GARMIN
GPS 15
Discontinued. Replaced by the Garmin 15x>>
The
GPS 15 sensor is a small, lightweight, power efficient and inexpensive board level
product whose main design criteria was to produce the least expensive GPS module
possible.
The
GPS 15 is designed for a variety of OEM system applications, including car navigation,
wireless communications, marine navigation, mapping, and more. It offers excellent
EMI/RFI performance for easy integration into systems that will be operated near
mobile computing devices and wireless communications equipment. These are complete
GPS systems that require minimal additional components to be supplied by an OEM
or system integrator. A minimum system must provide the GPS with a source of power,
a GPS antenna, and a clear view of the GPS satellites. An active antenna is recommended
for improved performance. The system may communicate with the GPS 15 via 2 its
CMOS-level serial port.
The
GPS 15 is approximately the size and shape of a commemorative postage stamp (0.940"
wide x 1.690" long x 0.309" tall). At 10 grams, it is also very lightweight. It
requires a 3.3 V regulated power supply at an average of 80 mA of current.
The
GPS 15-F is intended for direct connection to a UART or processor serial port
(I = 3V and 0 = GND). Connection to the GPS 15 is via a 6 contact flex connector
LIF (low insertion force) socket which is mounted to the board (cable available
from Digi-Key.com). This minimizes the amount of hand
soldering required in customer designs using these receivers.
For
prototyping use, the GPS 15-W (with a different connector type on the board) comes
with a mating connector with pigtailed bare wire ends. This model is in limited
supply; quantity orders are subject to a lead time of up to 6 - 8 weeks. For production
use, the GPS 15-F is recommended since there is much less labor in installing
a flex cable than there is in doing point-to-point wiring. The flex cable will
also produce a more geometrically repeatable connection to the board than loose
wires, reducing the associated variabilities from unit to unit.
According to GARMIN, "In short, the GPS 15 is the least amount of hardware
that GARMIN conscientiously call a GPS receiver, yet it still provides the level
of EMI/RFI performance that you have come to expect from our OEM sensor products."
ACCESSORIES
•
The GPS 15 series can use the GA27C antenna
(recommended for prototyping purposes, but you may find smaller or less expensive
antennas elsewhere.) The key requirements for the antenna are:
1) MCX male
cable termination
2) Between 10 dBand 30 dB of electrical
gain
3) Must operate properly from the 3.3 V bias applied to the center conductor
of the MCX connector, relative to GND on the outer conduction (3.0 V for the GPS
15L versions)
• GARMIN 6-pin flex cable and connectors are now available (see below)
