SkyTraq's NavSpark PX112R Module Offers 1-3cm Accuracy From Standard GNSS Constellations via RTK
Locks on to its position in under 10 seconds, and draws a mere 50mA while doing so — and it's pretty compact to boot.
Positioning specialist SkyTraq has announced the launch of a new multi-constellation global navigation satellite system (GNSS) module with an extra trick up its sleeve: The use of real-time kinematics (RTK) to provide a claimed accuracy as low as 1cm (around 0.4".)
At its heart, SkyTraq's PX1122R — a 16x12mm compact module with castellated edges, brought to our attention by CNX Software — is powered by the company's 230-channel PX100 Phoenix chip. As a result, it supports all the major GNSS standards and bands including GPS, Galileo, Beidou, GLONASS, and QXSS — but that's only part of its capabilities.
The module's key selling point is its use of real-time kinematics (RTK) to dramatically boost positioning accuracy — providing a location down to between 1-3cm (around 0.4-1.2"). The technique works by measuring the phase of the carrier wave received from GNSS satellites, in addition to the traditional decoding of the data it carries, using fixed base stations and mobile rover stations — and SkyTraq claims its implementation will lock on to an accurate position in under ten seconds.
The module can be configured in base or rover modes, offers a 10Hz update rate for RTK measurements, a 3V TTL serial interface, and a claimed current consumption of just 50mA in active measurement mode.
SkyTraq is selling the module through its NavSpark store, priced at $99 module-only, $125 in a breadboard-compatible breakout, or $150 as a full evaluation board with on-board Bluetooth connectivity.
