Septentrio partners with SparkFun to accelerate development of positioning-based applications

The mosaic-X5 GPS/GNSS module receiver is now integrated into SparkFun’s new evaluation kit, making reliable centimeter-level RTK positioning accessible to anyone  
 

Leuven, Belgium – October 12, 2023 - Septentrio, a leader in high-precision GNSS* positioning solutions, announces today its collaboration with SparkFun Electronics, a major online retail store that sells the bits and pieces to make electronics projects possible.  This marks an important step in broadening Septentrio’s market reach and bringing high-quality satellite-based positioning as a mainstream solution for integrators in a variety of industrial and emerging sectors. As the partnership kicks off, SparkFun releases its first product, a breakout board embedding the Septentrio mosaic-X5 receiver module.

The mosaic module is a compact GNSS receiver delivering high-accuracy tri-band positioning with outstanding reliability due to built-in technology that allows it to be highly resilient to signal interference including jamming and spoofing**.  The new SparkFun breakout board enables users to easily log data as well as control and monitor the receiver via the web interface, without the need for any additional code.  

“Working with Septentrio allows us new avenues into the GNSS market that we are excited to explore,” said SparkFun Founder Nathan Seidle. “This new product signals just the beginning of our partnership together, and I am excited to add such a robust option to our advanced GNSS receiver line. The mosaic-X5 will prove itself a powerful option for our customers who want to explore additional GNSS frequencies as well as anti-jamming and anti-spoofing technology.”

The breakout board provides an easy way to get started using L1, L2, and L5 GNSS bands simultaneously for enhanced positioning accuracy and reliability. The advanced anti-interference feature of the mosaic module is especially important in compact integrations where adjacent electronic components can interfere with satellite signals used by the receiver. Additionally, the advanced anti-interference technology built into the mosaic module protects it from malicious jamming and spoofing attacks. High-accuracy RTK positioning is delivered at a uniquely high update-rate enabling short feedback loops needed for automated movement. 

“We are excited that SparkFun’s customers can now bring a competitive edge to their technology with the top positioning performance of our mosaic modules,” said Gustavo Lopez, Market Access Manager at Septentrio. “SparkFun is an excellent partner because they are the go-to supplier not only for the DiY community, but also for so many professionals and integrators across numerous industrial sectors.” 

The new board called mosaic-X5 Triband GNSS RTK Breakout is now available for purchase via the SparkFun website. Meet Septentrio GNSS experts at ROSCon 2023, on October 18-20 in Louisiana, New Orleans.  Check out our community page listing all Septentrio’s partners as well as open-source hardware and software projects that simplify integration of high-accuracy positioning. For more information about mosaic-X5 or other positioning solutions please contact the Septentrio team.
 

* Global Navigation Satellite System including the American GPS, European Galileo, Russian GLONASS, Chinese BeiDou, Japan’s QZSS and India’s NavIC. These satellite constellations broadcast positioning information to receivers which use it to calculate their absolute position.

** Jamming is a form of radio interference which occurs when GPS frequency is overpowered by other radio waves, resulting in accuracy degradation or event total loss of position. Spoofing is a malicious form of radio interference, where misleading signals are sent into the receiver, resulting in faulty coordinates, which lead the target away from its predefined track.  

 

About Septentrio:   
Septentrio is an ISO 9001 certified manufacturer of multi-frequency multi-constellation GPS/GNSS positioning technology for demanding applications. Reliable centimeter-level positioning enables machine automation improving efficiency and safety. Septentrio provides positioning solutions for industrial applications such as robotics, construction, survey and mapping, maritime, logistics and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Septentrio has its headquarters in Leuven, Belgium and has a world-wide presence with offices in Los Angeles, Shanghai, Seoul and Yokohama as well as numerous partners around the world. To learn more about Septentrio and its products, visit septentrio.com .  

About SparkFun Electronics (www.sparkfun.com)  
Since 2003, SparkFun has been helping turn ideas into reality. We believe new technology makes great ideas happen. No matter your vision, our open-source tools, documentation, and online tutorials make emerging technology easy to use, and the road to a finished project shorter.

Related:  
•    Insight: What is spoofing and how to ensure GPS security?  
•    Insight: Don’t mess with my GPS: which receivers can I count on next to Ligado?  
•    Webinar: Bridging ROS and GNSS for robotics applications  
•    Webinar: Diving into ROSaic: GNSS driver for ROS