SparkFun RTK Facet

Designed and manufactured in Boulder, Colorado, USA, the SparkFun RTK Facet is your one-stop shop for high precision geolocation and surveying needs. For basic users, it’s incredibly easy to get up and running; for advanced users, the RTK Facet is a flexible and powerful tool, with full calibration by the NGS. With just a few minutes of setup, the RTK Facet is one of the fastest ways to take centimeter-grade measurements. By connecting your phone to the RTK Facet over Bluetooth®, your phone can act as the radio link to provide correction data as well as receive the NMEA output from the device.

The RTK Facet works with common GIS software for Android and iOS including SW Maps Android / iOS, Field Genius, SurvPC, Survey Master, Vespucci, QGIS, QField, and any GIS software that supports NMEA over Bluetooth.

Under the hood of the SparkFun RTK Facet is an ESP32 WROOM connected to a ZED-F9P as well as some peripheral hardware (LiPo fuel gauge, microSD, etc). Additionally, housed under the dome of the RTK Facet is a surveyor grade L1/L2 antenna. It is the same element found within our GNSS Multi-Band L1/L2 Surveying Antenna. The built-in antenna has an ARP of 61.4mm from the base to the measuring point of the L1 antenna and an ARP of 57.4mm to the measuring point of the L2 antenna. The RTK Facet is programmed in Arduino and can be tailored by you to fit whatever your needs may be.

This device can be used in four modes:

• GNSS Positioning (~30cm accuracy) - also known as 'Rover'
• GNSS Positioning with RTK (1.4cm accuracy) - also known as 'Rover with RTK Fix'
• GNSS Base Station
• GNSS Base Station NTRIP Server

In addition to supplying position data the RTK Facet is capable of logging NMEA, RAWX, and SFRBX for post processing making it ideal for research and advanced positioning applications.

The RTK Facet is an open source hardware product meaning you can fully obtain, see, and even modify the electrical and mechanical design files. This allows for easier maintenance and repair over time.

Note: The SparkFun RTK Facet is just the enclosed device with thread adapter, charger, data cables, and carrying case. It does NOT include serial telemetry radio or associated mounting poles. These items will need to be purchased separately.

Product Video

Quick Spec

Supported GIS Data Collector Software:

• SWMaps (Android and iOS)
• Field Genius
• SurvPC
• Survey Master
• Vespucci
• QGIS
• QField
• Any GIS software that uses Bluetooth SPP or BLE

Overall Device

• Enclosed Facet Design IP53 - Protected from limited dust ingress and water spray
• Internal Antenna: L1/L2 with ≥5dBi gain
• Internal Battery: LiPo 6Ah with fast 1 amp charging
• Radio Port: 3.3V TTL Serial (57600bps RTCM TX/RX)
• Data Port: 3.3V TTL Serial (115200bps NMEA)
• Qwiic Port: Supports I2C based add-on devices
• microSD: Compatible up to 32GB
• Embedded OLED Display for positional accuracy, available satellites, data logging, etc.
• Single push button control
• Works with common GIS software including: SW Maps, SurvPC, Field Genius, et al.* Open Source Hardware Certified Project
• Dimensions: 136mm x 146mm x 80mm (5.35in x 5.74in x 3.14in)
• Weight: 583g

GNSS Receiver: ZED-F9P

• Concurrent reception of GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou
• Receives both L1C/A and L2C bands
• 184-channel u-blox F9 engine
• Current: 68mA - 130mA (varies with constellations and tracking state)
• Time to First Fix: 25s (cold), 2s (hot)
• Max Navigation Rate:
• PVT (basic location over UBX binary protocol) - 25Hz
• RTK - 20Hz
• Raw - 25Hz
• Horizontal Position Accuracy:
• 2.5m without RTK
• 0.010m with RTK
• Max Altitude: 50km
• Max Velocity: 500m/s

Bluetooth® Transceiver: ESP32 WROOM

• Xtensa® dual-core 32-bit LX6 microprocessor
• Up to 240MHz clock frequency
• 16MB of flash storage
• 520kB internal SRAM
• Integrated 802.11 BGN WiFi transceiver
• Integrated dual-mode Bluetooth® (classic and BLE)
• Hardware accelerated encryption (AES, SHA2, ECC, RSA-4096)
• 2.5 µA deep sleep current

Resources

• Product Page
• Product Wiki
• Main Board Schematic
• RTK Product Manual
• ZED-F9P Datasheet
• Building a GNSS System

Shipping List

• 1 x SparkFun RTK Facet
• 1 x SparkFun RTK Facet Carrying Case
• 1 x Antenna Thread Adapter - 1/4in. to 5/8in.
• 1 x Breadboard to GHR-04V Cable - 4-Pin x 1.25mm Pitch
• 1 x GHR-04V to GHR-06V Cable - 1.25mm pitch
• 1 x USB A to C Cable - 0.8m
• 1 x USB Wall Charger - 5V, 2A