RTK Postcard GNSS RTK Development Board

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.

ADC

An analogue-to-digital converter reads a changing voltage and turns it into a number the microcontroller can use. It matters when connecting analogue sensors such as light, sound, or variable-resistor sensors.

B1I

A BeiDou satellite signal used for standard positioning. It matters because the receiver must support the signal bands used by a constellation to take advantage of those satellites.

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.

baud

Baud is the signalling rate of a serial connection, often used as the speed setting for UART communication. Matching the baud rate matters because both connected devices must use the same setting for readable data.

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.

BLE

BLE stands for Bluetooth Low Energy, a Bluetooth mode designed for low power use and broad compatibility with modern phones and computers. It connects well to battery-powered and mobile devices, including Apple hardware, though it behaves differently from Bluetooth Classic and its serial-style profiles.

breakout

A breakout board carries a small or fine-pitched component and brings its connections out to standard, breadboard- and header-friendly pins. Describing a part as a breakout means it can be wired into a project without soldering directly to the component's tiny contacts.

DAC

A digital-to-analogue converter turns numbers from the microcontroller into a real analogue voltage. It matters if you want to generate simple waveforms, audio-style signals, or variable control voltages rather than just on/off outputs.

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.

ESP32

ESP32 is a family of low-cost microcontroller chips and modules from Espressif with built-in WiFi and Bluetooth. They support programmable firmware and over-the-air updates, and are commonly programmed with toolchains such as the Arduino core and ESP-IDF.

ESP32-PICO-MINI-02

ESP32-PICO-MINI-02 is a compact system-in-package wireless module from Espressif that integrates an ESP32 chip, flash and supporting components with a PCB antenna. The exact part number helps you check its datasheet for wireless capabilities, antenna type, pinout and long-term availability.

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, an umbrella term for satellite positioning networks such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou. Receivers use these satellites to determine position, and high-precision units can output a steady stream of serial position data.

GPIO

General-purpose input/output pins are microcontroller pins you can set in software to read signals, switch devices on and off, or connect to peripherals. The number of GPIO pins matters because it limits how many buttons, LEDs, sensors, and other parts you can wire directly to the board.

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.

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.

I2S

I2S is a digital audio interface used to send sound data between chips, such as from a microcontroller to an audio amplifier or DAC. It matters if your project needs cleaner digital audio output than a basic buzzer or PWM signal can provide.

JST-GH

JST-GH is a small locking connector family commonly used where vibration or compact wiring matters. Knowing the connector type helps you choose matching cables and check whether it will plug into your existing telemetry or GNSS hardware.

L2C

A second GPS signal band used by dual-band GNSS receivers to improve precision and reduce errors caused by the atmosphere. It matters for RTK and high-accuracy applications because using two bands can produce faster and more reliable centimetre-level fixes.

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.

LED

A light-emitting diode (LED) is a small electronic component that emits light when current flows through it in the correct direction. Because it only conducts one way, its polarity matters, and a through-hole LED must be soldered the correct way around to light up.

LiPo

A LiPo (lithium polymer) battery is a rechargeable lithium battery widely used in portable projects because it is light and compact. LiPo cells need correct charging circuitry and careful handling to stay safe, so equipment that supports LiPo generally includes charging or protection hardware suited to that battery type.

microSD card

A microSD card is a small removable flash memory card used to store data such as audio, images, logs or program files. Its capacity and formatting (often FAT32 or exFAT) affect how much can be stored and whether the card needs preparing before use.

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 report position, time and satellite information as lines of plain ASCII text. When a receiver outputs NMEA 0183, most microcontrollers and software libraries can parse its basic location data.

OLED

OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode, a display type where each pixel produces its own light. It matters because OLED screens are thin, high-contrast and easy to read for small status displays, but they can be more sensitive to image burn-in than some other display types.

PCB antenna

A PCB antenna is an antenna pattern built directly into the circuit board rather than a separate metal antenna. It matters because placement, nearby metal and enclosure design can affect wireless range.

PTH

Plated through-hole means the pin holes are metal-lined so solder connects the pad on both sides of the board. It is useful for connectors and headers that need a strong mechanical and electrical connection.

PWM

Pulse Width Modulation is a way for a digital pin to simulate variable output power by switching on and off very quickly. It matters for controlling things like LED brightness, motor speed, or servo-style signals from a microcontroller pin.

Qwiic

Qwiic is a plug-in connector system for I2C devices that uses small 4-pin cables, so you can connect compatible sensors without soldering. It matters because your controller or adapter also needs Qwiic, or you will need a cable or breakout to wire it up.

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.

RF

RF means radio frequency, referring to signals used for wireless communication and other high-frequency electronics. A low-noise, stable power supply is important for RF circuits because power noise can affect signal quality and measurements.

RMS

RMS is a way of describing the effective level of an AC signal, such as an audio output voltage. It helps compare audio output levels more meaningfully than a peak voltage number.

RTC

A Real-Time Clock keeps track of time even when the main processor is asleep or powered down, usually with a small backup battery. It matters for data logging and tracking projects that need accurate timestamps.

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.

Shield

An add-on board that plugs into a main controller board to give it extra features such as sensing, motor control or communication. Knowing a product supports shields helps you judge whether it can connect neatly into an existing maker-board setup.

SMA

SMA is a small threaded coaxial (RF) connector widely used to attach antennas and other radio-frequency cables. A device with SMA antenna ports needs antennas or pigtails with matching SMA connectors, or a suitable adapter, to connect to them.

SPI

A fast serial communication bus often used for displays, memory cards, and sensors. It matters because SPI devices need specific pins for clock and data, plus a separate chip-select line for each device.

SRAM

Fast temporary memory used by a processor while a program is running. More SRAM helps with projects that handle larger data buffers, networking, displays, or more complex code.

u.FL

u.FL is a tiny snap-on antenna connector often used on compact wireless boards. A board with u.FL usually needs an external antenna, which matters if the product will be inside an enclosure or needs better antenna placement.

UART

UART is a simple asynchronous serial interface that sends data over separate transmit and receive wires, usually labelled TX and RX, with both ends set to the same baud rate. It is a common way for microcontrollers and other serial devices to exchange data.

USB-C

USB-C is a small, reversible USB connector that can carry power, data and, on some devices, video over a single cable. The same connector can range from charging only to high-speed data, so the functions a given port actually supports vary.

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.