C099 F9P App Board Mbed OS3 FW User Guide (UBX 18063024)

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C099-F9P
Application Board (Rev. B)
User Guide

Abstract
The C099-F9P board enables customers to evaluate RTK operation with the ZED-F9P high precision
GNSS receiver. The board provides short-range wireless connection via Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi for
receiving correction data and logging via wireless connectivity.

www.u-blox.com
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C099-F9P - User Guide

Document Information
Title

C099-F9P

Subtitle

Application Board (Rev. B)

Document type

User Guide

Document number

UBX-18063024

Revision and date

R03

Disclosure Restriction

Public

19-Nov-2018

This document applies to the following products:
Product name

Type numbers

Firmware version

PCN reference

Product status

C099-F9P

C099-F9P-0-01
C099-F9P-1-01
C099-F9P-2-01

HPG 1.00
c099mbed3_v1.0.0

N/A

Advance Information

u-blox or third parties may hold intellectual property rights in the products, names, logos and designs included in this
document. Copying, reproduction, modification or disclosure to third parties of this document or any part thereof is only
permitted with the express written permission of u-blox.
The information contained herein is provided “as is” and u-blox assumes no liability for its use. No warranty, either express or
implied, is given, including but not limited to, 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 without notice. For the most recent
documents, visit www.u-blox.com.
Copyright © u-blox AG.

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Contents
Document Information ................................................................................................................................ 2
Contents .......................................................................................................................................................... 3
1

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 5
1.1 Package contents ....................................................................................................................................... 6
1.2 Additional sources of information ........................................................................................................... 6

2

C099-F9P quick start ........................................................................................................................... 7
2.1 Starting up ................................................................................................................................................... 7

3

C099-F9P description .......................................................................................................................... 9
3.1 Component overview .................................................................................................................................. 9
3.2 Component identification ......................................................................................................................... 9
ZED-F9P status LEDs......................................................................................................................11
ODIN-W2 activity LED......................................................................................................................12

4

Using the C099-F9P ........................................................................................................................... 13
4.1 Powering the board ...................................................................................................................................13
4.2 GNSS RF input ...........................................................................................................................................14
4.3 User interfaces ..........................................................................................................................................15
FTDI USB Bridge ................................................................................................................................15
Command Line Interface of ODIN-W2 ..........................................................................................16
4.4 Arduino Uno header connections...........................................................................................................17

5

Rover operation using NTRIP .......................................................................................................... 18
5.1 PC hosting via u-center ............................................................................................................................18
5.2 Bluetooth pairing .......................................................................................................................................19
ODIN-W2 as pairing responder ......................................................................................................19
ODIN-W2 as pairing initiator ..........................................................................................................20
5.3 Bluetooth serial port .................................................................................................................................20
Server SPP connection ....................................................................................................................20
Client SPP connection .....................................................................................................................21
5.4 Wireless link limitations ..........................................................................................................................21
Bluetooth link.....................................................................................................................................21
Windows OS issues with Bluetooth SPP......................................................................................22

6

Firmware updates ............................................................................................................................... 23
6.1 ZED-F9P firmware update ......................................................................................................................23
6.2 ODIN-W2 firmware update......................................................................................................................26
Mbed OS 3 application firmware ...................................................................................................26
Connectivity software......................................................................................................................26

Appendix ....................................................................................................................................................... 27
A

Glossary ................................................................................................................................................. 27

B

C099-F9P antenna specification ................................................................................................... 27
B.1 Wi-Fi/Bluetooth antenna specification ................................................................................................27
B.2 Multi-band GNSS antenna specification .............................................................................................27

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B.2.1 Patch antenna element specification ..........................................................................................28
B.2.2 LNA electrical specification ............................................................................................................29
B.2.3 Overall performance .........................................................................................................................29

C

Mechanical board dimensions ........................................................................................................ 30

D

C099-F9P schematics ....................................................................................................................... 31

E

ODIN-W2 firmware upload via JTAG ............................................................................................ 38

Related documents ................................................................................................................................... 39
Revision history .......................................................................................................................................... 39
Contact .......................................................................................................................................................... 40

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1

Introduction

The C099-F9P board is a convenient tool that allows customers to become familiar with the u-blox
ZED-F9P high precision GNSS module. The board provides facilities for evaluating the product and
demonstrating its key features. The C099-F9P application board offers:
•
•
•
•

A ZED-F9P module for use as a RTK rover or reference station.
An ODIN-W2 short-range module to provide untethered operation using Bluetooth.
Power supply options comprising a USB connection, LiPo cell with recharging ability, and 6-17 V
DC input 1.
Small and light board (110 x 55 mm) with Arduino R3 shield connections for host expansion.

