I'm completely new to the world of Arduino having received my Tinyduino just yesterday. I got 'blink' to work which for a beginner is a nice simple way to start. I then thought I'd have a go at the "Tiny Arduino GPS Car Tracker with SD Card".
I had a few issues getting libraries and stuff to work on OS X which made it very difficult to work out why the tracker code wouldn't upload properly. However Codebender came to the rescue and I got it to work. But I do have a couple of questions.

When I attempt to upload the NMEA data from the SD card into Google Earth an alert box comes up saying "Loaded No Data". This happens every time. I thought that was odd so I jumped into the NMEA strings and extracted a line of code, converted it to decimal Longitude and Latitude and put that into Google Earth. Sure enough the GPS was unbelievably accurate - to within a metre. So it proved that some valid NMEA code was logged on the SD card. However, it appears Google Earth is not reading the file properly. I've reloaded the code a dozen times with the same result. Any ideas what the problem could be? I've attached the GPS data off my SD card from one of my attempts, if it helps.

Secondly, after unplugging the USB lead to my Mac and plugging in the LiPo battery, nothing appears to be happening with my Tinyduino and I'm assuming the GPS Tracker program isn't booting back up. The LED's don't flash indicating the SD card is being written to. I have to reload the code again, and to get it to work I have to have the battery already plugged in when I disconnect the USB lead. Any idea on what might be happening?

Thanks heaps.

Further to my post, I just reloaded the GPS code and went outside again. After checking the data on the SD card it now appears I'm not getting any satellite data at all. After running the data through a KML conversion program the resulting output was "Data found, but no GPS fix in your data". A sample of the SD card text looks like this:

$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48
$GNGNS,,,,,,NN,00,,,0.0,,0000*7D
$GNGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*0
NC,,,,,4
$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48
$GNGNS,,,,,,NN,00,,,0.0,,0000*7D
$GNGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*0
NM,,,,,4
$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48
$GNGNS,,,,,,NN,00,,,0.0,,0000*7D
$GNGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*0
GM,,,,,*
$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48
$GNGNS,,,,,,NN,00,,,0.0,,0000*7D
$GNGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*0
NM,,,,,4
$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48
$GNGNS,,,,,,NN,00,,,0.0,,0000*7D
$GNGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*0
GS812100,200,300,00007
GS822500,,00,,00*3$GV,,,,,,.4
GM,,,,,*
$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48
$GNGNS,,,,,,NN,00,,,0.0,,0000*7D
$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48
$GNGNS,,,,,,NN,00,,,0.0,,0000*7D
$GNGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*0
G$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48
$GNGNS,,,,,,NN,00,,,0.0,,0000*7D
$GNGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*0
N$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48
$GNGNS,,,,,,NN,00,,,0.0,,0000*7D
$GNGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*0
N$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48
$GNGNS,,,,,,NN,00,,,0.0,,0000*7D
$GNGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*0
G,00,,00,700,800,B$GV,,,,00,,00,100,200,3
LV,,,,,,.*
GR,,,,,*D$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48
$GNGNS,,,,,,NN,00,,,0.0,,0000*7D
$GNGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*0
GM,,,,,*
$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48

Hi Jimmy, a couple problems:

'Loaded no data' issue is because some of the NMEA sentences have a different header than what Google wants. There's also sentences with missing characters. Our newer code for V2 GPS chipset should fix those:

https://codebender.cc/sketch:60928

The power issue sounds like the GPS module isn't being switched on correctly. Let us know if the newer code fixes that.

Hi Ben, Hi Jimmy,
i've got the exakt same problems here. The new Code isn't working as well, is there any new help?
Greetings,
Alex

Hi Alex- can you let me know if your GPS module says JF2 or SE868 V2 and post the text file from your SD card? Hopefully those two things should clear up what's happening.

