u-blox 8 / u-blox M8
Receiver Description
Including Protocol Specification
Abstract
The Receiver Description Including Protocol Specification
describes the firmware features, specifications and configuration
for u-blox 8 / u-blox M8 high performance positioning modules.
The Receiver Description provides an overview and conceptual
details of the supported features.
The Protocol Specification describes the NMEA and RTCM
protocols as well as the UBX protocol (version 15.00 up to 19.
10, version 20.00 to 20.30, version 22.00 and version 23.00 to
23.01) and serves as a reference manual. It includes the
Standard Precision GNSS, Time Sync, Time & Frequency Sync,
High Precision GNSS, ADR and UDR products.
www.u-blox.com
UBX-13003221 - R15
u-blox 8 / u-blox M8 Receiver Description - Manual
Document Information
Title u-blox 8 / u-blox M8 Receiver Description
Subtitle Including Protocol Specification v15-20.30,22-23.01
Document type Manual
Document number UBX-13003221
Revision and date R15
(26415b7)
6 March 2018
Document status Early Production Information
Document status explanation
Objective Specification Document contains target values. Revised and supplementary data will be published later.
Advance Information Document contains data based on early testing. Revised and supplementary data will be published later.
Early Production Information Document contains data from product verification. Revised and supplementary data may be published later.
Production Information Document contains the final product specification.
This document applies to the following products:
Product name Type number Firmware version Product category
CAM-M8C CAM-M8C-0-10 SPG 3.01 Standard Precision GNSS
CAM-M8Q CAM-M8Q-0-10 SPG 3.01 Standard Precision GNSS
EVA-M8M EVA-M8M-0-10 SPG 3.01 Standard Precision GNSS
EVA-M8M EVA-M8M-1-10 SPG 3.01 Standard Precision GNSS
EVA-M8Q EVA-M8Q-0-10 SPG 3.01 Standard Precision GNSS
MAX-M8C MAX-M8C-0-10 SPG 3.01 Standard Precision GNSS
MAX-M8Q MAX-M8Q-0-10 SPG 3.01 Standard Precision GNSS
MAX-M8W MAX-M8W-0-10 SPG 3.01 Standard Precision GNSS
NEO-M8M NEO-M8M-0-10 SPG 3.01 Standard Precision GNSS
NEO-M8N NEO-M8N-0-10 SPG 3.01 Standard Precision GNSS
NEO-M8Q NEO-M8Q-0-10 SPG 3.01 Standard Precision GNSS
NEO-M8Q NEO-M8Q-01A-10 SPG 3.01 Standard Precision GNSS
LEA-M8S LEA-M8S-0-10 SPG 3.01 Standard Precision GNSS
SAM-M8Q SAM-M8Q-0-10 SPG 3.01 Standard Precision GNSS
ZOE-M8G ZOE-M8G-0-10 SPG 3.01 Standard Precision GNSS
ZOE-M8Q ZOE-M8Q-0-10 SPG 3.01 Standard Precision GNSS
ZOE-M8B ZOE-M8B-0-10 SPG 3.51 Standard Precision GNSS
EVA-8M EVA-8M-0-10 SPG 3.01 Standard Precision GNSS
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u-blox 8 / u-blox M8 Receiver Description - Manual
MAX-8C MAX-8C-0-10 SPG 3.01 Standard Precision GNSS
MAX-8Q MAX-8Q-0-10 SPG 3.01 Standard Precision GNSS
NEO-8Q NEO-8Q-0-10 SPG 3.01 Standard Precision GNSS
NEO-M8P NEO-M8P-0-10 HPG 1.30 High Precision GNSS
NEO-M8P NEO-M8P-2-10 HPG 1.30 High Precision GNSS
NEO-M8P NEO-M8P-0-11 HPG 1.40 High Precision GNSS
NEO-M8P NEO-M8P-2-11 HPG 1.40 High Precision GNSS
EVA-M8E EVA-M8E-0-11 UDR 1.00 Dead Reckoning
NEO-M8U NEO-M8U-0-10 UDR 1.00 Dead Reckoning
NEO-M8T NEO-M8T-0-10 TIM 1.10 Timing
LEA-M8T LEA-M8T-0-10 TIM 1.10 Timing
LEA-M8F LEA-M8F-0-00 FTS 1.01 Timing
u-blox reserves all rights to this document and the information contained herein. Products, names, logos and designs described herein may
in whole or in part be subject to intellectual property rights. Reproduction, use, modification or disclosure to third parties of this document
or any part thereof without the express permission of u-blox is strictly prohibited.
The information contained herein is provided “as is” and u-blox assumes no liability for the use of the information. No warranty, either
express or implied, is given, including but not limited, with respect to the accuracy, correctness, reliability and fitness for a particular
purpose of the information. This document may be revised by u-blox at any time. For most recent documents, please visit www.u-blox.com.
Copyright © 2018, u-blox AG.
u-blox is a registered trademark of u-blox Holding AG in the EU and other countries. ARM® is the registered trademark of ARM Limited in
the EU and other countries.