The board comes pre-configured to connect wirelessly via Bluetooth to a host. This makes it possible
to stream in RTCM corrections while sending back logged data using u-center evaluation software [3].
This User Guide is split into several useful sections:
•
•
•
•
•

1

The C099-F9P quick start section provides information to get up and running straight out of the
box.
The C099-F9P description identifies the board’s facilities.
Using the C099-F9P provides a comprehensive guide for in-depth usage.
Rover operation using NTRIP shows different ways of connecting to an NTRIP service.
The Firmware updates section provides instructions for updating the firmware of the ZED-F9P
high precision GNSS module as well as the ODIN-W2 short-range module.

The C099-F9P kit does not contain a battery or external power adapter.

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1.1 Package contents
The delivered package contains:
•
•
•
•
•

C099-F9P board (Rev. B)
u-blox multi-band GNSS antenna and ground plane
Wi-Fi/Bluetooth antenna
USB interconnect cable
Quick start guide

Figure 1: C099-F9P board and antennas

1.2 Additional sources of information
Prior to using the board, it is useful to download the appropriate evaluation software and keep handy
the following documents:
•
•
•
•

ZED-F9P Integration Manual, Doc. No. UBX-18010802
ZED-F9P Interface Description, Doc. No. UBX-18010854
Download u-center: https://www.u-blox.com/en/product/u-center-windows and the u-center User
Guide: https://www.u-blox.com/sites/default/files/u-center_UserGuide_(UBX-13005250).pdf
Download the u-blox GNSS Sensor and VCP Device Driver guide:
https://www.u-blox.com/sites/default/files/products/documents/u-blox-GNSS-Sensor-and-VCPDevice-Driver_UserGuide_(UBX-15022397).pdf

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Introduction

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2

C099-F9P quick start

This section provides some short steps to enable ZED-F9P operation before exploring the more
complex configurations described later.

USB port

ZED-F9P LEDs

ZED-F9P module

ZED-RF connector

Figure 2. Basic C099-F9P overview with details needed for quick start

2.1 Starting up
•
•
•
•

Connect the supplied multi-band GNSS antenna to the ZED-RF SMA connector. Ensure good
signal reception.
Connect the USB to a Windows PC; this will power the board. The FTDI and USB drivers will be
installed automatically from Windows Update when a user connects the board for the first time.
Start u-center and connect to the COM port identified as “C099 application board, ZED-F9P” using
Device Manager. Set the baud rate to 460’800 baud. See section 4.3.1 for detailed instructions.
The TP LED on the C099-F9P board will blink in blue color. Figure 3 below shows a typical u-center
view with active satellite signal levels.

To operate the ZED-F9P in RTK mode, the GNSS antenna must be placed in an open environment and
the unit must be connected to an RTK correction service. Where available, the evaluation kit comes
with a free trial of the SmartNet correction service. Consult the leaflet included with the kit for
information on how to register for the service and how to obtain mount point and user connection
details before moving to the next steps.
RTK corrections can be applied using a u-center built-in NTRIP client. To use the C099-F9P board with
a correction service follow these next steps:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

In u-center, click on the Receiver Menu item.
Select “NTRIP Client…”
Fill in the settings for the NTRIP caster, username and password.
Click “Update source table” and select the recommended NTRIP mount point.
Click OK to close the dialog and connect to the service.
In the Data View of u-center, the Fix Mode should change from “3D” to “3D/DGNSS” when RTCM
corrections are received. The RTK LED will blink in green color.
Eventually, the status will change to “3D/DGNSS/FIXED” and the RTK LED will show a steady green
color.

