Novatel Pinwheel OEM User manual

Pinwheel™ OEM
Integrator Manual
OM-20000142 Rev 2 April 2014

Pinwheel OEM Integrator Manual Rev 2 2
Pinwheel OEM Integrator Manual
Publication Number: OM-20000142
Revision Level: 2
Revision Date: April 2014
Warranty
NovAtel®Inc. warrants that its GNSS products are free from defects in materials and workmanship, subject to the
conditions set forth on our web site: http://www.novatel.com/products/warranty/.
Antenna Module One (1) Year
Return Instructions
To return products, refer to the instructions found under the Return Policy Tab on the warranty page: http://
www.novatel.com/products/warranty/.
Proprietary Notice
Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of
NovAtel Inc. The software described in this document is furnished under a licence agreement or non-disclosure
agreement. The software may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the agreement. It is against the
law to copy the software on any medium except as specifically allowed in the license or non-disclosure agreement.
The information contained within this manual is believed to be true and correct at the time of publication.
NovAtel, Pinwheel and OEM6 are registered trademarks of NovAtel Inc.
All other brand names are trademarks of their respective holders.
Manufactured and protected under U.S. patents:
#6,445,354 B1
#6,452,560 B2
#7,250,916
© Copyright 2014 NovAtel Inc. All rights reserved.
Unpublished rights reserved under International copyright laws.

Pinwheel OEM Integrator Manual Rev 2 3
Table of Contents
Customer Support ...................................................................................................... 4
Notices........................................................................................................................ 5
1Introduction .............................................................................7
Figure 1 Integration Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.1 Available Signals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.2 Additional Equipment Required. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2Setup ........................................................................................9
2.1 Pinwheel OEM Module . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.2 Integrator Chassis Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Figure 2 Pinwheel OEM Module Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.2.1 Shield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Figure 3 Metal Location Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2.2 Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.2.3 Cabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.3 Radome Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.3.1 Radome Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.3.2 Radome Shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.3.3 Radome Thickness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.3.4 Radome Color. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.3.5 Radome Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
ATechnical Specifications .......................................................................................... 12
Figure 4 Pinwheel OEM Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Table 1 Pinwheel OEM Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
BElectrostatic Discharge (ESD) Practices................................................................. 15
Table 2 Static-Accumulating Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Troubleshooting........................................................................................................ 17

Pinwheel OEM Integrator Manual Rev 2 4
Customer Support
NovAtel Knowledge Base
If a technical issue occurs, visit the NovAtel support website at www.novatel.com | Support and search for
general information about GNSS and other technologies, information about NovAtel hardware, software,
installation and operation issues.
Contact Information
Contact NovAtel Customer Support using one of the following methods:
Conventions
Conventions used in this manual are the following:
Call the NovAtel Hotline at 1-800-NOVATEL (U.S. and Canada) or [phone] (international)
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
website: www.novatel.com
Write: NovAtel Inc.
Customer Support
1120 - 68 Avenue NE
Calgary, AB
Canada, T2E 8S5
Note that provides information to supplement or clarify the
accompanying text.
Caution that a certain action, operation or configuration may
result in incorrect or improper use of the product.
Warning that a certain action, operation or configuration may
result in regulatory noncompliance, safety issues or equipment
damage.

