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Unconditional Satisfaction GuaranteeNo Shipping Fees Above 302 Months to Decide. Returns Simplified.Waveshare MAX-M8Q GNSS HAT for Raspberry Pi is a high-performance GNSS HAT built around the u-blox MAX-M8Q receiver, designed for Raspberry Pi and also suitable for Jetson Nano, Arduino, and STM32 development through its breakout interfaces. This Raspberry Pi GNSS HAT supports multi-constellation reception with concurrent use of up to three GNSS satellite systems from GPS, BeiDou, Galileo, and GLONASS, while maintaining low power consumption and stable positioning performance.
The MAX-M8Q GNSS module also supports augmentation systems including SBAS, QZSS, IMES, and D-GPS, as well as A-GNSS for faster first fixes. With -167dBm navigating sensitivity, anti-spoofing and anti-jamming capability, configurable U-Center support, UART and I2C interfaces, and an onboard battery holder for hot starts, this board is well suited for asset tracking, fleet management, industrial PDA, GIS applications, security systems, and other location-aware embedded projects.
| GNSS Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Module | MAX-M8Q |
| Receiver Engine | 72-channel u-blox M8 engine |
| Supported Systems | GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, SBAS, QZSS, IMES, D-GPS |
| Frequency Band | GPS L1C/A, SBAS L1C/A, QZSS L1C/A, QZSS L1 SAIF, GLONASS L1OF, BeiDou B1I, Galileo E1B/C |
| Horizontal Positioning Accuracy | 2.5m CEP (GPS & GLONASS / GPS), 4.0m CEP (GLONASS), 3.0m CEP (BeiDou) |
| Max Navigation Update Rate | 10Hz (GPS & GLONASS), up to 18Hz max depending on constellation |
| Time-To-First-Fix | Cold start: 26s to 45s, Hot start: 1s, Aided start: 2s to 7s |
| Navigating Sensitivity | Up to -167 dBm |
| PPS Accuracy | 30ns RMS, 60ns at 99% |
| PPS Frequency | 0.25Hz to 10MHz configurable |
| Velocity Accuracy | 0.05m/s |
| Heading Accuracy | 0.3 degree |
| Operational Limits | Acceleration 4g max, Altitude 50000m max, Velocity 500m/s max |
| Other Specifications | |
| Communication Interface | UART (4800 to 921600bps, 9600bps default), I2C / DDC up to 400KHz |
| Protocol | NMEA 0183 v4.0 (v2.1, v2.3, v4.1 selectable), UBX, RTCM 2.3 |
| Update Rate | 1Hz default, 18Hz max |
| Power Supply | 5V |
| Overall Current | <40mA @ 5V (continuous mode) |
| Module Current | 23mA @ 3V (continuous mode, tracking status) |
| Operating Temperature | -40C to 85C |
| Dimensions | 65mm 30.5mm |
Standard Raspberry Pi 40PIN GPIO support: this board is designed as a Raspberry Pi GNSS HAT and is also compatible with Jetson Nano, making it easy to add multi-constellation positioning capability to embedded Linux projects.
Multi-constellation receiver support: the MAX-M8Q can concurrently receive up to three satellite systems, helping improve positioning coverage and reliability in complex environments.
Augmentation and geo-fencing support: official materials highlight support for SBAS, QZSS, IMES, D-GPS, and geo-fencing, useful for higher positioning reliability and location-based logic.
U-Center support: the module supports U-Center, which makes configuration and debugging more convenient during development and deployment.
What’s on board: official hardware highlights include the MAX-M8Q module, CP2102 USB to UART, TXS0108EPWR voltage translator, RT9193-33 power chip, battery holder, GNSS antenna connector, and configurable UART selection jumper.
Pinout definition:
Outline dimensions:
Related reading on OpenELAB: Waveshare: Leading Provider of Developer Modules, Raspberry Pi: Popular Single-Board Modular Computer, How to Set Up a Raspberry Pi for Beginners.
1. Which satellite systems does this GNSS HAT support?
It supports concurrent reception of up to three GNSS systems from GPS, BeiDou, Galileo, and GLONASS, and also supports augmentation systems such as SBAS, QZSS, IMES, and D-GPS.
2. Can this board be used only with Raspberry Pi?
No. It is designed for Raspberry Pi through the 40PIN GPIO header, but it also exposes UART and I2C interfaces for host boards such as Jetson Nano, Arduino, and STM32.
3. Does it support hot start?
Yes. The onboard battery holder supports an ML1220 rechargeable cell to preserve ephemeris data, which helps enable faster hot starts.
4. What software can be used to configure the module?
The official materials state that it supports U-Center, which is a convenient tool for configuring and testing the GNSS module.
