Tag: micro

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sailoQ micro 1.6: a more robust, maintenance-free GPS speed log

The sailoQ micro 1.6 is the evolution of our GPS speed log: the same simplicity as the 1.5, but even better prepared for real life on board. We keep improving!

The micro 1.5 proved we were on the right track: simple, small and doing only what it needs to do. With the 1.6 we have kept that philosophy and thoroughly reinforced everything that makes it work better on board.

Placa sailoQ micro 1.6 con GPS integrado montada en su caja

What’s new in version 1.6:

  • Improved power supply. We have completely redesigned the 12 V input circuit. A boat’s electrical system is far from clean: spikes, voltage drops when starting the engine, noise from other equipment… The board now handles all of this much better and delivers stable power to the rest of the circuit.
  • Improved GPS antenna. Better satellite reception, faster position fix and steadier speed data, even with the board inside its enclosure and mounted on a bulkhead.
  • NMEA sentence filtering. The device discards incomplete or corrupted sentences before processing them, so only valid, useful data reaches the microprocessor. Port usage has dropped from 64 % to 16 %, four times less load.
  • Better receive buffer. We have enlarged and optimised the buffer that receives GPS data, so no information is lost even when many messages arrive in a row.
  • Expanded data bus. More capacity to communicate with other devices, and the board is ready for future expansions.

New software for the 1.6

The 1.6 shares its platform with the 1.5, so its software builds on the micro’s and has been adapted to take advantage of all these improvements. The big news is the diagnostics and controltool, which reports much more clearly what the device is doing at any time (GPS status, data reception, start-up…), so if in doubt it’s easy to see what’s happening and where.

Caja sailoQ 1.6 con logo junto a la placa montada en su interior

And of course, a new custom enclosure with the sailoQ logo, for a clean and professional installation.

In the video you can see it working with a Raymarine Bidata display: at start-up it runs the calibration test, ramps the speed up and back to zero, and from then on shows GPS speed just like a good old speed log. No paddle wheel, no marine growth, no maintenance.

We hope you like it. As always, we’d love to hear any suggestions or anything you’d like to see in the device.

Now available in our shop: sailoQ cube-micro

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sailoQ micro 1.5 software: tailor-made for the speed log

The sailoQ micro gets its own software, written from scratch for it. Ultra-efficient, fast and optimised: it uses only 20 % of the available memory and 23 % of storage, and achieves unprecedented data refresh rates.

Tailor-made for the micro

The micro is designed to do one thing and do it very well: emulate a speed log. That’s why its software is not an adaptation of earlier versions but a brand-new development focused solely on that task.

The GPS is connected to the Arduino’s hardware serial port, which has its own receive buffer. Data arrives complete and on time, and the processor runs with plenty of headroom to refresh the speed faster than ever.

The result is a simple, stable and reliable device: exactly what you want from a speed log.

The new 1.6 board shares its platform with the 1.5, so its software is an evolution of this one. Read all about it in sailoQ micro 1.6.

Available in our shop: sailoQ cube-micro

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New enclosure for the sailoQ micro: screwless, with a custom-fit lid

For the micro enclosures we have a new 3D printer, and it shows: much higher print quality and, above all, much greater precision.

That precision has allowed us to tighten tolerances dramatically, so we’ve done away with screws: the lid fits perfectly and stays firmly closed on its own. Fewer parts, faster assembly and a much cleaner finish.

Base de la caja sailoQ micro 1.5 vacía
Caja sailoQ micro 1.5 cerrada con las bornas de conexión
Caja sailoQ micro 1.5 abierta con la placa montada

What do you think?

Now available in our shop: sailoQ cube-micro

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sailoQ micro 1.5: the simplest GPS speed log

The sailoQ micro is our simplest board: it replaces your boat’s speed log with GPS speed. No paddle wheel, no marine growth, no maintenance. And with version 1.5 we’ve done it again! We redesigned it from scratch to do just that, better than ever.

Placa sailoQ micro 1.5 con GPS integrado

What’s new in version 1.5:

  • GPS built into the board. Everything in a single unit: fewer cables, fewer connections and more reliable communication.
  • GPS on the hardware serial port, with receive buffer. Data arrives complete and on time, so the speed on your display is steady.
  • All-new design. No unnecessary circuitry: fewer components and fewer things that can go wrong.
  • Improved power supply. A buck converter delivers clean, stable 5 V without overheating.
  • Smaller than ever. Our trademark size reduction: it fits in any corner next to your instruments.

Is it for me? If you need to replace your speed log and already have data sharing between your boat’s networks sorted, the micro is for you: simple and affordable.

Available in our shop: sailoQ cube-micro