Pinwheel OEM Integrator Manual Rev 2 5
Notices
WEEE
If you purchased your Pinwheel OEM family product in Europe, please return it to your dealer or supplier at the
end of life. The objectives of the European Community's environment policy are, in particular, to preserve,
protect and improve the quality of the environment, protect human health and utilise natural resources
prudently and rationally. Sustainable development advocates the reduction of wasteful consumption of natural
resources and the prevention of pollution. Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is a regulated
area. Where the generation of waste cannot be avoided, it should be reused or recovered for its material or
energy. WEEE products may be recognized by their wheeled bin label ( ). 1
RoHS
The Pinwheel OEM is compliant with the European Union (EU) Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)
Directive 2011/65/EU.
REACH
NovAtel strives to comply with the EU Directive EC 1907/2006 on chemicals and their safe use as per the
Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemical substances (REACH) for its products,
including the Pinwheel OEM product. Since REACH SVHC lists are updated occasionally, please contact
NovAtel Customer Support if you require further information.
Lightning Protection Installation and Grounding Procedure
What is the hazard?
A lightning strike into the ground causes an increase in the earth's potential which results in a high voltage
potential between the center conductor and shield of the coaxial cable. This high voltage develops because the
voltage surge induced onto the center conductor lags in time behind the voltage surge induced onto the shield.
Hazard Impact
A lightning strike causes the ground potential in the area to rise to dangerous levels resulting in harm to
personnel or destruction of electronic equipment in an unprotected environment. It also conducts a portion of
the strike energy down the inner conductor of the coax cable to the connected equipment.
Actions to Mitigate Lightning Hazards
1. Do not install antennas or antenna coaxial cables outside the building during a lightning storm.
2. It is not possible to avoid over voltages caused by lightning, but a lightning protection device may be used
to shunt a large portion of the transient energy to the building ground, reducing the over voltage condition
as quickly as possible.
3. Primary lightning protection must be provided by the operator/customer according to local building codes
as part of the extra building installation.
4. To ensure compliance with clause 7 "Connection to Cable Distribution Systems" of EN 60950-1, Safety for
Information Technology Equipment, a secondary lightning protection device must be used for in-building
equipment installations with external antennas. The following device has been approved by NovAtel Inc.:
5. Polyphaser - Surge Arrestor DGXZ+24NFNF-A
1. See www.novatel.com | Products | WEEE and RoHS for more information.

Only qualified personnel, such as electricians mandated by the governing body in the
country of installation, may install lightning protection devices.

Notices
Pinwheel OEM Integrator Manual Rev 2 6
6. If this device is not chosen as the primary lightning protection device, the device chosen must meet the
following requirements:
7. UL listed, or equivalent, in country of installation (for example, TUV, VDE and so on) for lightning surge
protection
8. The primary device must be capable of limiting an incoming surge to 10 kV
9. The shield of the coaxial cable entering the building should be connected at a grounding plate at the
building's entrance. The lightning protection devices should have their chassis grounded to the same
ground near to the building's entrance.
10. The primary and secondary lightning protections should be as close to the building's entrance as possible.
Where feasible, mount onto the grounding plate itself (refer to the figure below).
These installation instructions are the minimum requirements for receiver and antenna installations. Where
applicable, follow the electrical codes for the country of installation. Examples of country codes include:
• US National Electrical Code (NFPA 70)
• Canada Canadian Electrical Code (CSA C22)
• UK British Standards Institute (BSI 7671)
Ref # Description Ref # Description
1 Primary lightning protection device 4 GNSS Receiver
2 Secondary lightning protection device 5 To ground
3 External antenna 6 Grounding plate or grounding point at the building’s
entrance

Acceptable choices for earth grounds, for central buildings, are:
• Grounded interior metal cold water pipe within five feet (1.5 m) of the point where it enters
the building
• Grounded metallic service raceway
• Grounded electrical service equipment enclosure
• Eight-foot grounding rod driven into the ground (only if bonded to the central building
ground by #6, or heavier, bonding wire)
6
12
5
555
4
3

Pinwheel OEM Integrator Manual Rev 2 7
Chapter 1 Introduction
The Pinwheel OEM antenna module provides NovAtel’s Pinwheel™ antenna technology in a easy to
integrate assembly, targeted for use in machine control and precision agriculture applications. The
Pinwheel OEM delivers optimum flexibility to integrators to create high performance antennas and smart
antenna products using their own industrial designs.
NovAtel ‘s patented Pinwheel antenna technology provides choke ring type performance in a small and
lightweight integratable package.
Figure 1: Integration Overview
Integrator designed custom radome
NovAtel Pinwheel OEM module
NovAtel OEM6 Family Card
or equivalent
Integrator supplied and designed
bottom chassis,
interface components,
power supply and connector
Custom Antenna Module

