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👾 NEO-M8U-Configuration 👾

GNSS Configuration for the NEO-M8U Configuration via .yaml file in ROS using Kumar Robotics Ublox ROS drivers and in Windows via Ublox's U-Center. By completing this "tutorial" you should be able to perform the following:

  • Configure the NEO-M8U Module to track GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo Satellites in Windows 10
  • Poll NMEA 0183 data in Windows and view satellite strength, availability, deviation, etc.
  • (Optional) Map the NMEA data to Google Earth from U-Center KML file from "Database Export" command in U-Center
  • Configure the NEO-M8U Module to track GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo Satellites in Linux via Wine
  • Configure the NEO-M8U Module to track GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo Satellites in ROS via sensor_msgs/NavSatFix.h
  • Poll & Bag "NavSatFix" data specified by: http://docs.ros.org/api/sensor_msgs/html/msg/NavSatFix.html
  • (Optional) Map the NavSatFix data to Bing Maps or others depending on API's and time availabe.

All configuration files used in this tutorial were referenced and made using the document: https://www.u-blox.com/sites/default/files/products/documents/u-blox8-M8_ReceiverDescrProtSpec_%28UBX-13003221%29_Public.pdf

For Configuration in Windows via U-Center:

Installing U-Center:

Download the latest version of U-Center from Ublox's website by clicking the following link.

https://www.u-blox.com/en/product/u-center-windows - NOTE: Very important - when installing, expand the "Drivers" and check the GNSS driver box and NOT the Windows USB driver box.

Download the Virtual COM Port (VCP) Driver by Ublox from https://www.u-blox.com/en/product-resources/2673The

After installation of the VCP driver, in Device Managers there should be a designated U-Blox COM port which will be used to communicate with the NEO-M8U module.

With U-Center, the NEO-M8U module can be configured three different ways, however we will only explore the SQI flash method for permanent configuration as it is the most useful given our time restraints.

1. Power & Reset Dependant

In U-Center, configurations can be applied to the NEO-M8U module such that they retain their values for the time at which the module is powered or until it is either hardware or software reset.

2. Batery Backed RAM (BBR)

In U-Center, configurations can be applied to the NEO-M8U module such that they retain values independent of the status of external power or any resets. The configuration parameters are retained as long as the battery supply on board is not interrupted.

3. Serial Quad I/O (SQI) Flash

In U-center, configurations can be applied to the NEO-M8U module such that the parameter values will always retain their given values no matter the status of any power supplies or resets.

U-Center SQI Configuration

  1. Download the Configuration_Ublox_Neo_M8U.txt configuration file from my github. Note to self, this configuration file will be tested and finalized then exported in Windows U-Center then put onto github. The instructions to export this file are found in the U-Center_User_Guide pdf file.
  2. Connect the mPCIe NEO-M8U card to the mPCIe to USB adapter and plug into your PC then open U-Center.
  3. Click on the Magic Wand at the top toolbar to enable autoset for the Baud Rate. Wait for the "Connection Status" to turn green.

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  1. On the toolbar, go to Tools -> GNSS Configuration and select File->GNSS. Browse and select the "Configuration_Ublox_Neo_M8U.txt" configuration file downloaded from my github. Make sure the "Store Configuration in BBR/Flash" box is checked!

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  1. On the toolbar, go to View -> Message View and scroll down to UBX -> CFG.

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  1. If any other parameters are desired, input them into the UBX -> CFG settings and click "Send" when you are done on the bottom left toolbar. Note that I made this configuration file specifically for this receiver, so be sure that you are aware of what you are changing in the configurations before proceeding.

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  1. Back on the U-Center main page, you must go to Receiver -> Action and select "Save Config". If you do not do this step then the configuration settings will not be flashed to the SIQ memory on the NEO-M8U module.

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Congratulations! You have just completed configuring the NEO-M8U module:

  • Configure the NEO-M8U Module to track GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo Satellites in Windows 10

Cool! :squirrel:

Once connected to the NEO-M8U module's virtual COM port, the auto-bauding and pre-configured file should be setup to begin polling the NMEA data behind the scenes. Given that you are outdoors, you should start to see satellites being picked up by the receiver, their strengths, and eventually a 2D or a 3D (internal IMU in NEO-M8U is 3D) Fix should take place. Simply play around with the GUI in U-Center to view the satellite strength, availability, deviation, and more.

