SparkFun RTK Reference Station

Jargon buster

Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

ZED-F9P

A u-blox GNSS receiver module designed for high-precision positioning, including RTK rover and base-station use. The exact module matters because it determines the supported satellite bands, update rates, correction formats and achievable accuracy.