Introduction Chapter 1
Pinwheel OEM Integrator Manual Rev 2 8
1.1 Available Signals
The Pinwheel OEM receives the following signals:
• L1/L2/L2C/L5 GPS
• G1/G2 GLONASS
• E1/E5a/E5b Galileo
• B1/B2 BeiDou
•L-Band
1.2 Additional Equipment Required
The Pinwheel OEM module comes complete and assembled.
The following additional equipment is required to fully integrate the Pinwheel OEM module.
• Integrator designed chassis (refer to Integrator Chassis Construction on page 9)
• Integrator designed custom radome (refer to Radome Construction on page 10)
• Suitable GNSS receiver such as NovAtel OEM6 Family card
• Power supply and interface circuitry to support GNSS receiver
• Cables - MMCX to customer specific connector type
• Mounting screws (x8)
Refer to the “Chapter Setup” on page 9 for details.

Pinwheel OEM Integrator Manual Rev 2 9
Chapter 2 Setup
2.1 Pinwheel OEM Module
The Pinwheel OEM can be integrated with an OEM6 receiver into a dual-frequency, multi-constellation
smart antenna. The Pinwheel OEM module is an assembled antenna, designed to integrate with the
integrator designed radome, chassis and cabling.
2.2 Integrator Chassis Construction
The Pinwheel OEM module is not hermetically sealed and must be mounted within an enclosure that
prevents water and dust ingress.
The integrator chassis should be constructed using minimal metal materials. Any metal components
must be located below the Pinwheel OEM antenna module (refer to Radome Materials on Page 10 for
details.
The OEM6 receiver card used in integration should be completely shielded from the antenna module.
Figure 2: Pinwheel OEM Module Integration

Do not disassemble the Pinwheel OEM integrator chassis for any reason.
OR
Under Side of Pinwheel OEM
Right-angle
connector
Top Side of Pinwheel OEM
screw
bosses (8X)
Use screws
(8X) to attach to
the top of the
chassis or to
the bottom of
the radome
Shield
Can
Integrator Chassis
Radome

Setup Chapter 2
Pinwheel OEM Integrator Manual Rev 2 10
2.2.1 Shield
No metal should touch the shield can on the under side of the Pinwheel OEM module.
Figure 3: Metal Location Warning
2.2.2 Connector
A right-angle MMCX jack is located on the under side of the Pinwheel OEM module (refer to Figure 4,
Pinwheel OEM Dimensions on Page 12 for location).
2.2.3 Cabling
A suitable RF connection (cable) between the Pinwheel OEM module and the RF connector on the
receiver is required. The appropriate strain relief should be considered when selecting cables. A 50 ohm
impedance is required. When using a NovAtel OEM6 receiver card, the cable loss should be 4 dB or less
(loss/m x # meters = cable loss).
2.3 Radome Construction
2.3.1 Radome Materials
The radome should be constructed from materials that provide both strength and good Radio Frequency
(RF) transparency. NovAtel recommends the following materials for constructing the radome.
• G.E. Xenoy 5220
• G.E. Lexan EXL9330
• G.E. (SABIC) Valox 3900WX
These materials are mechanically stable over temperature and humidity and offer good resistance to
solar radiation.

NovAtel recommends a minimum of 4 screws equally spaced around the Pinwheel
OEM to hold in place (up to a maximum of 8 screws).

The use of metal casings in close proximity or on top of the antenna will degrade
performance. It is recommended to use plastic bosses for mounting the antenna in the
custom enclosure and keep all metal or metalized parts below the LNA shield in the custom
enclosure design.
No metal above
this plane

Proper lightning protection should be used. Refer to the Lightning Protection Installation and
Grounding Procedure section on Page 5 for details.

Do not completely encase or overmold the radome with plastic or foam block. A minimal
distance of 5 mm should be maintained between the antenna module and the radome.