u-blox F9 high precision automotive DR GNSS receiver
Data sheet
Abstract
This data sheet describes the ZED-F9K high precision module with 3D
sensors and a multi-band GNSS receiver. The module provides laneaccurate positioning under the most challenging conditions, decimeterlevel accuracy for automotive mass markets, and it is ideal for ADAS, V2X
and head-up display. It provides a low-risk multi-band RTK turnkey solution
with built-in inertial sensors and lag-free displays with up to 30 Hz real-time
position update rate.
www.u-blox.com
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ZED-F9K-Data sheet
Document information
TitleZED-F9K
Subtitleu-blox F9 high precision automotive DR GNSS receiver
Document typeData sheet
Document numberUBX-17061422
Revision and dateR0506-Nov-2020
Document statusEarly production information
Disclosure restrictionC1-Public
Product statusCorresponding content status
In development /
prototype
Engineering sampleAdvance informationData based on early testing. Revised and supplementary data will be
Initial productionEarly production informationData from product verification. Revised and supplementary data may be
Mass production /
End of life
Objective specificationTarget values. Revised and supplementary data will be published later.
published later.
published later.
Production informationDocument contains the final product specification.
u-blox reserves all rights to this document and the information contained herein. Products, names, logos and designs
described herein may in whole or in part be subject to intellectual property rights. Reproduction, use, modification or
disclosure to third parties of this document or any part thereof without the express permission of u-blox is strictly prohibited.
The information contained herein is provided "as is" and u-blox assumes no liability for the use of the information. No warranty,
either express or implied, is given with respect to, including but not limited to, the accuracy, correctness, reliability and fitness
for a particular purpose of the information. This document may be revised by u-blox at any time. For most recent documents,
please visit www.u blox.com.
5.4 USB interface.........................................................................................................................................19
5.5 WT (wheel tick) and DIR (forward/reverse indication) inputs......................................................19
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ContentsPage 3 of 26
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1 Functional description
1.1 Overview
The ZED-F9K module features the u-blox F9 multi-band L1/L2 GNSS receiver with rapid
convergence time within seconds. This mass-market component provides decimeter-level
positioning with high availability, while making use of all four GNSS constellations simultaneously.
It is the first dead reckoning module with an integrated Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) capable
of high precision positioning. The sophisticated built-in algorithms fuse the IMU data, GNSS
measurements, wheel ticks, and vehicle dynamics model to provide lane accurate positioning where
GNSS alone would fail. The module operates under open-sky motorways, in the wooded countryside,
in difficult urban environments, and even in tunnels and underground parking. In modern automotive
applications, such as advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) where availability can improve the
safety of our roads, ZED-F9K is the ultimate solution.
The device is a turnkey solution eliminating the technical risk of integrating third party libraries,
precise positioning engines, and the multi-faceted hardware engineering aspects of radio frequency
design and digital design. The u-blox approach provides a transparent evaluation of the positioning
solution and clear lines of responsibility for design support while reducing supply chain complexity
during production.
ZED-F9K is ideal for innovative automotive architecture designs with limited space and power.
The module provides accurate location services to the increasing number of intelligent electronic
control units (ECU) such as telematics control unit, navigation system, infotainment and V2X safety
systems.
In priority navigation mode the module reaches a navigation rate of up to 30 Hz. The on-board
processor augments fused GNSS position with additional IMU-based position estimates. Drivers
experience responsive, lag-free user interfaces. ZED-F9K can output raw IMU and raw GNSS data
for advanced applications.
ZED-F9K modules are manufactured in ISO/TS 16949 certified sites and are fully tested on a system
level. Qualification tests are performed as stipulated in the ISO 16750 standard: “Road vehicles–
Environmental conditions and testing for electrical and electronic equipment”.
1.2 Performance
ParameterSpecification
Receiver typeMulti-band high precision DR GNSS receiver
Accuracy of time pulse signal
Frequency of time pulse signal
Operational limits
Position error during GNSS loss
1
2
RMS
99%
Dynamics
Altitude
Velocity
3D Gyro + 3D accelerometer + speed
pulse
30 ns
60 ns
0.25 Hz to 10 MHz
(configurable)
≤ 4 g
80,000 m
500 m/s
2%
1
Assuming airborne 4 g platform, not supported by ADR
2
68% error incurred without GNSS as a percentage of distance of traveled 3000 m, applicable to four-wheel road vehicle
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Tracking and nav.
