Hello there! I am working on a project with a Adafruit Ultimate GPS and I seem to have run into an issue. The GPS doesn't appear to be transmitting any data. We tried using the sample codes provided by the Adafruit library and also the TinyGPS library. None of these codes return any values.
After some research I found that the gps module should also constantly transmit data on the Tx pin even without a Fix. The method is simple and involves connecting the GPS's Tx and Rx to the Arduino's TX and Rx respectively.
I had tried this method before and was successful in getting the data. However now even this method doesn't work.
Is there something I'm missing here? Can someone guide me as to what the problem might be?
You can do this even though it seems wrong. There is a technical explanation why it works. Remember, with this method data is not being fed to a sketch but directly to the IDE monitor.
It's a simple way to read the raw GPS output without using any programming or other hardware.
You don't need to connect the GPS RX pin if all you want to do is read the GPS output on the IDE monitor. Just GPS TX to Arduino TX.
You need to connect RST to GND on the Arduino (or hold down the reset pin or load the bare minimum sketch) as this method won't work if the sketch is also using the serial port.
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So you tried 'this method' before with the same Arduino and the same GPS and it worked.
But with another GPS of the same type, it does not work ?
Hello!
I uploaded a blank sketch to the Arduino and connected the Tx and Rx pins. But there was no data. Not even the raw data, that transmits regardless of a satalite fix, is being transmitted.
With this method, it's GPS TX to Arduino TX. Did you do that? The RX pins do not need to be connected to anything.
I had used one Arduino and a GPS to test it previously. I took up the same GPS again to test it a few days ago and have tried it with multiple different Arduino but got no response.
Which Arduino board are you using at the moment?
Does the GPS board have the USB connector? I see from Ada's page that it might be micro or C.
If it does have a USB port, connect it into your laptop and see if it appears in Device Manager (that's Windows).
Adafruit Ultimate GPS | Adafruit Learning System shows two forms:
@nickx0 's pic looks like the non-USB form.
Yes, looks like it. Ta.
I've run out of suggestions.
nick,
when you solve the problem, please come back and let us know what it was.
Thanks.
You could try a simple GPS Echo program, all received characters are copied to the serial monitor;
#define RXpin 3 //this is the pin that the Arduino will use to receive data from the GPS
#define TXpin 2 //this is the pin that the Arduino can use to send data (commands) to the GPS - not used
#include <SoftwareSerial.h>
SoftwareSerial GPS(RXpin, TXpin);
void loop()
{
while (GPS.available())
{
Serial.write(GPS.read());
}
}
void setup()
{
GPS.begin(9600);
Serial.begin(115200);
Serial.println("GPS_Echo Starting");
}
Although myself I would have checked the GPS output with a scope.
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