

J2

ODIN-W2 UART ports)

Arduino Uno connectors

DC power jack

Battery connector

GNSS antenna connector

Wi-Fi/BT antenna connector

ZED-F9P multi band GNSS RTK module

ODIN-W2 multi-radio module

J2, J3, J8, J9

Figure 5: Main components and USB ports

USB (ZED-F9P USB and UART,

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GNSS LEDs: TP, RTK, Geofence

ODIN-W2 safeboot pins

ZED-F9P safeboot button

Battery incorrect polarity indicator

ZED-F9P and ODIN-W2 reset button

ODIN-W2 switch 0 interrupt button

ODIN-W2 activity LED

Battery charger LED

LED

Figure 6: Switches and LEDs

☞ The MicroSD card slot is not used in this version of the board. The ODIN-W2 Switch 0 interrupt is

not required for normal customer use.

3.2.1 ZED-F9P status LEDs

The board provides three LEDs to show the ZED-F9P status. The location of the LEDs is shown in
Figure 7 below.

The RTK status LED provides an indication of the state of the ZED-F9P module RTK-STAT pin.

• At start-up the LED is off.

• When a valid stream of RTCM messages is being received and utilized, but no RTK fixed mode has

been achieved, the yellow LED flashes.

• When in RTK fixed mode, the yellow LED is turned on.

The blue time pulse LED will flash at the default 1 Hz rate when the time solution is valid.

If activated, the Geofence status LED indicates the current Geofence status, i.e. in or outside a
designated area.

See the ZED-F9P Interface description [1] for help with configuring the time pulse output or activating
the Geofence pin.

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ODIN-W2 activity LED

ZED-F9P Geofence status LED

ZED-F9P RTK status LED

ZED-F9P time pulse LED

Figure 7: ZED-F9P LEDs

3.2.2 ODIN-W2 activity LED

The ODIN-W2 module uses a multi-colored LED to show particular activity status. This is positioned
adjacent to the ZED-F9P reset switch and shown below in Figure 8. The activity status is summarized
in Table 1 below.

Mode Status LED color

Data mode, EDM IDLE Green

Command mode IDLE Orange

Data mode, Command mode, EDM CONNECTING Purple

Data mode, Command mode, EDM CONNECTED3 Blue

Table 1: ODIN-W2 u-connectXpress software LED activity states and colors

Figure 8: ODIN-W2 Activity LED position on C099-F9P board

3

On data activity, the active LED flashes.

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4 Using the C099-F9P

The C099-F9P is shipped with the latest HPG firmware for the ZED-F9P GNSS module. Information
on updating either module’s firmware is provided in section 7 Firmware update, if required.

4.1 Powering the board

The board can be powered from a variety of sources:

• The USB connection

• A 3.7 V Li-Po Battery via a JST connector

• An external 6-12 V DC source via a 2.1mm connector; center pin V+. Also, the included USB-to-DC

plug adapter cable can be used to provide an additional USB power source.

USB

DC power jack

Li-Po battery connector

Figure 9: Power connections

Figure 10: Typical single-cell 3.7 V Li-Po battery with JST connector

⚠ Follow all published safety advice for using bare cell Li-Po batteries while charging and protecting

them from mechanical damage. Fire risk can occur if the advice is not followed.

⚠ Ensure correct polarity on the JST battery connector. In case of an incorrect polarity, the incorrect

polarity LED will be on. Due to the polarity protection feature, the supply rails will not be powered.

All supply connections are fed via a Schottky diode to the main supply bus to allow multiple sources
to be connected in parallel. The Li-Po battery will be charged from either the DC power source or the

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Orange battery incorrect

USB power source. The charging status is indicated by a red LED which is on during charging and
turned off when fully charged.

When less than 500 mA is available from the USB host, ensure sufficient extra supply via the DC power
jack. Note that due to the higher current consumption caused by the battery charging it is not
recommended to charge the battery via USB only.

☞ Supplying through the USB port requires the power source (USB host) to support the USB

enumeration process. If the power source is not capable of enumeration, you may use the provided
USB-to-DC adapter cable and connect it to the DC plug. There is no current limitation for the DC
supply.

Red battery charge LED

polarity indicator LED

Figure 11: Battery charge status LED

4.1.1 Non-wireless operation

For use-case scenarios where non-wireless data link is needed the ODIN-W2 can be disabled. In order
to disable the ODIN-W2, connect the safeboot jumper which forces the ODIN-W2 into safeboot mode
during the device start-up. See Figure 6 to locate the safeboot pins.

On average, the ODIN-W2 consumes less current when started in the safeboot mode. In addition, the
safeboot mode ensures that no intentional radiation originates from the 2.4 GHz antenna connector.

4.2 GNSS RF input

The C099-F9P board should be used with the antenna supplied with the kit. If another active antenna
is used, be aware that the RF input has a bias output designed to supply 3.3 V DC with a 70 mA
maximum current load. A DC block is advisable if the board is connected to a signal distribution
scheme or GNSS simulator to prevent any potential shorting of the antenna bias.

SMA GNSS antenna connector

Figure 12: GNSS antenna connector

When using the supplied antenna it is advisable to use the ground plane provided. Otherwise ensure
that there is an adequate ground plane, e.g. by mounting in the center of a metallic car roof.

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ZED-F9P and ODIN-W2

Figure 13: The supplied GNSS multi-band antenna

4.3 User interfaces

The C099-F9P has a number of fixed connection options besides the wireless modes. There is also an
additional Arduino R3 / Uno interface for external host connection.

The USB connector on the board provides connection via an on-board hub providing:

• An FTDI USB bridge to ZED-F9P UART1 and ODIN-W2 UART COM ports.

• Dedicated connection to the ZED-F9P USB port.

4.3.1 FTDI USB bridge

When the USB cable from the user’s PC is connected, a driver will load and set up two virtual serial
ports, as shown below in Figure 14. Additionally, a further serial VCP will be created to provide a direct
connection with the ZED-F9P USB port.

☞ Ensure that the PC is connected to the internet to load the drivers from Windows Update.

The first of these is connected to the ZED-F9P serial port and should be selected with u-center. The
second serial device is for the ODIN-W2 module when using s-center. In Figure 14 the ODIN-W2
connection is the first port (COM 62) and the ZED-F9P connection is the second port (COM 64). Port
numbering can be different between individual PCs, but the same arrangement applies.

COM ports installed

Figure 14: Windows Device Manager COM port view

In addition, a third VCP will be created corresponding to the ZED-F9P USB port. Windows 10 users will
see a new VCP device in the Device Manager window as it will load an in-built driver. With older
Windows installations, a driver will be loaded via Windows Update. In this case the device will be
identified as a u-blox GNSS device in the Device Manager window.

Open u-center, select the ZED-F9P serial port, and set the baud rate to 460800 to match the ZED­F9P default UART setting. Once connected, u-center shows typical received signal levels from
multiple GNSS bands, see Figure 15 below.

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