$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48
$GNGNS,,,,,,NN,00,,,0.0,,0000*7D
$GNGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*0
NC,,,,,4
$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48
$GNGNS,,,,,,NN,00,,,0.0,,0000*7D
$GNGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*0
NM,,,,,4
$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48
$GNGNS,,,,,,NN,00,,,0.0,,0000*7D
$GNGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*0
GM,,,,,*
$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48
$GNGNS,,,,,,NN,00,,,0.0,,0000*7D
$GNGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*0
NM,,,,,4
$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48
$GNGNS,,,,,,NN,00,,,0.0,,0000*7D
$GNGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*0
GS812100,200,300,00007
GS822500,,00,,00*3$GV,,,,,,.4
GM,,,,,*
$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48
$GNGNS,,,,,,NN,00,,,0.0,,0000*7D
$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48
$GNGNS,,,,,,NN,00,,,0.0,,0000*7D
$GNGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*0
G$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48
$GNGNS,,,,,,NN,00,,,0.0,,0000*7D
$GNGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*0
N$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48
$GNGNS,,,,,,NN,00,,,0.0,,0000*7D
$GNGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*0
N$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48
$GNGNS,,,,,,NN,00,,,0.0,,0000*7D
$GNGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*0
G,00,,00,700,800,B$GV,,,,00,,00,100,200,3
LV,,,,,,.*
GR,,,,,*D$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48
$GNGNS,,,,,,NN,00,,,0.0,,0000*7D
$GNGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*0
GM,,,,,*
$GPGGA,,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*48

I just started the same project.  What I found for most of the data, is that I just needed to go outside for a while, so that the GPS could acquire the satellites.  After that the data started to flow in.  It took a minute or so before real data showed up.

The power issue sounds like the GPS module isn't being switched on correctly. Let us know if the newer code fixes that.

I have the same issue with the system starting up as well.  A short term work around, has been to have the system plugged into the USB, and then turn on the port monitor, and watch the gps data.  I then unplug the USB module while the system is running live. The system will continue to run and collect GPS data.
However, if I cycle power, it will not start up again, until I go through the port monitor sequence again.

Looks like the code from https://codebender.cc/sketch:60928 fixes the startup issue.

Thanks!

Hello,

I have had the same problem as people above. I have uploaded the newer code for the V2 GPS chipset and it appears to fix the startup issue. I appear to be getting the time/clock stamp now however I am seemingly still not receiving the other data such as longitude , latitude, etc. I have been for a walk outside for about 10 minutes but it does not appear to be picking up any satellites? is this an issue with the product or am I doing something wrong (should I wait longer outside to help it pick up a signal, is it affected by bad weather, etc)?

I have attached the code I am using (which is only the link from codebenders that some of you guys listed above) and also the TXT file that is outputted to my micro SD.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Hi- that seems like it may be a hardware fault. Bad weather and cold weather(if you're in a similar climate to ours) can greatly affect it- but 10 minutes is a really long time. If it was really bad weather, please give it another try, otherwise shoot an email to support@tiny-circuits.com with a link to http://forum.tiny-circuits.com/index.php?topic=1397.msg2711#msg2711

Thanks,
Ben

Dear ALL,
I have been trying the GPS Cat Tracker for a week or so.

Yesterday, I installed the "TinyShield_GPS_V2" script. It uploaded to the board fine, the board starts getting reads from the GPS and writing on the SD card. However, if I remove the SD card to download the data and put it back afterward, nothing is written on the card. This also happens if I turn OFF and ON the board. In both cases, it seems that the board fails to initialize the SD card. Do you guys know if there is a way round these two situations?

If NOT, is there a way to "delay" the GPS readings to get one every two or five seconds instead of every second. I think this may give me more battery life. I am not planning to use this GPS as soon as I disconnected from the computer and would like to NOT have to bring the computer with me. I also need the small battery (the same sold by Tinycircuits).

Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks,
JP

1. Once you've removed the SD card, the program doesn't know to re-initialize it, so it should be turned off/on- then it should work, so I'd like to test that. Can you post what board revision you have and the GPS module part number? You should see JF2 or V2. I'll see if I can reproduce the issue.

2. I don't think the write interval will change power consumption much compared to the amount the GPS uses, but I'll test this next time the program is updated.

Thanks,
Ben

Dear Ben,
My apologies for my delayed response.
I have been experimenting with the GPS. For the most part, the GPS started working once I followed these steps:

Connect to computer> upload program > wait for it to get signal > use it!!! or turn off > turn on before use..

There were a couple of times where it did not start the card but have not figure out why.

My GPS is a Telit SE868 V2.

As for the power. Is there a charger for the tiniduino batteries that independent of the PC?


Thanks,
Jorge