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Figure 3: u-center showing a view of the ZED-F9P default operation

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3

C099-F9P description

3.1 Component overview
The C099-F9P houses the ZED-F9P RTK high precision positioning module plus an ODIN-W2 module
for wireless short-range communications. An FTDI component provides dedicated COM port
connections with the ZED-F9P and ODIN-W2 via USB.
The board can be powered by USB, a DC supply socket, or from a LiPo (lithium polymer) battery. The
board has been designed using an Arduino form factor with the modules’ serial ports routed to the
shield headers.
The block diagram in Figure 4 shows the logical signal flow between the individual parts.

Figure 4: C099-F9P block diagram

3.2 Component identification
The following images show the position of major parts and user interfaces.
•
•

Main components – Figure 5.
Switches and LEDs – Figure 6.

The functions of these are described later on in this section.

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GNSS antenna connector

Wi-Fi/BT antenna connector

ZED-F9P Multi band GNSS RTK module

ODIN-W2 Multi-radio module

J9

J3
J2, J3, J8, J9
Arduino Uno connectors

J2
J8

DC power jack

Battery connector

USB (ZED-F9P USB and UART,
ODIN-W2 UART ports)
Figure 5: Main components and USB ports

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ZED-F9P and ODIN-W2 reset button

ZED-F9P Safeboot button
ODIN-W2 Switch 0 interrupt button

ODIN-W2 activity LED

ODIN-W2 Safeboot pins

GNSS LEDs: TP, RTK, GeoFence

Battery charger LED

Figure 6: Switches and LEDs

☞

The MicroSD card slot is not used in this version of the board. The ODIN-W2 Switch 0 interrupt is
not required for normal customer use.

ZED-F9P status LEDs
The board provides three LEDs to show the ZED-F9P status. The location of the LEDs is shown in
Figure 7 below.
The RTK Status LED provides an indication of the state of the ZED-F9P module RTK-STAT pin.
•
•
•

At start-up the LED is off.
When in RTK Float mode, the yellow LED flashes at the navigation rate (1Hz default). This is also
an indication that RTCM corrections are received.
When in RTK fixed mode, the yellow LED is turned on.

The Time Pulse blue LED will flash at the default 1Hz rate when the time solution is valid.

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If activated, the Geofence status LED indicates the current Geofence status, i.e. in or outside a
designated area.
See the ZED-F9P Interface Description [2] for help with configuring the Time Pulse output or
activating the Geofence pin.

ZED-F9P Time pulse LED

ZED-F9P RTK status LED

ZED-F9P Geofence status LED

Figure 7: ZED-F9P LEDs

ODIN-W2 activity LED
The ODIN-W2 module uses a multi-colored LED to show particular activity status. This is positioned
adjacent to the ZED-F9P and ODIN-W2 reset switch and shown below in Figure 8. The activity status
is summarized in Table 1 below.
Status

LED color

Successful start-up, BT radio initialized

Green

BT Serial Port Profile connection created

Blue

Successful SPP data packet transmission

Blinking blue

Failed SPP data packet transmission

Blinking red

Remark

Connection initiated and accepted

Weak signal, SPP connection failure

Table 1: LED activity states and colors

ODIN-W2 activity LED

Figure 8: ODIN-W2 Activity LED position on C099-F9P board

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4

Using the C099-F9P

The ZED-F9P is shipped with the latest firmware and the ODIN-W2 is pre-configured as a Bluetooth
serial device. Information on updating either module’s firmware is provided in section 6.

4.1 Powering the board
The board can be powered from a variety of sources:
•
•
•

The USB connection,
A 3.7 V LiPo Battery via a JST connector,
An external 6-17 V DC source via a 2.1 mm connector; center pin V+.

DC power jack
LiPo battery connector
USB
Figure 9: Power connections

Figure 10: Typical single cell 3.7 V LiPo battery with JST connector

⚠

Follow all published safety advice for using bare cell LiPo batteries while charging and protecting
them from mechanical damage. Fire risk can occur if the advice is not followed.

