QUECTEL Android GNSS Driver User Guide

QUECTEL Android GNSS Driver

Specifications

• Product: Android GNSS Driver
• Version: 1.5
• Date: 2026-01-28
• Status: Released

Product Information

The Android GNSS Driver is designed to provide accurate and reliable Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) functionality on Android devices. It enables devices to receive location data from various satellite constellations for applications such as navigation, tracking, and timing.

Installation Instructions

1. Download the latest version of the Android GNSS Driver from the official website.
2. Follow the installation procedures outlined in Chapter 2.2 of the user guide.
3. Ensure that your device is running Android 8.x or later versions for optimal compatibility.

Usage Instructions

To use the Android GNSS Driver:

1. Enable location services on your device.
2. Open the GNSS-enabled application that you want to use (e.g., Maps).
3. Wait for the device to acquire satellite signals and provide accurate location information.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with the GNSS Driver:

1. Refer to Chapter 3.4 for troubleshooting instructions specific to Android 8.0 or later versions.
2. Check for any error messages or warnings in the GNSS logs as described in Chapter 3.2.
3. Ensure that your device is compatible with the supported modules listed in the user guide.

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• No. 8 Waipojing Road, Sijing Town, Songjiang District, Shanghai 201601, China
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• Email: info@quectel.com

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For technical support or to report documentation errors, please visit:

• https://www.quectel.com/tech-support/.
• Or email us at: support@quectel.com.

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About the Document

Revision History 

Introduction

This document mainly introduces how to integrate the Android GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) driver into the Android OS of Quectel modules supporting the GNSS function, capture GNSS log, and test the GNSS driver.

Table 1: Applicable Modules

NOTE
Quectel modules listed above may include only a single model or multiple models, with GNSS as a possible optional feature. See the corresponding module specifications for more specific information.

System Integration

This chapter describes the structure of the Android GNSS driver and explains how to integrate the GNSS driver into the Android OS of Quectel modules supporting the GNSS function.

Structure of Android GNSS Driver
GNSS devices transmit the GNSS data through the GNSS hardware driver, and then the GNSS HAL driver transmits the received GNSS data to GNSS applications through JNI and the Application Framework. The following figure illustrates the structure of a GNSS driver.

Applications

Application Framework

JNI

HAL (Quectel GNSS Driver)

Linux Kernel (Quectel USB Driver)

GNSS Device (Quectel Module)

Figure 1: Android GNSS Driver Structure

GNSS Driver Installation

For Android versions before Android 8.0

Add GNSS driver files gps_cfg.inf and gps.default.so to the Android system:

• For a 32-bit Android system
• For a 64-bit Android system

For Android 8.0 or later versions

Step 1: Modify the manifest.xml file.

• For Android 8.x–16.x, the communication interface between the application framework and HAL has changed from socket to HIDL and AIDL. Therefore, the following HIDL or AIDL description needs to be added to the manifest.xml file.
• For Android 8.x–16.x, add the following HIDL (IGnss 1.0) description:
• For Android 10.x–16.x, add the following HIDL (IGnss 2.0) description:
• For Android 12.x–16.x, add the following HIDL (IGnss 2.1) description:
• For Android 13.x–16.x, add the following GNSS AIDL2 description:

NOTE

1. Add either AIDL or HIDL (any one from IGnss 1.0/2.0/2.1) description to the manifest.xml file. Do not add both descriptions to the file.
2. The location of the manifest.xml file varies according to your project settings. For example:
   • device/rockchip/rk3399/manifest.xml
   • device/fsl/imx6dq/sabresd_6dq/manifest.xml

Step 2: Add the following code lines to the corresponding .mk file in the directory of the actual device in use.

• For HIDL (IGnss 2.0):
• For HIDL (IGnss 2.1):
• For GNSS AIDL2:

NOTE 

1. The location of.mk file varies according to your project settings. For example:
   • device/rockchip/rk356x/device.mk
2. The above operations are only for reference. And the specific operations depend on the actual Android device in use.