Reacquisition
Cold start
Hot start
Along track
Cross track
2D CEP
Vertical
Table 1: ZED-F9K performance in different GNSS modes
GNSSGPSGLONASSBEIDOUGALILEO
Acquisition
Sensitivity 9
5
10
Position accuracy RTK
Cold start
Hot start
Aided start
Tracking and nav.
Reacquisition
Cold start
Hot start
11
2D CEP
Vertical
30 s
2 s
6
3 s
-158 dBm
-157 dBm
-147 dBm
-158 dBm
0.80 m
1.00 m
28 s
2 s
3 s
-158 dBm
-155 dBm
-147 dBm
-157 dBm
1.00 m
1.50 m
40 s
2 s
3 s
-158 dBm
-157 dBm
-141 dBm
-158 dBm
-
-
-
-
-
-156 dBm
-153 dBm
-137 dBm
-155 dBm
1.50 m
2.00 m
Table 2: ZED-F9K performance in single-GNSS modes
3
Rates with SBAS and QZSS enabled for > 98% fix report rate under typical conditions
4
68% at 30 m/s for dynamic operation
5
All satellites at -130 dBm
6
Dependent on the speed and latency of the aiding data connection, commanded starts
7
68% depending on atmospheric conditions, baseline length, GNSS antenna, multipath conditions, satellite visibility and
geometry
8
Time to ambiguity fix after 20 s outage
9
Demonstrated with a good external LNA
10
Configured min C/N0 of 6 dB/Hz, limited by FW with min C/N0 of 20 dB/Hz for best performance
11
Measured using 1 km baseline and patch antennas with good ground planes. Does not account for possible antenna
phase center offset errors.
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1.3 Supported GNSS constellations
The ZED-F9K GNSS modules are concurrent GNSS receivers that can receive and track multiple
GNSS constellations. Owing to the multi-band RF front-end architecture, all four major GNSS
constellations (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou) plus SBAS and QZSS satellites can be received
concurrently. All satellites in view can be processed to provide an RTK navigation solution when used
with correction data. If power consumption is a key factor, the receiver can be configured for a subset
of GNSS constellations.
All satellites in view can be processed to provide an RTK navigation solution when used with
correction data; the highest positioning accuracy will be achieved when the receiver is tracking
signals on both bands from multiple satellites, and is provided with corresponding correction data.
The QZSS system shares the same frequency bands as GPS and can only be processed in
conjunction with GPS.
To take advantage of multi-band signal reception, dedicated hardware preparation must be
made during the design-in phase. See the ZED-F9K Integration manual [1] for u-blox design
recommendations.
The ZED-F9K supports the GNSS and their signals as shown in Table 3.
GPSGLONASSGalileo
L1C/A (1575.42 MHz)L1OF (1602 MHz + k*562.5
kHz, k = –7,..., 5, 6)
L2C (1227.600 MHz)L2OF (1246 MHz + k*437.5
kHz, k = –7,..., 5, 6)
Table 3: Supported GNSS and signals on ZED-F9K
E1-B/C (1575.420 MHz)B1I (1561.098 MHz)
E5b (1207.140 MHz)B2I (1207.140 MHz)
BeiDou
The following GNSS assistance services can be activated on ZED-F9K:
ZED-F9K supports the following augmentation systems:
SBASQZSSIMES
EGNOS, GAGAN, WAAS and MSAS supportedSupportedNot supported
Table 5: Supported augmentation systems of ZED-F9K
Differential GNSS
RTCM 3.3
The augmentation systems SBAS and QZSS can be enabled only if GPS operation is also
enabled.
1.4 Supported GNSS augmentation systems
1.4.1 Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS)
The Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) is a regional navigation satellite system that provides
positioning services for the Pacific region covering Japan and Australia. The ZED-F9K high precision
receiver is able to receive and track QZSS signal concurrently with GPS signals, resulting in better
availability especially under challenging signal conditions, e.g. in urban canyons.
The ZED-F9K is also able to receive the QZSS L1S signal in order to use the SLAS (Sub-meter
Level Augmentation Service) which is an augmentation technology that provides correction data for
pseudoranges. Ground monitoring stations positioned in Japan calculate independent corrections
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for each visible satellite and broadcast this data to the user via QZSS satellites. The correction
stream is transmitted on the L1 frequency (1575.42 MHz).