All supply connections are fed via a Schottky diode to the main supply bus to allow multiple sources
to be connected in parallel. The LiPo battery will be charged from either the DC power source or the
USB power source. The charging status is indicated by a red LED which is on during charging and
turned off when fully charged.

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When less than 500 mA is available through a USB connector, ensure sufficient supply via the DC
power jack. Hot swap from USB powered mode to battery powered mode is bounded by present
battery voltage level. It is recommended to apply hot swap only if a battery is fully charged.

Red battery charge LED

Figure 11: Battery charge status LED

4.2 GNSS RF input
The C099-F9P board should be used with the antenna supplied with the kit. If another active antenna
is used, be aware that the RF input has a bias output designed to supply 3.3 V DC with a 70 mA
maximum current load. A DC block is advisable if the board is connected to a signal distribution
scheme or GNSS simulator to prevent any potential shorting of the antenna bias.

SMA GNSS antenna connector

Figure 12: GNSS antenna connector

When using the supplied antenna it is advisable to use the ground plane provided. Otherwise ensure
that there is an adequate ground plane, e.g. by mounting in the center of a metallic car roof.

Figure 13: The supplied GNSS multi-band antenna

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4.3 User interfaces
The C099-F9P has a number of fixed connection options besides the wireless modes. There is also an
additional Arduino R3 / Uno interface for external host connection.
The USB connector on the board provides connection via an on-board hub providing:
•
•

An FTDI USB bridge to ZED-F9P UART1 and ODIN-W2 UART COM ports.
Dedicated connection to the ZED-F9P USB port.

FTDI USB Bridge
When the USB cable from the user’s PC is connected, a driver will load and set up two virtual serial
ports, as shown below in Figure 14. Additionally, a further serial VCP will be created to provide a direct
connection with the ZED-F9P USB port.

☞

Ensure that the PC is connected to the internet to load the drivers from Windows Update.

The first of these is connected to the ZED-F9P serial port and should be selected with u-center. The
second serial device is for the ODIN-W2 module when using s-center. In Figure 14, the ODIN-W2
connection is the first port (COM 62) and the ZED-F9P connection is the second port (COM 64). Port
numbering can be different between individual PCs, but the same arrangement applies.
ZED-F9P and ODIN-W2
COM ports installed.

Figure 14: Windows Device Manager COM port view

In addition, a third VCP will be created corresponding to the ZED-F9P USB port. Windows 10 users will
see a new VCP device in the Device Manager window when it loads a built-in driver. With older Windows
installations, a driver will be loaded via Windows Update. In this case the device will be identified as a
u-blox GNSS device in the Device Manager window.
Open u-center (V18.12 or later), select the ZED-F9P serial port, and set the baud rate to 460800 to
match the ZED-F9P default UART setting. Once connected, u-center shows typical received signal
levels from multiple GNSS bands, see Figure 15 below.

Figure 15: u-center view with ZED-F9P connected

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Additional UBX protocol messages can be enabled to view additional information in u-center. For
example, the following are typical messages the user can poll or enable for periodic update.
•
•
•
•
•
•

☞

NAV-HPPOSLLH
NAV-RELPOSNED
NAV-SIG
NAV-SOL
NAV-STATUS
NAV-SVIN
For help with the Message view see section 5.2.6 in the u-center User Guide [3]

Command Line Interface of ODIN-W2
The user controls ODIN-W2 through a Command Line Interface (CLI) which supports Remote
Procedure Call syntax as described below:
//run   …

To access ODIN-W2 CLI use the following serial settings:
•
•
•

Baud rate: 460 800
Serial frame: 8 bits, 1 stop bit, no parity
Flow Control: None

Prior to connecting to the ODIN-W2 CLI check the below terminal settings:
•

•

Putty (Settings - Terminal)
o local echo force off
o implicit CR in every LF off
o implicit LF in every CR off
Tera Term (Setup - Terminal)
o newline receive CR and transmit CR
o local echo disabled
o terminal ID VT100

Figure 16: CLI help command

Figure 17: Example RPC syntax

By typing the help command as in Figure 16, the ODIN-W2 will display all available user commands
with a short description. The CLI embodies character echo with limited text edit functions. Misspelled
commands are replied with a list of supported commands. Please note, that ODIN-W2 features I/O
related functions for diagnostic purposes. Those functions are listed by the CLI but are not
documented.

