Arduino GPS Logger

This is a GPS Logger I built using an Arduino Diecimila upgraded with an Atmel328 chip. It utilizes a GPS-Shield and a MicroSD-Shield I bought from SparkFun. The GPS module spits out raw NMEA data in the form of serial strings. The program running on the arduino parses the NMEA strings and saves the data in a CVS file located on the SD card. You can them transfer the CVS file from the SD card to your computer and use an on-line application called "GPS Visualizer" create a KML file. This KML file can then b opened in google earth which displays a visualization of your journey!

I did not write the parsing program that was used in the filming of this video. In the future I play to write a program that does not parse the NMEA data, but rather writes it directly into a text file on the SD card. This may not be as efficient as just saving the Longitude/Latitude/Time information, but it would still get the job done.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• gps
• tracking
• geocaching
• geo
• caching
• adafruit
• sparkfun
• logger
• gpsshield
• microsdshield
• microsd
• shield
• micro
• sd
• arduino
• diecimila
• duemilnaove
• atmel168
• atmel328
• Global Positioning System
• Technology
• Software
• Data
• Systems
• Computer Software

[dechicken]

Hey I got the same microSD shield and microSD card but I couldn't get the card to initialize. Do you have that problem?

[danaleslie]

@dechicken

No I didn't have that problem. You should try loading the Sparkfun example code for the microSD shield. Once you get that working, integrate that code with your GPS parsing code. I vaguely remember having to format the SD card as FAT32 to get it working.

[microchoc]

what type of file was it

[danaleslie]

@microchoc

The file used to store the GPS data being logged was a CVS file. (MS Excel)

The file generated by "GPS Visualizer" using the CVS file is a KML file, and is opened in Google Earth.

[dechicken]

@danaleslie

The microSD shield library cannot detect my microSD card. However, when I switch to the SD library that comes with the Arduino Software and it works. O.o

[tawarich]

that's cool ! nice vid . and my old school !