LEA-6 / NEO-6 / MAX-6 - Hardware Integration Manual
UBX-14054794
Production Information
Design-in
Page 19 of 85
2
Design-in
For migrating existing ANTARIS
®
4 product designs to u-blox 6 please refer to Appendix B.
In order to obtain good performance with a GPS receiver module, there are a number of points that require
careful attention during the design-in. These include:
Power Supply: Good performance requires a clean and stable power supply.
Interfaces: Ensure correct wiring, rate and message setup on the module and your host system.
Antenna interface: For optimal performance seek short routing, matched impedance and no stubs.
2.1
Checklist
Good performance requires a clean and stable power supply with minimal ripple. Care needs to be exercised in
selecting a strategy to achieve this. Series resistance in the Vcc supply line can negatively impact performance.
For better performance, use an LDO to provide a clean supply at Vcc and consider the following:
Wide power lines or even power planes are preferred.
Place LDO near the module.
Avoid resistive components in the power line (e.g. narrow power lines, coils, resistors, etc.).
Placing a filter or other source of resistance at Vcc can create significantly longer acquisition times.
2.1.1
Design-in checklist
Designing-in a u-blox 6 module is easy, especially when based on a u-blox reference design. Nonetheless, it pays
to do a quick sanity check of the design. This section lists the most important items for a simple design check.
The Design-In Checklist also helps to avoid an unnecessary respin of the PCB and helps to achieve the best
possible performance.
Follow the design-in checklist when developing any u-blox 6 GPS applications. This can significantly
reduce development time and costs.
Have you chosen the optimal module?
u-blox 6 modules have been intentionally designed to allow GPS receivers to be optimally tailored to specific
applications. Changing between the different variants is easy.
Do you need TCXO performance – Then choose an
H
2
,
S
3
,
Q
4
or G
5
variant.
Do you want to be able to upgrade the firmware? Then you will have to use a programmable receiver
module: choose an
2 variant.
Do you need USB? All LEA-6 and NEO-6 modules support USB.
Do you need Dead Reckoning – Then choose a LEA-6
R
or NEO-6
V
(see section 2.1.3)
Do you need Precise Point Positioning – Then choose a NEO-6
P
Do you need Precision Timing – Then choose a LEA-6
T
or NEO-6
T
.
Do you need onboard Antenna Supervisor circuitry - Then choose the LEA form factor.
Do you need onboard Antenna control - Then choose the MAX form factor.
Du you need smallest size and forward compatibility- Then choose the MAX form factor.
Do you need low power - Then choose 1.8V 6
G
module variant.
Do you need GLONASS - Then choose LEA-6
N
.
2
LEA-6H
3
LEA-6S
4
NEO-6Q / MAX-6Q
5
NEO-6G / MAX-6G