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4.4 Arduino Uno header connections
The board size and four connectors comply with the Arduino R3/Uno mechanical specification. The
functions of each I/O align as much as possible to the Arduino specified functions. Check the pin
functions before using with an Arduino R3/Uno - see Figure 18 below. All the pin functions besides
power are 3.3 V compliant.

J9, Arduino D

J3, Arduino B

J8, Arduino C

J2, Arduino A

Figure 18: C099-F9P Arduino connectors

Figure 19: C099-F9P Arduino R3 connections

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5

Rover operation using NTRIP

This section shows how the ZED-F9P is used as a rover using correction information provided over the
internet using NTRIP. This is usually provided by a host from a single reference station or as a Network
RTK Virtual Reference Service (VRS).
A suitable host is a PC with internet access. A host runs an NTRIP client and streams RTCM
corrections to the C099-F9P through a UART or Bluetooth connection. A user shall note, that
messages transmitted through a Bluetooth link are forwarded to I2C bus and vice versa. A user is
advised to enable desired messages in both UART and I2C interfaces in ZED-F9P.

5.1 PC hosting via u-center
The u-center application includes an NTRIP client for PC hosting. The u-center user guide [3] provides
help when setting NTRIP service connections. Users can connect via Bluetooth for wireless operation
or directly via a serial COM port. Once the service is active, RTCM corrections are sent over the
connection and data can be logged as usual with u-center.
The u-center User Guide [3] section 6 provides more information concerning NTRIP connections.
Enter the required connection settings using the client setting window shown below.

Figure 20: u-center NTRIP Client view

Ensure that the NTRIP Client connection icon is green. This indicates a successful NTRIP connection
and that RTCM data is transferred to the C099-F9P.

Figure 21: u-center NTRIP Client connection icon in the status bar of u-center

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Confirm that the rover has obtained RTK Fixed mode in the u-center data view:

Figure 22: u-center Data view RTK FIXED indication

5.2 Bluetooth pairing
Prior to operation the user is requested to pair the ODIN-W2 with a host device. Pairing is the process
for creating one or more shared secret keys and is required only once for a pair of devices. The ODINW2 can be paired with one of the two alternatives:
1. The host initiates, ODIN-W2 responds.
2. ODIN-W2 initiates, the host responds.

ODIN-W2 as pairing responder
Once verified that the terminal connection is available, please use the following command to make
the ODIN-W2 visible and connectable:
/bt_visible/run

ODIN-W2 will acknowledge successful reception of the command and inform once it is ready to
respond to a pairing request.
Next, the user shall perform Bluetooth scan to find the C099-F9P. Every C099-F9P has a predefined
unique BT name of type BT_C099-F9P_XYZW as shown in Figure 23.

Figure 23: Windows 10 menu for adding a BT device.

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ODIN-W2 as pairing initiator
Once the user has verified working CLI connection, the following command shall be used to scan
nearby Bluetooth devices. Prior to that, Bluetooth visibility at the host device shall be enabled.
/bt_inquiry/run

The C099-F9P will list nearby BT devices, their BT addresses (“MAC”) and corresponding RSSI values.
To ensure sufficient radio link quality, a user is advised to check the RSSI level of the host device is
well above -80 dBm. Weak signal levels can result in connection losses and limited range.
Once the host device has been found by the C099-F9P, the following command starts the pairing
process:
/bt_bond/run 

ODIN-W2 will wait until the user has accepted the pairing request on the host device. Note that the
pairing request will fail if an internal timeout is reached. Typically, the user can accept an incoming
pairing request in the host Bluetooth menu. Finally, the host and ODIN-W2 will permanently store their
exchanged link keys for future connections.

5.3 Bluetooth serial port
C099-F9P supports incoming and outgoing Bluetooth serial connections. In order to find the
corresponding BT COM ports refer to Bluetooth options as indicated in Figure 24.

Figure 24: Bluetooth COM ports

Typically Windows hosts will automatically set the corresponding COM ports if the pairing process
was initiated at the host, as described in 5.2.1. Often, the user is requested to add incoming and
outgoing ports manually if the pairing process was initiated at C099-F9P, as described in 5.2.2.