QZSS can be enabled only if GPS operation is also configured.
1.4.2 Satellite based augmentation system (SBAS)
The ZED-F9K high precision receiver optionally supports SBAS (including WAAS in the US, EGNOS in
Europe, MSAS in Japan and GAGAN in India) to deliver improved location accuracy within the regions
covered. However, the additional inter-standard time calibration step used during SBAS reception
results in degraded time accuracy overall.
SBAS reception is enabled by default in ZED-F9K.
1.4.3 Differential GNSS (DGNSS)
When operating in RTK mode, RTCM version 3.3 messages are required and the module supports
DGNSS according to RTCM 10403.3. ZED-F9K can decode the following RTCM 3.3 messages:
Message typeDescription
RTCM 1001L1-only GPS RTK observables
RTCM 1002Extended L1-only GPS RTK observables
RTCM 1003L1/L2 GPS RTK observables
RTCM 1004Extended L1/L2 GPS RTK observables
RTCM 1005Stationary RTK reference station ARP
RTCM 1006Stationary RTK reference station ARP with antenna height
RTCM 1007Antenna descriptor
RTCM 1009L1-only GLONASS RTK observables
RTCM 1010Extended L1-only GLONASS RTK observables
RTCM 1011L1/L2 GLONASS RTK observables
RTCM 1012Extended L1/L2 GLONASS RTK observables
RTCM 1033Receiver and antenna description
RTCM 1074GPS MSM4
RTCM 1075GPS MSM5
RTCM 1077GPS MSM7
RTCM 1084GLONASS MSM4
RTCM 1085GLONASS MSM5
RTCM 1087GLONASS MSM7
RTCM 1094Galileo MSM4
RTCM 1095Galileo MSM5
RTCM 1097Galileo MSM7
RTCM 1124BeiDou MSM4
RTCM 1125BeiDou MSM5
RTCM 1127BeiDou MSM7
RTCM 1230GLONASS code-phase biases
Table 6: Supported input RTCM 3.3 messages
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1.5 Broadcast navigation data and satellite signal
measurements
The ZED-F9K can output all the GNSS broadcast data upon reception from tracked satellites. This
includes all the supported GNSS signals plus the augmentation service QZSS. The UBX-RXM-SFRBX
message contains this information. The receiver also makes available the tracked satellite signal
information, i.e. raw code phase and Doppler measurements, in a form aligned to the Radio Resource
LCS Protocol (RRLP) [3]. For the UBX-RXM-SFRBX message specification, see the u-blox ZED-F9K
Interface description [2].
1.5.1 Carrier-phase measurements
The ZED-F9K modules provide raw carrier-phase data for all supported signals, along with
pseudorange, Doppler and measurement quality information. The data contained in the UBX-RXMRAWX message follows the conventions of a multi-GNSS RINEX 3 observation file. For the UBXRXM-RAWX message specification, see the u-blox ZED-F9K Interface description [2].
Raw measurement data are available once the receiver has established data bit
synchronization and time-of-week.
Only available with an optional license for an additional cost.
1.6 Supported protocols
The ZED-F9K supports the following protocols:
ProtocolType
UBXInput/output, binary, u-blox proprietary
NMEA up to 4.11Input/output, ASCII
RTCM 3.3Input, binary
Table 7: Supported protocols
For specification of the protocols, see the u-blox ZED-F9K Interface description [2].
1.7 Automotive dead reckoning
u-blox’s proprietary automotive dead reckoning (ADR) solution uses a 3D inertial measurement
unit (IMU) included within the module, and speed pulses from the vehicle’s wheel tick (WT) sensor.
Alternatively, the vehicle speed data can be provided as messages via a serial interface. Sensor
data and GNSS signals are processed together, achieving 100% coverage, with highly accurate and
continuous positioning even in GNSS-hostile environments (for example, urban canyons) or in case
of GNSS signal absence (for example, tunnels and parking garages).
WT or speed sensor rate variations and the 3D IMU sensors are calibrated automatically and
continuously by the module, accommodating automatically to, for example, vehicle tire wear.