Et Voila! You have just completed:

  • Poll NMEA 0183 data in Windows and view satellite strength, availability, deviation, etc.

Map the NMEA 0183 data to Google Maps in U-Center

This section is optional but it allows us to visualise where the NEO-M8U thinks we are and can be shown on google Maps as well as google Maps satellite option. Note that an internet connection is required to do this in REAL TIME. In offline mode, the NMEA data must be saved to a log file which can later be opened in Google Maps following the same steps as in online mode.

  1. Open U-Center with the NEO-M8U receiver connected to the PC via the mPCIe to USB adapter and connected to the virtual COM port.
  2. On the toolbar, File->Database Export->Google Map Html... Save the .html file anywhere you'd like and open the file to view the coordinates in google Maps.
  3. If you are exporting a datalog saved offline then you need to make sure that you have opened the log, pressed play, and let the log file finish it's entire recording session as shown by the progress bar on the toolbar.

You have just completed:

  • Map the NMEA data to Google Earth from U-Center KML file from "Database Export" command in U-Center

For Configuration in Linux 🐧 via Wine (Windows Emulator)

Ensure that the Linux operating system is Ubuntu and is a version greater than or equal to v16. Also ensure that the architecture your processor uses is NOT ARM. Wine does not support ARM architecture! F

Follow these steps:

  1. Download the Wine Binary Package by following this link and proceeding through the "Online" steps.

https://wiki.winehq.org/Ubuntu

The terminal inputs should look like the following for a 64-bit Ubuntu system:

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386 wget -nc https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/Release.key sudo apt-key add Release.key sudo apt-add-repository https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/

sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install --install-recommends winehq-stable

  1. Run the command: winecfg
  2. The Wine configuration window will open. Accept any downloads and installs to mono and gecko packages.
  3. Under the "Applications" Tab, select "Windows Version" and you MUST select Windows 10. U-Center does not support any other Windows OS. Save the configuration settings and exit the configuration window.
  4. Download and install the latest version of U-Center from the following link:

https://www.u-blox.com/en/product/u-center-windows

  1. Read the note below first, then run the commands:

sudo adduser YOUR_USERNAME dialout cd ~/.wine/dosdevices ls ln -s/dev/ttyACM1 com1 sudo reboot

Note: YOUR_USERNAME should be the name you use on your PC, and most importantly the com port may not be com1. The com port of the NEO-M8U module must be checked prior to these steps to ensure you are on the correct one.

  1. After reboot, open U-Center and connect the NEO-M8U module to your PC.
  2. Continue off of Step 3. in the Windows U-Center SQI Configuration section above.
  3. If there is no communication between the NEO-M8U and U-Center, run the following commands:

unlink com1 ln -s /dev/ttyACM1 com1

Congratulations! You should now be able to,

  • Configure the NEO-M8U Module to track GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo Satellites in Linux Cool! :squirrel:

For Configuration in Linux 🐧 via ROS

Ensure that the ROS system you are working with is the Kinetic distribution.

For the NEO-M8T (Timing GNSS Module)

  1. Clone this repo into your catkin workspace and ensure to perform a catkin_make command for the repo: https://github.com/flynneva/ublox.git
  2. Go into ~/catkin_ws/src/ublox/ublox_gps/src and open node.cpp
  3. On line 124, change: nh->param("device", device_, std::string("/dev/ttyACM0")); to nh->param("device", device_, std::string("/dev/ttyACM1"));
  4. On line 134, change: getRosUint("uart1/baudrate", baudrate_, 9600); to getRousUint("uart1/baudrate", baudrate_, 115200);
  5. Go into ~/catkin_ws/src/ublox/launch and open ublox_device.launch
  6. Replace line 4 with: <arg name="node_name" default="ublox_gps"
  7. Replace line 5 with: <arg name="param_file_name" default="NEO-M8U"
  8. Download the NEO-M8U.yaml configuration file in my github and place it into the directory: ~/catkin_ws/src/ublox/ublox_gps/config
  9. Do a ROSlaunch of the node: roslaunch ublox_gps ublox_device.launch
  10. In another terminal, poll the NMEA latitude and longitude GNSS data from: rostopic echo /ublox_gps/fix - This topic outputs the ROS file type of sensor_msgs/NavSatFix which contains latitude, longitude, altitude, etc.