Server SPP connection
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In order to use the server port (incoming port) at the host, the user shall select and connect to the
incoming COM port at u-center prior to the CLI command on the C099-F9P:
/bt_sppcli/run 

After a successful connection the C099-F9P starts to stream data from ZED-F9P to the Bluetooth
COM port. Please note that the baud rate of the BT serial port at the host can be ignored.

Client SPP connection
In order to use the outgoing port (client port) at the host the user shall set the C099-F9P in server
mode by issuing the following command:
/bt_visible/run

After selecting the client port (outgoing port) at u-center, the C099-F9P will be automatically
requested to open a data stream between the ZED-F9P and the Bluetooth COM port. Note that ucenter has default COM port behavior resulting in connection failures or non-listed outgoing
Bluetooth COM ports. As a workaround it is recommended to change the default COM port
enumeration in u-center as shown in Figure 25: u-center COM port enumeration

Figure 25: u-center COM port enumeration

5.4 Wireless link limitations
Bluetooth link
The system throughput of the BT link is determined by the effective I2C and BT Classic SPP byte
rates. The user is recommended to limit the average byte load from ZED-F9P to 17 kB/sec. The
following examples approximate the load of the default configuration of ZED-F9P HPG100 firmware:
•
•
•

1Hz Navigation Rate: NMEA, UBX-DBG-NAV, UBX-NAV-PVT enabled -> 2.4 kB/sec
5Hz Navigation Rate: NMEA, UBX-DBG-NAV, UBX-RXM-RTCM enabled -> 17 kB/sec
10Hz Navigation Rate: NMEA, UBX-RXM-RTCM enabled -> 14 kB/sec

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In case of Bluetooth transmission failure (red LED blinking), check the system for typical root causes:
•
•

BT SPP COM port on the host device stalled or disconnected.
Insufficient signal quality between the host device and C099-F9P.

To recover the system after a failing BT link, reset ODIN-W2 by pressing the reset button.
If ZED-F9P is configured through a Bluetooth link, e.g. using UBX-CGF messages, it is recommended
to apply all configurations manually at u-center. Uploading an extensive configuration file may fail due
to limited link bandwidth.

Windows OS issues with Bluetooth SPP
There are some known issues with the Windows Bluetooth Serial Port Profile (SPP) implementation
for Windows 7-10. Symptoms include the Bluetooth Virtual COM port not installing or applications
not connecting to the Bluetooth Virtual COM port. In other cases Windows
might crash or become un-responsive. This is not related to the ODIN-W2
Bluetooth implementation that uses the Bluetooth standard SPP.

Figure 26: ASUS USB-BT400

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A known industry fix is not to use the Windows Bluetooth stack and PC
Bluetooth hardware. This is done by using a USB Bluetooth adapter that
uses its own Bluetooth stack. A device that is known to work is the ASUS
USB-BT400 (USB 2.0). Once installed use the Bluetooth Virtual COM port
assigned to this device and not the built-in Bluetooth interface.

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6

Firmware updates

This section shows how to update the GNSS and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth modules’ firmware if required.
The board is delivered with the latest versions of firmware running on the ZED-F9P and ODIN-W2
modules. However, newer versions may become available during the lifetime of the product.

6.1 ZED-F9P firmware update
This section shows how to update the firmware and re-enable the configuration settings required for
the C099-F9P. The user has two possible serial communication channels to update ZED-F9P: UART1
and USB2.0 ports. At the time of writing, the current Microsoft USB driver in Windows 10 does not
allow ZED-F9P FW update.
To update the ZED-F9P, connect via USB to the COM port identified as the ZED-F9P to u-center and
poll MON-VER to view the installed firmware: see Figure 14 for the Device Manager COM port view.
The shipped units will have HPG1.00 firmware or newer. To download a new firmware follow the
sequence detailed below.

