Hello,
I have been trying to build the Athena Car Tracking System from the Instructables Website (http://www.instructables.com/id/Athena-The-Global-Car-Tracking-System/?ALLSTEPS). I bought all of the same parts that were listed on the websites and followed the instructions to wire it up. I even used the same pins on the Arduino. The only difference is that I just have it hooked up to the computer and some 9-Volt batteries, instead of to the cars power. So, of course I don't have the voltage regulator part of the circuit.
It doesn't seem to want to work, though. I tried just directly copying and pasting the code directly from the website and in to Arduino, but it didn't want to work. So, I tried troubleshooting myself, and going through the comments on the web page to find the problem with no luck. I even used the code somebody posted in the comments that was an improved version of the original code.
Finally, I compared the codes side-by-side and tried to integrate them together in hopes that it would work like that. Every time I text the password to the Arduino, though, nothing happens, and nothing ever seems to output in the Serial Monitor, either. I have tested the GPS module by itself, and I know that is working, so that can't be the problem. I guess the only problem I have noticed is that the netlight seems to be blinking at 64ms ON and 3000ms OFF, then at 64ms ON and 800ms OFF after I upload the code. I'm not sure what would be the cause of this problem.
So, I was wondering if there is anything I can do to find the problem with the code, because reading through it I don't see any problems with it, and it verifies fine and everything. It seems to make sense to me with my intermediate knowledge, but it never sends a text back to my phone with the GPS location.
This was the code I ended up with:
#include <SoftwareSerial.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <TinyGPS.h>
SoftwareSerial Sim900Serial(2, 3);
byte buffer[64]; // buffer array for data recieve over serial port
int count=0; // counter for buffer array
SoftwareSerial GPS(4, 5);
TinyGPS gps;
unsigned long fix_age;
long lat, lon;
float LAT, LON;
void gpsdump(TinyGPS &gps);
bool feedgps();
void getGPS();
void SIM900power() // software equivalent of pressing the GSM shield "power" button
{
digitalWrite(9, HIGH);
delay(1000);
Sim900_Inti();
}
void setup()
{
Sim900Serial.begin(19200); // the SIM900 baud rate
SIM900power();
GPS.begin(9600); // GPS module baud rate
Serial.begin(9600); // the Serial port of Arduino baud rate.
delay(500);
}
void loop()
{
Sim900Serial.listen();
if (Sim900Serial.available()) // If data is comming from from GSM shield)
{
while(Sim900Serial.available()) // reading data into char array
{
buffer[count++]=Sim900Serial.read(); // writing data into array
if(count == 64)
break;
}
Serial.write(buffer,count); // if no data transmission ends, write buffer to hardware serial port
Cmd_Read_Act();
//SendTextMessage();
clearBufferArray(); // call clearBufferArray function to clear the storaged data from the array
count=0; // set counter of while loop to zero
}
if (Serial.available()) // if data is available on hardwareserial port ==> data is comming from PC or notebook
Sim900Serial.write(Serial.read()); // write it to the GPRS shield
}
void clearBufferArray() // function to clear buffer array
{
for (int i=0; i<count; i++)
{
buffer[i]=NULL;
} // clear all index of array with command NULL
}
void Sim900_Inti(void)
{
Sim900Serial.println("AT+CMGF=1"); // Set GSM shield to sms mode
Serial.println("AT CMGF=1");
delay(500);
Sim900Serial.println("AT+CNMI=2,2");
Serial.println("AT CMGF=1");
delay(500);
}
void Cmd_Read_Act(void) //Function reads the SMS sent to SIM900 shield.
{
char buffer2[64];
for (int i=0; i<count;i )
{
buffer2[i]=char(buffer[i]);
}
if (strstr(buffer2,"FIND")) //Comparing password entered with password stored in program
{
Serial.println("Password Authenticated.");
Serial.println("Sending reply SMS.");
SendTextMessage();
}
}
void SendTextMessage()
{
Sim900Serial.print("AT+CMGF=1\r"); //Sending the SMS in text mode
delay(100);
Sim900Serial.println("AT + CMGS = \"6058700235\""); //The predefined phone number
delay(100);
Sim900Serial.println("Please wait while Module calculates position"); //the content of the message
delay(100);
Sim900Serial.println((char)26);//the ASCII code of the ctrl z is 26
delay(100);
Sim900Serial.println();
delay(5000);
int counter=0;
GPS.listen();
for (;;)
{
long lat, lon;
unsigned long fix_age, time, date, speed, course;
unsigned long chars;
unsigned short sentences, failed_checksum;
long Latitude, Longitude;
// retrieves /- lat/long in 100000ths of a degree
gps.get_position(&lat, &lon, &fix_age);
getGPS();
Serial.print("Latitude : ");
Serial.print(LAT/1000000,7);
Serial.print(" :: Longitude : ");
Serial.println(LON/1000000,7);
if (LAT == 0 && LON == 0)
{
continue;
}
counter;
if (counter<30)
{
continue;
}
Sim900Serial.print("AT+CMGF=1\r"); //Sending the SMS in text mode
delay(100);
Sim900Serial.println("AT + CMGS = \"6058700235\""); //The predefined phone number
delay(100);
Sim900Serial.print("maps.google.com/maps?q=");
Sim900Serial.print(LAT/1000000,7);
Sim900Serial.print("+");
Sim900Serial.println(LON/1000000,7);//the content of the message
delay(100);
Sim900Serial.println((char)26);//the ASCII code of the ctrl z is 26
delay(100);
Sim900Serial.println();
delay(5000);
counter=0;
break;
}
}
void getGPS()
{
bool newdata = false;
unsigned long start = millis();
while (millis() - start < 1000)
{
if (feedgps ())
{
newdata = true;
}
}
if (newdata)
{
gpsdump(gps);
}
}
bool feedgps()
{
while (GPS.available())
{
if (gps.encode(GPS.read()))
return true;
}
return 0;
}
void gpsdump(TinyGPS &gps)
{
gps.get_position(&lat, &lon);
LAT = lat;
LON = lon;
{
feedgps();
}
}
And finally some pictures of our set-up...