For more details, see the ZED-F9K Integration manual [1].
The ZED-F9K combines GNSS and dead reckoning measurements and computes a position solution
at rates of up to 2 Hz with non-priority navigation mode. In priority navigation mode the navigation
rate can be increased using IMU-only data to deliver accurate, low-latency position measurements
at rates up to 30 Hz. These solutions are reported in standard NMEA, UBX-NAV-PVT and similar
messages.
The ZED-F9K will work optimally in priority navigation mode when the IMU and WT sensors
are calibrated, and the alignment angles are correct.
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Dead reckoning allows navigation to commence as soon as power is applied to the module (that is,
before a GNSS fix has been established) under the following conditions:
• The vehicle has not been moved while the module has been switched off.
• At least a dead reckoning fix was available when the vehicle was last used.
• A back-up supply has been available for the module since the vehicle was last used.
The save-on-shutdown feature can be used when no backup supply is available. All
information necessary will be saved to the flash and read from the flash upon restart.
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2 System description
2.1 Block diagram
ZED-F9K-Data sheet
Figure 1: ZED-F9K block diagram
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3 Pin definition
3.1 Pin assignment
The pin assignment of the ZED-F9K module is shown in Figure 2. The defined configuration of the
PIOs is listed in Table 8.
The ZED-F9K is an LGA package with the I/O on the outside edge and central ground pads.
Figure 2: ZED-F9K pin assignment
Pin no.NameI/ODescription
1GND-Ground
2RF_INIRF input
3GND-Ground
4ANT_DETECTIActive antenna detect
5ANT_OFFOExternal LNA disable
6ANT_SHORT_NIActive antenna short detect
7VCC_RFOVoltage for external LNA
8Reserved-Reserved
9Reserved-Reserved
10Reserved-Reserved
11Reserved-Reserved
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Pin no.NameI/ODescription
12GND-Ground
13Reserved-Reserved
14GND-Ground
15Reserved-Reserved
16Reserved-Reserved
17Reserved-Reserved
18Reserved-Reserved
19GEOFENCE_STATOGeofence status, user defined
20RTK_STATORTK status 0 – fixed, blinking – receiving and using corrections, 1 – no
21Reserved-Reserved
22WTIWheel ticks
23DIRIDirection
24Reserved-Reserved
25Reserved-Reserved
26RXD2ICorrection UART input
27TXD2OCorrection UART output
28Reserved-Reserved
29Reserved-Reserved
30Reserved-Reserved
31Reserved-Reserved
32GND-Ground
33VCCIVoltage supply
34VCCIVoltage supply
35Reserved-Reserved
36V_BCKPIBackup supply voltage
37GND-Ground
38V_USBIUSB power input
39USB_DMI/OUSB data
40USB_DPI/OUSB data
41GND-Ground
42TXD / SPI_MISOOSerial port if D_SEL =1(or open). SPI MISO if D_SEL = 0
43RXD / SPI_MOSIISerial port if D_SEL =1(or open). SPI MOSI if D_SEL = 0
44SDA / SPI_CS_NI/OI2C data if D_SEL =1 (or open). SPI chip select if D_SEL = 0
45SCL / SPI_CLKI/OI2C Clock if D_SEL =1(or open). SPI clock if D_SEL = 0
46TX_READYOTX_Buffer full and ready for TX of data
47D_SELIInterface select
48GND-Ground
49RESET_NIRESET_N
50SAFEBOOT_NISAFEBOOT_N (for future service, updates and reconfiguration, leave OPEN)
51EXT_INTIExternal interrupt pin
52Reserved-Reserved
53TIMEPULSEOTime pulse
corrections
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Pin no.NameI/ODescription
54Reserved-Reserved
Table 8: ZED-F9K pin assigment
ZED-F9K-Data sheet
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4 Electrical specification
The limiting values given are in accordance with the Absolute Maximum Rating System
(IEC 134). Stress above one or more of the limiting values may cause permanent damage
to the device. These are stress ratings only. Operation of the device at these or at any other
conditions above those given below is not implied. Exposure to limiting values for extended
periods may affect device reliability.
Where application information is given, it is advisory only and does not form part of the
specification.
