skylab skm53 not returning any data

Projects Networking, Protocols, and Devices
1

I bought a Skylab skm53, but i cant get it to return anything.
Ive connected it up as they describe where i bought it: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Skylab-UART-Serial-GPS-Module-for-Arduino-uController-with-Breakout-Board-Pins-/301108474787?hash=item461b76b3a3:g:AJ0AAOxy--NRntzt

VCC to 5V
GND to GND
TX to D2
RX to D3

ive tested it a bit, but it wont do anything.
Its not the code, because the problem is that TXD on the GPS is always low.
So im just wondering if anyone in here has a solution of some kind.

2

Its not the code, because the problem is that TXD on the GPS is always low.

"It's not the code because I like chocolate ice cream" would make as much sense. How do you KNOW that the TX pin is always low?

The time that the pin is high to transmit a byte will not register on a multimeter.

3

Because I wired the gps TXD directly to rx(D0) on the arduino afterwards to see if I was able to get plain gps data on the monitor, but I wasn't

4

Got it working however i am reciving some very strange data. It is giving very little sence like half of the returned data is changed to ÿÿÿÿ.

#include <SoftwareSerial.h>
#define RXPIN 4
#define TXPIN 3
SoftwareSerial gps(RXPIN, TXPIN);

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  gps.begin(9600);
}

void loop() {
  while (gps.available())
    {
      char c = gps.read();
      Serial.write(c); 
    }
}

ÿ‚‚±5%2¹3766,N,01b8.72,EX.00,28ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿïÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ÷ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿßÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ¿ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿýÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿý÷ÿÿÿÿÿÿýÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿßÿwÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿþÿÿÿÿÿßÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿþÿÿÿÿ¿ÿ÷ÿþÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿþÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿþÿÿÿþÿÿÿïÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ÷ÿÿÿÿÿýÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿþÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ÷ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿþÿÿÿÿÿÿÿþÿÿÿ¿÷ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ‚±ŠDä4º²²ÄÉŠ Š.‚Ârº‚±2$8,bs’‚b±¢‚‚b‚‚
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ÅbŠÄ ªÄ’ºbD‚b€²Š˜GPG¦V,f,2,12,28,38,08,2‹ŠÒuM²bšb4b.“‰ ÂbŠ¢b‚ª¢b’bŠ’Bš’.b‚�¢bŠ’‚ $GPRM bŠŠ¢b*®’š±0bb08\Ý042,E,0\Á0Xd.40,080#1,D*6b ÿ÷ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿýÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿýÿ÷ÿÿÿ÷ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿý¿ÿýÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ¿ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿþÿÿÿÞÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿþÿÿÿïÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿþïÿ÷ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ¿ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿýÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿïÿÿÿþÿÿÿÿÿÿÿG,11020.3767042,.2.6,š,00 A,A,0,30,,1.22.06ÄÄ’bºbŠšb©¡šb’’b‚²ºb¢‚
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The default baudrate is 9600. Ive tried 4800 but it looks even worse :confused:
Fix: connect rx and tx through an recister