Our RedBoards are great. But don't they sometimes seem a little BIG?!
Enter smôl, a new range of boards which are both small in size and small on current draw. It's a smôl world!
The smôl ZOE-M8Q is a high accuracy, miniaturized, GNSS board that is perfect for applications that don't possess a lot of space. The on-board ZOE-M8Q is a 72-channel GNSS receiver, meaning it can receive signals from the GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo constellations. This increases precision and decreases lock time.
To minimize the current draw as much as possible, the smôl ZOE-M8Q can be powered down completely when you're not using it. The smôl ZOE-M8Q GPS is also equipped with an on-board rechargeable battery that provides power to the RTC on the ZOE-M8Q. This reduces the time-to-first fix from a cold start (~30s) to a hot start (~1s). The battery will maintain RTC and GNSS orbit data without being connected to power for up to five hours. The battery is recharged whenever the smôl 3.3V rail is active.
Since the ZOE-M8Q is a tiny GNSS receiver and to minimize its footprint, we've added a u.FL connector to allow the use of both large standard ceramic antennas as well as very small chip scale antennas. 3.3V is provided on the u.FL, so you can use an active antenna if you want to.
Why not pair the smôl ZOE-M8Q with a smôl ESP32 Processor Board to create a very small USB GNSS system? Or, pair it with a smôl Header, pull GPIO0 low, and you've got a truly miniature Qwiic GNSS!
smôl is an ecosystem of miniature processor boards, peripheral boards, power boards and accessories. Designed to be both physically small and to have the smallest possible current draw, smôl is the perfect choice for applications like wildlife tracking or discrete long-term monitoring. smôl boards are designed to stack one on top of the other, using 16-way 0.5mm-pitch Flexible Printed Circuits (FPCs) to provide the interconnect from one board to the next. Looking for a really compact solution for your next project? This is it!
We will be adding new smôl boards over the coming months. Don't see the board you need for your application? Reach out to us via the SparkX Forum and tell us which board(s) we should add next!
u-blox ZOE-M8Q:
smôl Specifics:
Properties:
smôl ZOE-M8Q Documentation:
smôl Documentation:
Whether it's for assembling a kit, hacking an enclosure, or creating your own parts; the DIY skill is all about knowing how to use tools and the techniques associated with them.
Skill Level: Competent - You might need to break out the power tools. Nothing beyond a power drill or rotary tool should be required, but you might have a hard time with just a screwdriver and hammer. Cutting holes into plastic or metal might be required.
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If it requires power, you need to know how much, what all the pins do, and how to hook it up. You may need to reference datasheets, schematics, and know the ins and outs of electronics.
Skill Level: Competent - You will be required to reference a datasheet or schematic to know how to use a component. Your knowledge of a datasheet will only require basic features like power requirements, pinouts, or communications type. Also, you may need a power supply that?s greater than 12V or more than 1A worth of current.
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