4.1 Absolute maximum ratings
ParameterSymbolConditionMinMaxUnits
Power supply voltageVCC-0.53.6V
Backup battery voltageV_BCKP-0.53.6V
Input pin voltageVinVCC ≤ 3.1 V-0.5VCC + 0.5V
VCC > 3.1 V-0.53.6V
DC current through any digital I/O pin
(except supplies)
VCC_RF output currentICC_RF100mA
Supply voltage USBV_USB–0.53.6V
USB signalsUSB_DM,
Input power at RF_INPrfinsource impedance =
Storage temperatureTstg-40+85°C
Table 9: Absolute maximum ratings
IpinTBDmA
-0.5V_USB + 0.5 V
USB_DP
10dBm
50Ω, continuous wave
The product is not protected against overvoltage or reversed voltages. Voltage spikes
exceeding the power supply voltage specification, given in the table above, must be limited
to values within the specified boundaries by using appropriate protection diodes.
4.2 Operating conditions
All specifications are at an ambient temperature of 25 °C. Extreme operating temperatures
can significantly impact the specification values. Applications operating near the
temperature limits should be tested to ensure the specification.
ParameterSymbolMinTypicalMaxUnitsCondition
Power supply voltageVCC2.73.03.6V
Backup battery voltageV_BCKP1.653.6V
Backup battery currentI_BCKP36µAV_BCKP = 3 V,
SW backup currentI_SWBCKP1.5mA
Input pin voltage rangeVin0VCCV
Digital IO pin low level input voltageVil0.4V
Digital IO pin high level input voltage Vih0.8 * VCCV
Digital IO pin low level output voltage Vol0.4VIol = 2 mA
Digital IO pin high level output voltage VohVCC – 0.4VIoh = 2 mA
VCC_RF voltageVCC_RFVCC - 0.1V
VCC = 0 V
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ParameterSymbolMinTypicalMaxUnitsCondition
VCC_RF output currentICC_RF50mA
Receiver chain noise figure
External gain (at RF_IN)Ext_gain1750dB
Operating temperatureTopr-40+2585°C
Table 10: Operating conditions
12
NFtot9.5dB
Operation beyond the specified operating conditions can affect device reliability.
4.3 Indicative power requirements
Table 11 lists examples of the total system supply current including RF and baseband section for
a possible application.
Values in Table 11 are provided for customer information only, as an example of typical
current requirements. The values are characterized on samples by using a cold start
command. Actual power requirements can vary depending on FW version used, external
circuitry, number of satellites tracked, signal strength, type and time of start, duration, and
conditions of test.
SymbolParameterConditionsGPS+GLO
I
PEAK
13
I
VCC
I
supply
Table 11: Currents to calculate the indicative power requirements
Peak currentAcquisition130120mA
VCC currentAcquisition9075mA
13
Supply currentTracking8568mA
+GAL+BDS
All values in Table 11 are measured at 25 °C ambient temperature.
GPSUnit
12
Only valid for the GPS
13
Simulated GNSS signal
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5 Communications interfaces
There are several communications interfaces including UART, SPI, I2C14 and USB.
All the inputs have internal pull-up resistors in normal operation and can be left open if not used.
All the PIOs are supplied by VCC, therefore all the voltage levels of the PIO pins are related to VCC
supply voltage.
5.1 UART interface
The UART interfaces support configurable baud rates. See the ZED-F9K Integration manual [1].
Hardware flow control is not supported.
UART1 is the primary host communications interface while UART2 is dedicated for RTCM 3.3
corrections and NMEA. No UBX protocol is supported on UART 2.
The UART1 is enabled if D_SEL pin of the module is left open or "high".
SymbolParameterMinMaxUnit
R
u
Δ
Tx
Δ
Rx
Table 12: ZED-F9K UART specifications
Baud rate9600921600bit/s
Tx baudrate accuracy-1%+1%-
Rx baudrate tolerance-2.5%+2.5%-
5.2 SPI interface
The ZED-F9K has an SPI slave interface that can be selected by setting D_SEL = 0. The SPI slave
interface is shared with UART1 and I2C pins. The SPI pins available are:
• SPI_MISO (TXD)
• SPI_MOSI (RXD)
• SPI_CS_N
• SPI_CLK
The SPI interface is designed to allow communication to a host CPU. The interface can be operated
in slave mode only. Note that SPI is not available in the default configuration because its pins are
shared with the UART and I2C interfaces. The maximum transfer rate using SPI is 125 kB/s and the
maximum SPI clock frequency is 5.5 MHz.