Figure 27: MON-VER poll response

To begin updating the firmware, select “Tools > Firmware Update…”

Figure 28: Selecting u-center Firmware Update mode

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The following firmware image update window will appear as shown below:

Figure 29: Selecting u-center Firmware image folder

At the top is the Firmware image file selection window. Click on the button to the right of the window.
This allows you to select the folder and file. Select the new firmware image bin file.

Figure 30: Selecting u-center Firmware image file

Set the “Enter safeboot before update” and “Send training sequence” options. Set the “Use this
baudrate for update” option and select e.g. 460800 from the pull-down list. This is shown in Figure 30
below.

Figure 31: Setting the required baud rate, safeboot and training sequence options

Then click the GO button at the bottom left corner of the window to begin the download.

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Figure 32: Click GO for firmware update

The firmware update progress indication is shown adjacent to the input window.
When programming is complete, the module will start up in a default configuration in which the ZEDF9P serial port is set to 38400 baud. This requires changing to 460800 baud to provide sufficient data
bandwidth and work correctly with the ODIN-W2 module. In order to make the baud rate change
persistent follow the instruction in Figure 33.

Figure 33: Setting ZED-F9P UART1 back to 460800 baud and saving it to Flash memory.

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6.2 ODIN-W2 firmware update
Users have a choice to run two distinct firmware variants in ODIN-W2. By factory default the ODINW2 on a C099-F9P runs a dedicated application firmware.

Mbed OS 3 application firmware
The latest released binary is available via the u-blox git-hub repository:
https://github.com/u-blox/ublox-C099_F9P-mbed-3
Firmware update on ODIN-W2 is possible by the following tool set:
•

Through ODIN-W2 UART1 by using stm32flash.exe

It is recommended to download the stm32flash.exe command line tool from STM website or from
Sourceforge:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/stm32flash/
Prior to firmware upload, the ODIN-W2 must be started in safe boot mode. Proceed by placing a safe
boot jumper and reboot C099-F9P. Location of the safe boot pin header and the reset button is
depicted in Figure 6. To confirm the ODIN-W2 started in safe boot mode the ODIN-W2 activity LED
remains off. Please use the following command structure in Power Shell or Command Prompt to start
FW upload:
./stm32flash.exe -b 115200 -w  -S 0x8000000 COM

A successful FW upload is confirmed by removing the safe boot jumper and restarting the device.
The ODIN-W2 activity LED should lit up.

Connectivity software
In order to utilize the standard ODIN-W2 connectivity stack a firmware update is required. Latest ublox connectivity software and documentation is available via u-blox.com:
https://www.u-blox.com/en/product/odin-w2-series
Software upload procedure consists of two consecutive phases. Firstly, a bootloader is required to be
uploaded:
./stm32flash.exe -b 115200 -w  -S 0x8000000 COM

After a succesful bootloader upload, the actual connectivity software shall be uploaded while
incrementing the memory index as shown below
./stm32flash.exe -b 115200 -w  -S 0x8010000 COM

Instructions of connectivity configurations of ODIN-W2 running the Connectivity SW are available in
C099-F9P User Guide [5].

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Appendix
A Glossary
Abbreviation

Definition

FW

Firmware

LiPo

Lithium Polymer

NTRIP

Networked Transport of RTCM via Internet Protocol

RTK

Real Time Kinematic

UART

Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter

USB

Universal Serial Bus

UTC

Coordinated Universal Time

VCP

Virtual Com Port

Table 2: Explanation of the abbreviations and terms used

B C099-F9P antenna specification
B.1 Wi-Fi/Bluetooth antenna specification
EX-IT WLAN RPSMA / Ex-IT WLAN SMA
Manufacturer

ProAnt

Type

½ wave dipole dual-band antenna

Polarization

Vertical

Gain

+3 dBi

Impedance

50 Ω

Size

107 mm (straight)

Type

Monopole

Connector

• Reverse polarity SMA plug (inner thread and pin receptacle)
• SMA plug (inner thread and pin)

Comment

To be mounted on the U.FL to SMA or reverse polarity SMA adapter cable

Approval

FCC, IC, RED, MIC, NCC, KCC*, ANATEL, and ICASA

Table 3: Wi-Fi/Bluetooth antenna

☞

The variant included in the C099-F9P kit is with SMA connector and has to be mounted on the
corresponding antenna connector of the C099-F9P board if you wish to use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
connectivity.