UBX-13003221 - R15 Early Production Information Page iii
u-blox 8 / u-blox M8 Receiver Description - Manual
Table of Contents
Preface .......................................................................................................................................................... 1
1 Document Overview........................................................................................................................... 1
2 Firmware and Protocol Versions........................................................................................................ 1
2.1 How to determine the version and the location of the firmware ............................................ 1
2.1.1 Decoding the boot screen (for Protocol Version 17 and below)........................................ 1
2.1.2 Decoding the boot screen (for Protocol Version 18 and above)........................................ 3
2.1.3 Decoding the output of UBX-MON-VER (for Protocol Version 17 and below)................. 4
2.1.4 Decoding the output of UBX-MON-VER (for Protocol Version 18 and above) ................. 6
2.2 How to determine the supported protocol version of the u-blox receiver.............................. 7
2.3 u-blox 8 / u-blox M8 Firmware and Supported Protocol Versions ............................................ 7
Receiver Description .................................................................................................................................... 9
3 Receiver Configuration....................................................................................................................... 9
3.1 Configuration Concept ................................................................................................................ 9
3.2 Organization of the Configuration Sections ............................................................................ 10
3.3 Permanent Configuration Storage Media ................................................................................ 10
3.4 u-blox Receiver Default Configuration..................................................................................... 11
3.5 Save-on-Shutdown Feature ....................................................................................................... 11
4 Concurrent GNSS............................................................................................................................... 12
4.1 GNSS Types ................................................................................................................................. 12
4.1.1 Major GNSS.......................................................................................................................... 12
4.1.2 Augmentation Systems....................................................................................................... 13
4.2 Configuration............................................................................................................................. 13
4.2.1 Switching between GNSS.................................................................................................... 14
4.2.2 Configuring QZSS L1SAIF.................................................................................................... 14
5 SBAS Configuration Settings Description ....................................................................................... 14
5.1 SBAS (Satellite Based Augmentation Systems)......................................................................... 14
5.2 SBAS Features............................................................................................................................. 16
5.3 SBAS Configuration.................................................................................................................... 17
6 IMES Description ............................................................................................................................... 18
6.1 IMES Features ............................................................................................................................. 18
7 Navigation Configuration Settings Description.............................................................................. 18
7.1 Platform settings........................................................................................................................ 18
7.2 Navigation Input Filters ............................................................................................................. 19
7.3 Navigation Output Filters.......................................................................................................... 20
7.3.1 Speed (3-D) Low-pass Filter ................................................................................................ 20
7.3.2 Course over Ground Low-pass Filter .................................................................................. 20
7.3.3 Low-speed Course Over Ground Filter............................................................................... 21
7.4 Static Hold .................................................................................................................................. 21
7.5 Freezing the Course Over Ground ............................................................................................ 21
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7.6 Degraded Navigation................................................................................................................. 21
7.6.1 2D Navigation...................................................................................................................... 21
7.7 Geodetic Coordinate Systems and Ellipsoids ............................................................................ 22
8 Clocks and Time................................................................................................................................. 22
8.1 Receiver Local Time.................................................................................................................... 22
8.2 Navigation Epochs...................................................................................................................... 23
8.3 iTOW Timestamps ...................................................................................................................... 24
8.4 GNSS Times ................................................................................................................................. 24
8.5 Time Validity............................................................................................................................... 24
8.6 UTC Representation ................................................................................................................... 25
8.7 Leap Seconds .............................................................................................................................. 25
8.8 Real Time Clock .......................................................................................................................... 25
8.9 Date............................................................................................................................................. 26
8.9.1 GPS-only Date Resolution................................................................................................... 26
9 Broadcast Navigation Data............................................................................................................... 26
9.1 Parsing Navigation Data Subframes ......................................................................................... 27
9.2 GPS .............................................................................................................................................. 27
9.3 GLONASS..................................................................................................................................... 27
9.4 BeiDou ........................................................................................................................................ 28
9.5 Galileo......................................................................................................................................... 28
9.6 SBAS ............................................................................................................................................ 29
9.7 QZSS ............................................................................................................................................ 30
9.8 IMES ............................................................................................................................................ 30
9.9 Summary..................................................................................................................................... 30
10 Serial Communication Ports Description....................................................................................... 31
10.1 TX-ready indication.................................................................................................................. 31
10.2 Extended TX timeout............................................................................................................... 32
10.3 UART Ports................................................................................................................................ 32
10.4 USB Port.................................................................................................................................... 33
10.5 DDC Port ................................................................................................................................... 33
10.5.1 Read Access........................................................................................................................ 33
10.5.2 Write Access....................................................................................................................... 35
10.6 SPI Port...................................................................................................................................... 36
10.6.1 Maximum SPI clock speed................................................................................................. 36
10.6.2 Read Access........................................................................................................................ 36
10.6.3 Back-To-Back Read and Write Access............................................................................... 36
10.7 How to change between protocols......................................................................................... 37
11 Multiple GNSS Assistance (MGA)................................................................................................... 37
11.1 Introduction.............................................................................................................................. 37
11.2 Assistance Data......................................................................................................................... 37
11.3 AssistNow Online ..................................................................................................................... 38
11.3.1 Host Software.................................................................................................................... 39
11.3.2 AssistNow Online Sequence ............................................................................................. 40
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