4G GNSS-RTK Positioning Kit (EMEA & Thailand)

Jargon buster

Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.

1PPS

One Pulse Per Second is a precise timing signal often provided by a satellite positioning receiver. It matters when a project needs very accurate time alignment, such as timestamping logged data.

B2a

A BeiDou satellite signal used by newer dual-band GNSS receivers. Support for B2a can improve accuracy and reliability when combined with other GNSS bands.

BDS

BeiDou, China’s satellite navigation system. Support for BDS gives the receiver access to more satellites, which can help maintain a better position fix in challenging locations.

E1

A Galileo satellite signal band used for standard positioning. Knowing which signal bands are supported helps you judge compatibility and expected performance of a GNSS receiver.

E5a

A Galileo satellite signal band used for higher-performance positioning services. Support for E5a can help dual-band GNSS receivers improve accuracy and reduce errors from atmospheric delay.

EGNOS

Europe’s SBAS service for improving GNSS positioning accuracy and reliability. It is relevant if the receiver will be used in Europe or nearby supported areas without an RTK correction link.

electromagnetic interference

Electromagnetic interference is unwanted electrical noise from nearby devices, cables, or radio signals that can disturb a signal in a wire. Shielding helps reduce this noise, which matters for network adapters because cleaner signals are less likely to cause unreliable connections or data errors.

GAGAN

India’s SBAS service for improving GNSS positioning. It matters for projects in its coverage region because it can improve standard GNSS accuracy when RTK is not being used.

Galileo

Europe’s satellite navigation system. Galileo support can improve satellite availability and accuracy, especially when combined with GPS and other constellations.

GLONASS

Russia’s satellite navigation system. A receiver that can also use GLONASS has more satellites to choose from, which can improve positioning reliability when the sky view is partly blocked.

GNSS

GNSS stands for Global Navigation Satellite System, covering positioning systems such as GPS and similar satellite networks. It matters here because high-precision GNSS modules can output lots of serial position data that this product can send wirelessly to a computer or phone.

GPS

The US satellite navigation system used by GNSS receivers to calculate position and time. Support for GPS is important because it is widely available and often used together with other constellations for more reliable positioning.

Gravity

Gravity is DFRobot’s plug-in connector system for sensors, motors and modules, using standard cables to reduce loose jumper wiring. It matters because Gravity-compatible parts can connect directly to these ports, while non-Gravity parts may need adapters or manual wiring.

I2C

I2C is a two-wire communication bus used by many sensors and small modules. It matters because several I2C devices can share the same two wires, but each device needs a compatible address and your controller must support I2C.

L5

A modern GNSS signal band used by several satellite systems for more accurate and robust positioning. Dual-band receivers that include L5 can often perform better than single-band receivers, especially for RTK and areas with reflected signals.

MSAS

Japan’s SBAS service for improving GNSS positioning. It is useful to know because SBAS benefits depend on whether your project is located in the service’s coverage area.

NMEA 0183

A standard text-based data format used by GPS and GNSS receivers to send position, time and satellite information. If your microcontroller or software can read NMEA 0183, it can usually parse basic location data from this kit.

ppm

ppm means parts per million, a common way to express very small gas concentrations in air. For CO₂ sensors, the ppm range tells you what levels the sensor can measure, such as normal indoor air through to poorly ventilated spaces.

QZSS

Japan’s regional satellite navigation system designed to improve coverage around Japan and the Asia-Pacific region. QZSS support can improve satellite availability in supported regions when used alongside GPS.

RTCM 3.x

RTCM 3.x is a standard data format used to send GNSS correction information from a base station to a rover. It matters because both ends of an RTK setup need to understand the correction format to achieve high-accuracy positioning.

RTK

Real-Time Kinematic positioning is a GNSS technique that uses correction data from a base station to greatly improve location accuracy. It matters if you need centimetre-level positioning for robotics, mapping, surveying, or tracking rather than ordinary metre-level GPS accuracy.

SBAS

Satellite-Based Augmentation System, a set of regional services that broadcast correction information for GNSS receivers. SBAS can improve ordinary GPS-style positioning, although it is not the same as centimetre-level RTK correction.

SMA

A threaded coaxial connector commonly used for antennas. It matters because you need antennas with matching SMA connectors, or suitable adapters, for the LTE and GNSS antenna ports.

Terminal block

A connector used to join wires together in a neat, removable, or serviceable way. For this product, it helps split one power input into several outputs without soldering.

UART

UART is a simple serial connection that sends data over separate transmit and receive wires, often labelled TX and RX. It matters because this module is designed to replace a wired UART cable with a wireless link while keeping the same serial data format.

WAAS

A North American SBAS service that provides correction data for GNSS receivers. It matters if you are using the product in a supported region and want better non-RTK positioning accuracy.