The new plug and play VRX GPS NEO-M8 with HMC5983 available for pre-order

[Roberto Navoni]

Dear Friends,

I'm very happy to present the result of latest VirtualRobotix's development: the new VRX GPS NEO-M8 .

I'ts the first Virtualrobotix's Multi Constellation GPS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS and SBAS),  engine, using Ublox NEO-M8 receiver.

The NEO-M8 is a 72-channel high sensitive engine that boasts a Time-To-First-Fix (TTFF) of less than 1 second.

The dedicated acquisition engine, with over 2 million correlators, is capable of massive parallel time/frequency space searches, enabling it to find satellites instantly.

Innovative design and technology suppresses interference sources and mitigates multipath effects, giving NEO-M8 GPS receivers excellent navigation performance even in the most challenging environments.

VRX GPS NEO-M8 is  equipped with a Panasonic Amplifier for better reception and a backup battery for quicker warm restarts.

The VRX GPS NEO-M8 also integrates Honywell's latest high precision digital mag (HMC5983). 

The HMC5983 can be used either in SPI or in I2C (selectable via a solder Jumper), it has a 200Hz output rate and it's temperature compensated, giving the best experience for our vehicles. 

The VRX GPS NEO-M8 is fully compatible with APM:Copter's  firmware and it's plug and play on VRBRAIN5, VRuBRAIN5, APM 2.5+, PixHawk and all boards that mount the DF13 connectors.

If you don't have a DF13, you can easly solder standard servo pins on the exposed pads.

The preorder is available at:

VRX GPS NEO-M8: http://www.virtualrobotix.it/index.php/en/shop/accessories/gps-ublo...

VR uBrain 5:  http://www.virtualrobotix.it/index.php/en/shop/autopilot/vrbrainmic...

If you are interested in the product click on notify me on the website to reserve the product.

Reservation is not binding.

The VRX GPS NEO-M8 has been tested in the field with our VRX300 "Personal Fly Robot SDK Platform"  here are some photos and  graphs from latest flights.

Flight Controller: VR Micro BRAIN

GPS: VRX GPS NEO-M8

Compass: HMC5983 mounted on GPS board

ESC: 12 A Kiss ESC

Motors: RCX - ZMR 

Propellers: APC 6x4

Lipo: 2200 mAh

Radio: Taranis with SBUS receiver X8R

These are the vibration graphs on the VRX300 

The number of satellites during this flight started at 11 and arrived to 15, the hdop was  from 1.3 to 1.5.

During my tests we have seen up to 18 satellites with an hdop of 0.7 .

With standard GPS module some times it is possible to see only 5 with an high HDOP

Here is possible to see the Altitude from Baro vs Altitude from GPS is not so bad :) 

Some RTL and Loiter tests in the Field with precision of less than 1 meter.

Features and Specifications:

• ublox NEO-8 module
• Concurrent reception of GPS/QZSS, GLONASS, BeiDou
• Industry leading –167 dBm navigation sensitivity
• 3,3V or 5V Inputs, with low noise 3.3V regulator.
• 5 Hz update rate
• Rechargeable 3V lithium backup battery for high efficient warm start
• Panasonic Low Noise Amplifier for antenna signal with high gain (19dB)
• EPCOS SAW high quality low-loss RF filter for GPS application
• 25 x 25 x 4 mm ceramic patch antenna
• Dedicated I2C EEPROM for receiver configuration storage
• High resolution compass (2 milli-gauss) and high speed (2 milli-gauss)
• Power and fix indicator LEDs
• ArduPilot Mega compatible 6-pin JST connector
• Exposed pads for simple soldering connection
• 38 x 38 x 8.5 mm total size, 19 grams.
• Receiver type NEO 8
  • 72-channel u-blox M8 engine
  • GPS/QZSS L1 C/A, GLONASS L10F
  • BeiDou B1
  • SBAS L1 C/A: WAAS, EGNOS, MSAS
• Navigation update rate: 
  • Single GNSS up to 18 Hz
  • Concurrent GNSS up to 10 Hz
  • Position accuracy: 2.0 m CEP
• Acquisition (NEO-M8Q/N)
  • (Default mode, GPS/SBAS/QZSS+GLONASS with TCXO)
  • Cold starts: 26 s
  • Aided starts: 2 s
  • Reacquisition: 1.5 s
• Sensitivity 
• (Default mode, GPS/SBAS/QZSS+GLONASS with TCXO)
  • Tracking & Nav: –167 dBm
  • Cold starts: –148 dBm
  • Hot starts: –156 dBm
• Connector : Serial Bus , I2C Bus and SPI as option plug and play fully compatible with : VR Brain , APM 2.x , PX4 and Pixhawk Flight Control . Available also solder pad for OEM Application .

Best

Roberto 

[tshado]

Hello Roberto,

Did you have to modify arducopter 3.2 code to set the correct parameters for the VRX GPS NEO-M8 ?

What are these correct pararmeters ?

Kind regards,

JC

[Stuart Brookes]

Hi, What is the mounting hole spacing? is it the same as ubrain?

Stu

[Roberto Navoni]

Can you connect to Ublox GPS by Ublox center  ? 

[Winston S. Aquino Zabala]

I'm Dominican Republic and satellite reception is good, I have another UBLOX NEO-M8N of http://www.csgshop.com, and works well.

[Winston S. Aquino Zabala]

Hello, I conducted several tests to discharge the battery and still nothing, (15 minutes, 20 minutes and 25 minutes).

[Roberto Navoni]

Hi See the video , how many minuts are you wait ? Where are you from ? Normally in the first fix could be that the gps need to doing the almanac and store it on eeprom .... 

Now we are preparing a firmware for micro brain that support Ublox Center for check if the configuration look good or if there are other kind of problem on gps .

best

Roberto 

[Roberto Navoni]

@S. Aquino ,

contact me by skype that we doing some test togheter . The account is : virtualrobotix

best

Roberto 

[Winston S. Aquino Zabala]

Hello Roberto! I received my "VRX GPS NEO-M8" but I could not get it to work, it does not receive satellite or not working.
I made a video where I show one 3DR Lea-6 GPS working well, with the same cable connexion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E216XbCNYxA&feature=youtu.be

[Helmut Huspenina]

Great job, and finally the connections down.
I'm looking forward.

Helmut