Product Details
SparkPNT: Because 'Roughly Over There' Isn't a Coordinate
Look, we get it. You’ve spent the last three hours trying to figure out why your drone thinks it’s in the middle of the North Sea when it’s clearly stuck in a hedge in Surrey. Enter the SparkPNT GNSS Flex Module. It’s a quad-band RTK powerhouse designed for people who actually care about being where they say they are. With the Quectel LG290P at the helm, this isn't just a GPS; it's a precision instrument for the obsessive-compulsive navigator.
Why You Want It
Most GNSS modules treat positioning like a suggestion. This one treats it like a legal mandate. Thanks to quad-band support (L1/L2/L5/L6), it cuts through interference like a hot knife through cold British butter. Plus, with the integrated IM19 IMU, you get tilt-compensated positioning. That means even if your rover is leaning like a student after a Friday night in Soho, your data stays upright and accurate. It’s swappable, too, because we know you like to tinker until things break.
Key Features
- Receiver: Quectel LG290P (The brainy bit that finds the satellites).
- Constellations: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS, QZSS (Yes, all of them).
- Bands: L1, L2, L5, L6 (Quad-band, because more is always more).
- IMU: Integrated IM19 (For when the ground isn't as flat as the spec sheet implies).
- RTK Accuracy: Centimetre-level (Assuming you aren't standing inside a lead box).
- Anti-Jamming: Advanced multi-tone active interference cancellation (Take that, noisy electronics).
- Form Factor: Swappable Flex Module (Because soldering is hard).
Features & Specs
GNSS Flex Module - LG290P and IM19:
- Quectel LG290P GNSS receiver
- Concurrent signal reception: 5 + QZSS
- L1, L2, L5, E6 frequency bands
- GNSS Constellations:
- GPS (USA)
- GLONASS (Russia)
- Galileo (EU)
- BDS (China)
- QZSS (Japan)
- NavIC (India)
- SBAS Systems:
- WAAS (USA)
- SDCM (Russia)
- EGNOS (EU)
- BDSBAS (China)
- MSAS (Japan)
- GAGAN (India)
- Built-in NIC anti-jamming unit
- Concurrent signal reception: 5 + QZSS
- IM19 Inertial Measurement Unit
- Two 2x20-pin, 2mm-pitch female headers
- 40-pin socket for GNSS Flex system
- Power
- 3.3V
- Backup power
- USB bus detect (not a power source)
- UART (x4)
- I2C bus*
- PPS signal (x1)
- LED indicators (x1)
- Event indicators (x1)
- Power
- 40-pin socket for GNSS Flex system
- U.FL Connector:
- GNSS Antenna (Active, Multi-band)
Flex Module Interfaces:
- I2C: LG290P I2C (SDA and SCL)*
- Flex COM1: LG290P UART1 (TX and RX only)
- Flex COM2: LG290P UART2 (TX and RX only)
- Flex COM3: IM19 UART1 (TX and RX only)
- Flex COM4: IM19 UART2
- PPS1: LG290P PPS
- PPS2: N/C
- EVENTA: LG290P EVENT
- EVENTB: N/C
- RTK LED: LG290P RTK_STAT
-
PVT LED: N/C
LG290P General Features
- High-precision GNSS module
- Electrical Characteristics:
- Supply Voltage: 3.15–3.45V
- Current Consumption:
- Normal Operation:
- 91mA (300.3mW) (Acquisition)
- 91mA (300.3mW) (Tracking)
- Power Saving Mode:
- 12μA (39.6mW) (Backup Mode)
- Normal Operation:
- GNSS Frequency Bands:
- GPS: L1 C/A, L1C, L5, L2C
- GLONASS: L1, L2
- Galileo: E1, E5a, E5b, E6
- BDS: B1I, B1C, B2a, B2b, B2I, B3I
- QZSS: L1 C/A, L1C, L5, L2C
- NavIC: L5
- SBAS: L1 C/A
- L-band PPP*:
- PPP: B2b
- QZSS: L6
- Galileo HAS: E6
- Tracking Channels: 1040
- Horizontal Position Accuracy:
- Autonomous: 0.7m
- RTK: 0.8cm + 1ppm
- Vertical Accuracy:
- Autonomous: 2.5m
- RTK: 1.5cm + 1ppm
- Velocity Accuracy Without Aid: 0.03m/s
- Accuracy of 1PPS Signal: 5ns (RMS)
- RTK Convergence Time: 5s
- Time to First Fix (without AGNSS):
- Cold Start: 28s
- Warm Start: 28s
- Hot Start: 1.7s
- Sensitivity:
- Acquisition: -146dBm
- Tracking: -160dBm
- Reacquisition: -155dBm
- Dynamic Performance:
- Maximum Altitude: 10000m
- Maximum Velocity: 490m/s
- Maximum Acceleration: 4g
- Update Rate:
- Default: 10Hz
- Max: 20Hz
- Antenna Interface:
- External active antenna
- Power Supply: External or Internal
- Interfaces
- UART (x2)
- Baud Rate: 9600–3000000bps
- Default: 460800bps
- Protocol: NMEA 0183/RTCM 3.x
- SPI* (x1)
- I2C* (x1)
- UART (x2)
- Operating temperature: -40°C to +85°C
IM19 General Features
- Operating Range:
- Accelerometer: ±8g
- Gyroscope: ±1000°/s -Accuracy:
- Accelerometer Bias: ±5mg
- Gyroscope Bias Accuracy: ±0.2°/s
- Roll/Pitch: ±0.025° (1σ)
- Heading: ±0.25° (1σ)
- RTK: + 0.3mm/tilt°, with 200cm straight pole (1σ)
- Auto Steering Yaw: 0.25° (1σ)
- Initialization: ~1s
*: Feature is still under development
Documentation
- Schematic
- KiCad Files
- Board Dimensions
- STEP File
- Hookup Guide
- Component Documentation
- Building a GNSS System
- GitHub Hardware Repo
In the Box
- 1x SparkPNT GNSS Flex Module; a sense of directional superiority.
Compatibility
Works seamlessly with the SparkFun SparkPNT Flex ecosystem and any controller that speaks the language of high-precision NMEA or RTCM. If your flight controller still thinks it’s 2012, maybe upgrade that first.
Highlights
- Quad-Band Glory: More bands means faster locks and fewer excuses for signal loss.
- Tilt Compensation: The IM19 IMU fixes your sloppy mounting habits in real-time.
- Anti-Jamming: Because the air is full of invisible garbage trying to ruin your signal.
Notes
This is a high-end RTK module. To get the 'Centimetre-Level Magic,' you will actually need a correction source (NTRIP or a base station). It won't find your keys, and it won't fix your marriage, but it will tell you exactly where the keys aren't.
Disclaimer
Unmanned Tech is not responsible for any existential crises caused by knowing your exact location to within 2cm. Does not include: GNSS Flex pHAT, GNSS Antenna or a Raspberry Pi (or similar single-board computer) which are required to use this module.
Still Here?
Either you’re a web crawler or you’re genuinely debating if you need quad-band RTK. Spoiler: you do. Stop settling for 'close enough' and start mapping like you mean it. Grab the SparkPNT LG290P now and stop flying blind.