Internal GNSS no longer working

30 Jan 2020

If the internal u-Blox NEO M8 series GNSS receiver is no longer working in a Mesa 3 or Mesa 2 unit, some possible solutions are as follows.

Disable then Enable Drivers

  1. Right-click (tap-and-hold) on the bottom-left Start button, and then select Device Manager.
    Device Manager menu
  2. Tap on Sensors > u-Blox GNSS Location Sensor, then select Disable device, and then tap Yes when asked.
    Device Manager uBlox Sensor
  3. When asked if you truly want to disable it, tap Yes.
    u-Blox Sensor disable
  4. Once it has been disabled, then repeat steps to Enable device.
  5. If needed, follow the same steps with Device Manager > Ports (COM & LPT) > u-Blox Virtual COM Port.
  6. Once both drivers are enabled again with no warnings, verify the GPS function.

Hard Reset

Drain all power from the internal receiver to reset it. Follow these steps.

  1. Close running apps then tap on Start > Power > Shut Down. Wait until both the screen as well as the red LED turn off (which can take a minute or two).
  2. Press and continue to hold the hardware Power button for 20 seconds (even as the red LED starts flashing rapidly at 10 seconds then stops at 17 seconds).
  3. Attach external power supply.
  4. Briefly press the Power button again then wait for the unit to complete booting back up.
  5. Test the GPS function.

Uninstall then Re-Install App Compatible u-Blox Drivers

Install and use the utility and instructions at the following web page.

Internal GNSS driver options for Mesa 3 and Mesa 2

Use Geode Connect Utility to Set u-Blox Receiver to Factory Defaults

Install and use the Geode Connect version 1.2.2 for Windows utility at the bottom of the following web page to change settings or factory reset the u-Blox receiver.

Internal GNSS receiver configuration tool

For more advanced users, you can download, install, and use the u-Center for Windows utility from the u-Blox website to troubleshoot the receiver.