SELinux Configuration
If the SELinux installed in your Android devices is enabled (i.e., in enforcing mode) and you need to customize the shared library name for the GNSS service, follow the procedures below to make sure that the Quectel GNSS driver has full access to SELinux privileges. Otherwise, you can skip this chapter.

Step 1: Add the following definition to file_contexts.

<file_name>: GNSS service binary file name (e.g., android.hardware.gnss-service.test).

Step 2: Add the following definition to hal_gnss_default.te.

NOTE 

The location of the file_contexts and hal_gnss_default.te files varies according to your project settings. Typically, these files are located at the following paths by default.

• system/sepolicy/vendor/file_contexts.
• system/sepolicy/vendor/hal_gnss_default.te

Removal of Unnecessary GNSS Driver Files
Except for GPS.default.So, other unnecessary gps.*.so files in the directory of /system/lib/hw, /system/lib64/hw, /vendor/lib/hw, and /vendor/lib64/hw in the Android system should be deleted to ensure that the system can identify the correct GNSS driver.

GNSS Log Capture

This chapter mainly introduces how to capture a GNSS log.

1. Capture the GNSS log with the ADB tool by executing the following command in a Windows/Linux system:
2. Sometimes, users may conduct tests across multiple devices or perform prolonged testing, making it inconvenient to connect all devices to a PC via USB cables. In such cases, users can capture logs by executing the following command:The character “&” will cause the “logcat” process to run in the background, allowing users to disconnect devices.
   After capturing the logs, execute the following command to export the log files from Android devices to a local directory:

GNSS Driver Test

When the module is connected to an Android system, the Android system will identify it first and then read the GNSS driver data. A GNSS test application, such as GPS TEST v1.5.4.APK (for more details about GPS Test, please refer to https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chartcross.gpstest), can be used to test the performance of the GNSS driver.

NOTE: In the above figure, a satellite with a number greater than 160 belongs to BDS.

Supplementary Instructions

Modify GNSS Configuration File & Integrate Android RIL Driver

Quectel GNSS driver has a configuration file named gps_cfg.inf. The file is modifiable. Make the following change to the NMEA port:

The Quectel Android RIL driver should be integrated prior to integrating the Android GNSS driver. For details about the Android RIL driver, refer to document [1].

Fail to Get GNSS Data

If GNSS applications fail to get GNSS data, the following items should be checked:

• Move the GNSS antenna to the open air, and make sure GNSS signals can be fully received.
• Ensure that gps.default.so is the only file in the format of gps.*.so in the directories of /system/lib/hw, /system/lib64/hw, /vendor/lib/hw, and /vendor/lib64/hw.
• Ensure that gps_cfg.inf is in the correct directory of the Android system and has been modified according to the specific module.

If the GNSS applications with GNSS drivers running on Android 8.0 or later versions fail to get GNSS data, the following files should be checked and confirmed additionally (using the rk3399-based platform as an example).

1. If the following log appears repeatedly:
   • Check whether the content shown in the white box in the following figure is included in device/rockchip/rk3399/manifest.xml. If not, modify the content of the file as described in the white box.
2. If the following log appears repeatedly:
   Waited one second for android.hardware.gnss@1.0:: I Gnss/default. Waiting another…
   • Check whether the content in the white box in the following figure is included in device/rockchip/rk3399/BoardConfig.mk. If not, modify the content of the file as described in the white box.
   • Check whether the content in the white box in the following figure is included in device/rockchip/rk3399/device.mk. If not, modify the content of the file as described in the white box.
   • Check whether the content in the white box in the following figure is included in device/rockchip/rk3399/init.rk3399.rc. If not, modify the content of the file as described in the white box.

If the problem still exists after checking all the items above, please contact Quectel Technical Support.

Appendix References

Table 2: Related Document 

Table 3: Terms and Abbreviations 

FAQs

How do I update the Android GNSS Driver?

To update the driver, visit the official website and download the latest version. Follow the installation instructions provided in the user guide.

Can I use the GNSS Driver on devices running older versions of Android?

The driver is optimized for Android 8.x and later versions. While it may work on older versions, we recommend using it on supported platforms for the best performance.