GNSS Antenna Board - DAN-F10N

How does it work?

GNSS Antenna Board is a compact, square-shaped 70x70mm board designed to provide easy integration of the DAN-F10N, a professional-grade standard-precision GNSS module from u-blox. At its core lies the DAN-F10N L1/L5 patch-antenna module built on the u-blox F10 dual-band GNSS technology, which uses L1 and L5 band signals to deliver reliable meter-level position accuracy even in challenging urban environments. Thanks to the u-blox’s proprietary dual-band multipath mitigation technology, the module selects the best signals from both L1 and L5 bands for optimal performance, while its SAW, LNA, and SAW RF architecture ensures superior out-of-band interference rejection, making it suitable for designs operating alongside cellular modems.

Featuring internal flash memory for firmware updates and future-proof operation, the DAN-F10N is a concurrent GNSS receiver capable of receiving and tracking multiple constellations such as GPS with QZSS/SBAS, Galileo, BeiDou, and NavIC, and its dual-band RF front end enables simultaneous reception of multiple dual-frequency GNSS constellations with the flexibility to configure subsets for reduced power consumption. With a frequency range of 1176.450 MHz and 1575.42 MHz, tracking sensitivity of -164dBm, and a cold-start TTFF of 28 seconds, the module ensures strong performance across applications.

The board’s 70x70 mm dimensions were chosen to provide the required continuous GND plane beneath the module for optimal RF performance and noise immunity. Its mechanical layout follows the same outline and mounting hole positions as the UNI Clicker board, allowing integration with UNI Clicker for prototyping or combined application development. This compatibility makes it easy to create test setups or full applications without needing custom enclosures or adapters.

The GNSS Antenna Board also includes an ICD BOX header that works with the supplied 20cm flat ribbon cable to plug directly into a Shuttle Click installed on a host development platform. Through this simple link the board not only establishes a clean, reliable communication path between the DAN-F10N module and the host MCU, but also draws its main 3.3V supply from the development board, eliminating the need for a separate power source. A reset button provides quick module resets, a BOOT switch allows entry into SafeBoot mode (active low), and a PWR LED indicates active status.

The DAN-F10N module features an integrated patch antenna for standard operation, but the board also provides an SMA connector for connecting an external GNSS L1/L5 Band Active Antenna (Standard Precision), such as the one offered by MIKROE. This flexibility allows developers to easily switch between the built-in antenna and an external antenna for enhanced performance or different installation scenarios, while a red TPS LED indicator next to the connector visually signals the timepulse.

On the back side of the board, a battery holder accommodates a 3V CR1225 coin cell for backup power. In case of a power failure, the module automatically switches to the backup battery, ensuring continuous operation of the real-time clock (RTC) and battery-backed RAM. This preserves critical data and enables faster warm and hot starts after power is restored. Additionally, a comprehensive set of test points exposes critical signals from the module for convenient access and control, including UART TX and RX pins, RST, INT (external interrupt), TPS (mirrored by the red LED indicator on the front), as well as 3.3V and GND rails. This design makes the GNSS Antenna Board an ideal solution for developers and engineers seeking an integrated, standard-precision, and future-ready GNSS platform with easy connectivity, power management, and diagnostic capabilities.

Specifications

Onboard settings and indicators

Electrical specifications

Software Support

GNSS Antenna Board demo application is developed using the NECTO Studio, ensuring compatibility with mikroSDK's open-source libraries and tools. Designed for plug-and-play implementation and testing, the demo is fully compatible with all development, starter, and mikromedia boards featuring a mikroBUS™ socket.

Example Description

This example demonstrates the use of GNSS Antenna Board by reading and displaying the GNSS coordinates.

Key Functions

• gnssantenna_cfg_setup This function initializes board configuration structure to initial values.
• gnssantenna_init This function initializes all necessary pins and peripherals used for this board.
• gnssantenna_generic_read This function reads a desired number of data bytes by using UART serial interface.
• gnssantenna_parse_gga This function parses the GGA data from the read response buffer.

Application Init

Initializes the driver and logger.

Application Task

Reads the received data, parses the NMEA GGA info from it, and once it receives the position fix it will start displaying the coordinates on the USB UART.

Application Output

This board can be interfaced and monitored in two ways:

• Application Output - Use the "Application Output" window in Debug mode for real-time data monitoring. Set it up properly by following this tutorial.
• UART Terminal - Monitor data via the UART Terminal using a USB to UART converter. For detailed instructions, check out this tutorial.

Additional Notes and Information

The complete application code and a ready-to-use project are available through the NECTO Studio Package Manager for direct installation in the NECTO Studio. The application code can also be found on the MIKROE GitHub account.