For the NEO-M8U (High-Precision GNSS Module)

  1. Clone this repo into your catkin workspace and ensure to perform a catkin_make command for the repo: https://github.com/KumarRobotics/ublox.git
  2. Follow steps 2. through 9. for the NEO-M8T Module in the section above to configure and poll the sensor_msgs/NavSatFix data

You are now able to:

  • Configure the NEO-M8U & NEO-M8T Module to track GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo Satellites in ROS via sensor_msgs/NavSatFix.h

Node Topics and Important Information

Latitude & Longitude

As expressed in the configuration tutorial, by echoing the /ublox_gps/fix topic we obtain the latitude, longitude, altitude and also the STATUS of the fix. When the status is '-1' then the receiver has NO fix and therefore has NO information and must continue to search for satellites. When the status is '+1' the receiver has found a fix and will output valid positioning information. By echoing this topic, you will see the following on the terminal:

Internal IMU

To poll the receiver for the internal IMU values as well as velocity, you can echo the /ublox_gps/fix_velocity topic.

TIMESTAMP

To determine the TIME of the DAY and get a TIMESTAMP for when the location or stereonet was taken, we have to echo a different topic: /ublox_gps/navpvt which stands for Navigation Position Velocity Time

The significance of the published values are:

iTOW: (Unit - ms) GPS Time of the Week since epoch. This is the most UNRELIABLE time that we can retrieve.

year: (Unit - y) Year - The given year in UTC

month: (Unit - m) Month of the year, range 1 -> 12 in UTC

day: (Unit - d) Day of the month, range 1 -> 31 in UTC

hour: (Unit - h) Hour of the day range 0 -> 23 in UTC

min: (Unit - min) Minute of the hour, range 0 -> 59 in UTC

sec: (Unit - sec) Second of the minute, range 0 -> 60 in UTC

fixType: (Unit - N/a) GNSS Fix Type: 0 = no fix, 1 = Dead-Reckoning only, 2 = 2-D Fix, 3 = 3-D Fix, 4 = GNSS + Dead Reckoning combined, 5 = Time only Fix. Where, Fix Type = 0, 1, 5 will NOT give an ACCURATE position, and should be discarded when processing our position.

GPS Time of the Week - This is the CALCULATED time on the receiver. It is typically very accurate to within the ms. It will ALWAYS report the UTC time (standard GPS time).

Clock Bias - This is the ERROR between the local time and the calculated time. As mentioned above, typically within the ms.

Clock Drift - This is the RATE at which the Clock Bias or error is changing.

Mapping NavSatFix data in Bing Maps with ROS (ONLINE ONLY)

Mapviz ROS Driver Installation

"Mapviz" is the ROS tool we will use to plot the GNSS data onto a satellite mapping system in real-time while connected to the internet.

  1. Go to your ~/catkin_ws/src directory and clone marti_messages, marti_common, and mapviz repositories found in these links: https://github.com/swri-robotics/marti_messages.git https://github.com/swri-robotics/marti_common.git https://github.com/swri-robotics/mapviz.git

Note: It is crucial that you do NOT build your workspace prior to having all three of these repositories cloned into your workspace. Building individual packages may cause errors and the installation process may have to be redone.

  1. Build your catkin workspace:

cd ~/catkin_ws catkin_make shoot the shit with stu while it builds or comment on how garbage jordan's laptop is

Mapviz ROS Driver Configuration

In order to subscribe to the NavSatFix topic linked to the ublox or NEO-M8U GNSS module's node, we need to first launch the GNSS node in a terminal:

roslaunch ublox_gps ublox_device.launch

In a seperate terminal, launch the mapviz node:

roslaunch mapviz mapviz.launch

The mapviz GUI should now appear in a seperate window.

  1. Leave the Config drop-down menus as Fixed Frame: Far Field and Target Frame: .
  2. At the bottom of the GUI, click "Add" and select "navsat" and "OK".
  3. In the navsat display, select the "Topic" to be: /ublox_gps/fix. The "Status" will read "OK" if there are messages successfully being receieved from the GNSS module, or it will say "No messages received" if the GNSS module is not publishing any information to ROS.
  4. At the bottom of the GUI, click "Add" and select "tile_map" and "OK".
  5. As the "Source" select "Bing Maps (terrain)" and enter the API key as: (Directly message me for my Bing Maps API key, otherwise generate your own from Microsoft). The maps should now appear in the GUI on the right hand side and the navsat topic should be visually seen on the map.

With INTERNET, you are now able to:

  • (Optional) Map the NavSatFix data to Bing Maps (with Internet)