Kakute H7 mini v1.5 - No GPS/Compass on PX4 v1.16 (0 Bytes Received on UART)

PX4 Autopilot
1

Hi all,

I’m having a problem getting my NEO-8M GPS/Compass module to work with my Kakute H7 mini v1.5 and I’m hoping someone can help.

My Setup:

  • Board: Holybro Kakute H7 mini v1.5

  • Firmware: PX4 v1.16 (flashed the correct holybro_kakuteh7mini target)

  • GPS: Standard NEO-8M GPS/Compass module

The Problem: The GPS and Compass are not detected by PX4. When I run gps status in the MAVLink console, it shows 0 received bytes, no matter what I do.

What I Have Tried:

  1. Confirmed GPS Works: I connected the GPS module to my PC with a USB-to-serial adapter and used u-center. It connects, gets a satellite fix, and streams data perfectly. The module is 100% functional.

  2. Confirmed Wiring: I am 100% sure my wiring is correct. I have soldered the 6 pins directly from the GPS to the Kakute pads (VCC, GND, TX->RX, RX->TX, SCL->SCL, SDA->SDA).

  3. Tested Multiple UARTs:

    • I first wired it to UART4 (pads R4/T4). Set GPS_1_CONFIG to UART 4 and SER_UART4_BAUD to Auto. Rebooted. gps status shows 0 bytes.

    • I then moved the wiring to UART2 (pads R2/T2). Set GPS_1_CONFIG to UART 2 and SER_UART2_BAUD to Auto. Rebooted. gps status still shows 0 bytes.

  4. Firmware Re-flash: I have re-flashed the firmware (v1.16) and reset all parameters multiple times. The problem persists.

  5. Critical Test: Loopback Failed: I disconnected the GPS and performed a loopback test by shorting the T2 and R2 pads with a jumper. Even with the port configured for GPS, the gps status command still reported 0 bytes.

This last test makes me think the issue is with the board or firmware, not the GPS. The board seems unable to even read its own serial data on the UARTs.

The SBUS receiver works, so I know the board is not completely dead.

Has anyone seen this behavior where the UARTs seem “dead” (even on a loopof-fact test) on a Kakute H7 mini? Any ideas what to check next?

Thanks.

2

Hello!

Would you be able to wire UART4 to a usb2serial adapter, run MAVLink over it and see if QGC connects?

Do you have another FCU that you can use to test the GPS?

3

Hello there, just tried that and works fine. The thing is that i was receiving 0 bytes cause the GPS antennas was inside the building. The moment i moved it to open sky worked. Thanks anyway!

4

great to hear that!
please feel free to close this topic if it is all solved!

5

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