GPS Module working with Raspberry Pi and Gertboard!…

Just a quick update to say that my teenage electronics dunderhead brain is now well and truly fixed!!!

Managed to get an Airbot provided U-Blox 6M GPS unit connected to my Gertboard and Raspberry Pi – and I can see NMEA messages fine over minicom!!!

Here is a pic of the data received:-

I did this with a Raspberry Pi V2 connected directly to a Gertboard, with the following procedure:-

1. Connect jumper on top two pins of J7 on Gertboard to send 3.3V to components on board (may not need this, but I didn’t want to risk frying the GPS chip) (This will also light your Gertboard up like a Christmas Tree!)
2. Connect GP14 (TXD or Transmit) pin on Gertboard to Breadboard row 14
3. Connect GP15 (RXD or Receive) pin on Gertboard to Breadboard row 15
4. Connect provided cable to GPS unit – this gives you a 5 pin (4 connected) output, and a 2 pin output
5. Connect cable PIN 3-black (TXD or Transmit) to Gertboard row 15 (yes 15 – TX of GPS needs to go to RX of Gertboard)
6. Connect cable PIN 2-orange (RXD or Receive) to Gertboard row 14
7. Connect cable PIN 5-white (GND or Ground) to GND row on breadboard
8. Connect cable PIN 1-yellow (VCC or Voltage) to V3 row on breadboard
9. Connect breadboard GND row to any GND pin on Gertboard (I used left hand of board column 2 (GND), top PIN
10. Connect breadboard Voltage 3 row to first 3.3V pin on top left of Gertboard

Now install minicom by doing:-

sudo apt-get install minicom

And execute the command:-

sudo minicom -b 9600 -o -D /dev/ttyAMA0

You will see the NMEA messages like the ones in the image above!!!

Below is a picture of my setup:-

Note I’ve used a mixture of the leads that come with the Gertboard and simple breadboard jumpers to connect all the components. A bit hacky, but works great!

Components I’m using:-

• Raspberry Pi V2
• Gertboard V 21 Oct 2012
• Airbot UBlox 6M GPS unit with built in digital compass – http://shop.myairbot.com/index.php/neo-6m-ublox-u-blox-gps-module-for-mwc-apm.html
• Minicom software on Raspberry Pi (Raspbian)
• Generic breadboard from Maplin

UPDATE 25/Jun/14

I’ve used the great and free Fritzing tool to diagram my basic connections. Hopefully more clear than the above text and picture:-