This section provides SPI timing values for the ZED-F9K slave operation. The following tables
present timing values under different capacitive loading conditions. Default SPI configuration is
CPOL = 0 and CPHA = 0.
14
I2C is a registered trademark of Philips/NXP
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Timings 1 - 12 are not specified here as they are dependent on the SPI master. Timings A - E
are specified for SPI slave.
Timing value at 2 pF loadMin (ns)Max (ns)
"A" - MISO data valid time (CS)1438
"B" - MISO data valid time (SCK) weak driver mode2138
"C" - MISO data hold time114130
"D" - MISO rise/fall time, weak driver mode14
"E" - MISO data disable lag time2032
Table 13: ZED-F9K SPI timings at 2 pF load
Timing value at 20 pF loadMin (ns)Max (ns)
"A" - MISO data valid time (CS)1952
"B" - MISO data valid time (SCK) weak driver mode2551
"C" - MISO data hold time117137
"D" - MISO rise/fall time, weak driver mode616
"E" - MISO data disable lag time2032
Table 14: ZED-F9K SPI timings at 20 pF load
Timing value at 60 pF loadMin (ns)Max (ns)
"A" - MISO data valid time (CS)2979
"B" - MISO data valid time (SCK) weak driver mode3578
"C" - MISO data hold time122152
"D" - MISO rise/fall time, weak driver mode1541
"E" - MISO data disable lag time2032
Table 15: ZED-F9K SPI timings at 60 pF load
5.3 Slave I2C interface
An I2C-compliant interface is available for communication with an external host CPU. The interface
can be operated in slave mode only. It is fully compatible with the I2C industry standard fast mode.
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Since the maximum SCL clock frequency is 400 kHz, the maximum bit rate is 400 kbit/s. The
interface stretches the clock when slowed down while serving interrupts, therefore the real bit rates
may be slightly lower.
The I2C interface is only available with the UART default mode. If the SPI interface is
selected by using D_SEL = 0, the I2C interface is not available.
Figure 4: ZED-F9K high precision receiver I2C slave specification
SymbolParameterMin (Standard /
Fast mode)
f
SCL
t
HD;STA
t
LOW
t
HIGH
t
SU;STA
t
HD;DAT
t
SU;DAT
t
r
t
f
t
SU;STO
t
BUF
SCL clock frequency0400kHz
Hold time (repeated) START condition4.0/1-µs
Low period of the SCL clock5/2-µs
High period of the SCL clock4.0/1-µs
Set-up time for a repeated START condition5/1-µs
Data hold time0/0-µs
Data set-up time250/100ns
Rise time of both SDA and SCL signals-1000/300 (for C = 400pF)ns
Fall time of both SDA and SCL signals-300/300 (for C = 400pF)ns
Set-up time for STOP condition4.0/1-µs
Bus-free time between a STOP and START
5/2-µs
condition
t
VD;DAT
t
VD;ACK
V
nL
V
nH
Data valid time-4/1µs
Data valid acknowledge time-4/1µs
Noise margin at the low level0.1 VCC-V
Noise margin at the high level0.2 VCC-V
Table 16: ZED-F9K I2C slave timings and specifications
MaxUnit
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5.4 USB interface
The USB 2.0 FS (Full speed, 12 Mbit/s) interface can be used for host communication. Due to
the hardware implementation, it may not be possible to certify the USB interface. The V_USB pin
supplies the USB interface.
5.5 WT (wheel tick) and DIR (forward/reverse indication) inputs
ZED-F9K pin 22 (WT) is available as a wheel tick input. The pin 23 (DIR) is available as a direction
input (forward/reverse indication).
By default the wheel tick count is derived from the rising edges of the WT input.
For optimal performance the wheel tick resolution should be less than 5 cm.
The DIR input shall indicate whether the vehicle is moving forwards or backwards.
Alternatively, the vehicle WT (or speed) and DIR inputs can be provided via one of the communication
interfaces with UBX-ESF-MEAS messages.
For more details, see the ZED-F9K Integration manual [1].
5.6 Default interface settings
InterfaceSettings
UART1 output
UART1 input
UART2 output
UART2 input
USBDefault messages activated as in UART1. Input/output protocols available as in UART1.