B.2 Multi-band GNSS antenna specification
This section details the u-blox multi-band GNSS antenna specification and performance on the
required ground plane.

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Figure 34: u-blox dual band GNSS antenna

B.2.1

Patch antenna element specification

Figure 35: Patch elements specification

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B.2.2

LNA electrical specification

Figure 36: LNA specification

B.2.3

Overall performance

Figure 37: u-blox multi-band GNSS antenna performance

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C Mechanical board dimensions

Figure 38: C099-F9P rev. B dimensions

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D C099-F9P schematics
The following pages show the complete schematic for the C099-F9P evaluation board.

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E ODIN-W2 firmware upload via JTAG
ODIN-W2 firmware upload is possible through the 10-pin JTAG connector by using the STM Link
Utility SW and ST LINK V2 debugger device. STM Link Utility software can be found on
https://www.st.com/en/development-tools/stsw-link004.html
Availability of ST LINK V2 debugger device shall be checked with local STM distributors.

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Related documents
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]

☞

u-blox GNSS Sensor and VCP Device Driver guide, Doc. No. UBX-15022397
ZED-F9P Interface Description, Doc. No. UBX-18010854
u-center User Guide, Doc. No. UBX-13005250
ZED-F9P Integration Manual, Doc No. UBX-18010802
C099-F9P User Guide (with ODIN-W2 Connectivity SW), Doc No. UBX-18055649
For regular updates to u-blox documentation and to receive product change notifications, register
on our homepage (www.u-blox.com).

Revision history
Revision

Date

Name

Comments

R01

10-Jul-2018

ghun/byou

Initial release

R02

19-Oct-2018

byou

Updates for the C099-F9P rev. B board revision.

R03

8-Nov-2018

olep

Updates for mbed3 FW on ODIN-W2

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Contact
For complete contact information, visit us at www.u-blox.com.
u-blox Offices
North, Central and South America
u-blox America, Inc.
Phone:
E-mail:

+1 703 483 3180
info_us@u-blox.com

Regional Office West Coast:
Phone:
E-mail:

+1 408 573 3640
info_us@u-blox.com

Headquarters
Europe, Middle East, Africa

Asia, Australia, Pacific

u-blox AG

Phone: +65 6734 3811
E-mail: info_ap@u-blox.com
Support: support_ap@u-blox.com

Phone: +41 44 722 74 44
E-mail: info@u-blox.com
Support: support@u-blox.com

Regional Office Australia:
Phone: +61 2 8448 2016
E-mail: info_anz@u-blox.com
Support: support_ap@u-blox.com

Technical Support:
Phone:
E-mail:

u-blox Singapore Pte. Ltd.

+1 703 483 3185
support@u-blox.com

Regional Office China (Beijing):
Phone: +86 10 68 133 545
E-mail: info_cn@u-blox.com
Support: support_cn@u-blox.com
Regional Office China (Chongqing):
Phone: +86 23 6815 1588
E-mail: info_cn@u-blox.com
Support: support_cn@u-blox.com
Regional Office China (Shanghai):
Phone: +86 21 6090 4832
E-mail: info_cn@u-blox.com
Support: support_cn@u-blox.com
Regional Office China (Shenzhen):
Phone: +86 755 8627 1083
E-mail: info_cn@u-blox.com
Support: support_cn@u-blox.com
Regional Office India:
Phone: +91 80 405 092 00
E-mail: info_in@u-blox.com
Support: support_in@u-blox.com
Regional Office Japan (Osaka):
Phone: +81 6 6941 3660
E-mail: info_jp@u-blox.com
Support: support_jp@u-blox.com
Regional Office Japan (Tokyo):
Phone: +81 3 5775 3850
E-mail: info_jp@u-blox.com
Support: support_jp@u-blox.com
Regional Office Korea:
Phone: +82 2 542 0861
E-mail: info_kr@u-blox.com
Support: support_kr@u-blox.com
Regional Office Taiwan:
Phone: +886 2 2657 1090
E-mail: info_tw@u-blox.com
Support: support_tw@u-blox.com

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