I2C
SPIAllow communication to a host CPU, operated in slave mode only. Default messages activated as
Table 17: Default interface settings
38400 baud, 8 bits, no parity bit, 1 stop bit.
NMEA protocol is enabled by default and GGA, GLL, GSA, GSV, RMC, VTG, TXT messages are
output by default.
UBX protocol is enabled by default but no output messages are enabled by default.
RTCM 3.3 protocol output is not supported.
38400 baud, 8 bits, no parity bit, 1 stop bit.
UBX, NMEA and RTCM 3.3 input protocols are enabled by default.
38400 baud, 8 bits, no parity bit, 1 stop bit.
UBX protocol cannot be enabled.
RTCM 3.3 protocol output is not supported.
NMEA protocol is disabled by default.
38400 baud, 8 bits, no parity bit, 1 stop bit.
UBX protocol cannot be enabled and will not receive UBX input messages.
RTCM 3.3 protocol is enabled by default.
NMEA protocol is disabled by default.
Fully compatible with the I2C15 industry standard, available for communication with an external
host CPU or u-blox cellular modules, operated in slave mode only. Default messages activated as
in UART1. Input/output protocols available as in UART1. Maximum bit rate 400 kb/s.
in UART1. Input/output protocols available as in UART1. SPI is not available unless D_SEL pin is
set to low (see section D_SEL interface in ZED-F9K Integration manual [1]).
UART2 can be configured as an RTCM interface. RTCM 3.3 is the default input protocol. UART2
may also be configured for NMEA output. NMEA GGA output is typically used with virtual reference
service correction services.
15
I2C is a registered trademark of Philips/NXP
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ZED-F9K-Data sheet
By default the ZED-F9K outputs NMEA messages that include satellite data for all GNSS
bands being received. This results in a high NMEA load output for each navigation period.
Make sure the UART baud rate used is sufficient for the selected navigation rate and the
number of GNSS signals being received.
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6 Mechanical specification
ZED-F9K-Data sheet
Figure 5: ZED-F9K mechanical drawing
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ZED-F9K-Data sheet
7 Reliability tests and approvals
ZED-F9K modules are based on AEC-Q100 qualified GNSS chips.
Tests for product family qualifications are according to ISO 16750 "Road vehicles – environmental
conditions and testing for electrical and electronic equipment”, and appropriate standards.
7.1 Approvals
The ZED-F9K is designed to in compliance with the essential requirements and other relevant
provisions of Radio Equipment Directive (RED) 2014/53/EU.
The ZED-F9K complies with the Directive 2011/65/EU (EU RoHS 2) and its amendment Directive
(EU) 2015/863 (EU RoHS 3).
Declaration of Conformity (DoC) is available on the u-blox website.
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ZED-F9K-Data sheet
8 Labeling and ordering information
This section provides information about product labeling and ordering. For information about
product handling and soldering see the ZED-F9K Integration manual [1].
8.1 Product labeling
The labeling of the ZED-F9K modules provides product information and revision information. For
more information contact u-blox sales.
8.2 Explanation of product codes
Three product code formats are used. The Product name is used in documentation such as this data
sheet and identifies all u-blox products, independent of packaging and quality grade. The Orderingcode includes options and quality, while the Type number includes the hardware and firmware
versions.
The Table 18 below details these three formats.
FormatStructureProduct code
Product namePPP-TGVZED-F9K
Ordering codePPP-TGV-NNQZED-F9K-00B
Type numberPPP-TGV-NNQ-XXZED-F9K-00B-01
Table 18: Product code formats
The parts of the product code are explained in Table 19.
CodeMeaningExample
PPPProduct familyZED
TGPlatformF9 = u-blox F9
VVariantK = High precision + ADR
NNQOption / Quality grade
XXProduct detailDescribes hardware and firmware versions
Table 19: Part identification code
NN: Option [00...99]
Q: Grade, A = Automotive, B = Professional
8.3 Ordering codes
Ordering codeProductRemark
ZED-F9K-00Bu-blox ZED-F9K
Table 20: Product ordering codes
Product changes affecting form, fit or function are documented by u-blox. For a list of
Product Change Notifications (PCNs) see our website at: https://www.u-blox.com/en/
product-resources.
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