Request: How to set up USB GPS Receiver and gpsd

Would really appreciate a quick tutorial on how to do it and what to look for. I had my USB GPS receiver running with a SuSE Laptop years ago, but can't remember how I did it.

 

Hi. I set up a bluetooth GPS under linux (fedora) a couple of years back on a Dell D410. I will be fitting up USB GPS in the not to distant future, but until then here's what I remember of how it's done.

1. Get the bluetooth link to the GPS working.

1.1 Login as root.

Code:

su -

1.2 Switch on your bluetooth GPS gadget and find its MAC address viz:

Code:

hcitool scan

which will show you which bluetooth devices are within earshot:-

Code:

Scanning ...
	00:12:34:56:78:90	Manufacturer & type of your GPS gadget.

Find your GPS device and make a note (copy) of its MAC address. The MAC address is the colon separated hexadecimal number. In my example this is 00:12:34:56:78:90

1.3 Tell your linux system to make a connection to the GSP whenever the communication port /dev/rfcomm0 is opened by an application.

Code:

gedit /etc/bluetooth/rfcomm.conf

..and slap in the following lines substituting your GPS's MAC address..

Code:

rfcomm0 {
	# Automatically bind the device at startup
	bind yes;

	# Bluetooth address of the device
	device 00:12:34:56:78:90;

	# RFCOMM channel for the connection
	channel	1;

	# Description of the connection
	comment "Whatever you'd like as a comment";
}

1.4 Tell the kernel bluetooth system to read the previously edited file and thereby recognise the GPS.

Code:

rfcomm bind all

NOTE this command should be run by your distro on boot, but somehow later releases of fedora neglect to do so. You might have to add the command to a boot up script. /etc/rc.d/rc.local is a good place.

1.5 Test your handy work! The following command will open a link to the GPS and then spew what it say on to your screen.

Code:

cat /dev/rfcomm0

You should see something like:

Code:

$GPGLL,0000.0000,S,00000.0000,W,194818.428,V,A*42

$GPGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,0.0,0.0,0.0*30

$GPGSV,2,1,06,2,,,,4,,,,20,,,,23,,,*79

$GPGSV,2,2,06,25,,,24,27,,,,,,,,,,,*7B

$GPRMC,194818.428,V,0000.0000,S,00000.0000,W,0.00,0.00,030109,,,A*7E

$GPZDA,194818.428,03,01,2009,01,00*5D

Control-C will stop the test.

2.1 Install the GPS daemon "gpsd".

Code:

yum install gpsd

2.2 Start the GPS daemon

Code:

gspd /dev/rfcomm0

2.3 Test your handywork again

Code:

telnet localhost 2947
show

..and once again you should see a burst of NEMA style gibberish like:

Code:

GPSD,S=1,O=GGA 1231013969.321 0.005 53.711652 -1.868958 216.70 80.00 42.40 ? ? 0.000 ? 160.00 ? 3,W=1
GPSD,O=GLL 1231013969.321 0.005 53.711652 -1.868958 216.70 80.00 42.40 ? ? 0.000 ? 160.00 ? 3
GPSD,O=GSA 1231013969.321 0.005 53.711652 -1.868958 216.70 80.00 42.40 ? ? 0.000 ? 160.00 ? 3
GPSD,Y=GSV 1231013969.321 10:2 51 259 27 1:4 37 196 26 1:7 53 138 34 1:8 25 177 33 1:10 29 293 0 0:13 53 65 0 0:23 26 68 0 0:25 58 97 0 0:27 26 184 25 1:29 11 328 0 0:
GPSD,O=RMC 1231013969.321 0.005 53.711652 -1.868958 216.70 80.00 42.40 214.7700 0.000 0.000 ? 160.00 ? 3
GPSD,O=GGA 1231013970.320 0.005 53.711652 -1.868957 216.70 80.00 42.40 ? ? 0.000 ? 160.16 ? 3
GPSD,O=GLL 1231013970.320 0.005 53.711652 -1.868957 216.70 80.00 42.40 ? ? 0.000 ? 160.16 ? 3
GPSD,O=GSA 1231013970.320 0.005 53.711652 -1.868957 216.70 80.00 42.40 ? ? 0.000 ? 160.16 ? 3

Afterthought: a USB version of the above should be loads easier as you don't need to do the bluetooth stuff in section 1, just find the name of the USB serial link to the GPS, which will be something like
/dev/ttyUSB0

Anyway, there you go. As easy as wetting the bed but with none of the inconvenience. Have fun.

 

All I get is:

GPSD, S=?,O=?,W=1

Btw, you'll need to install telnet first. The AAO apparently doens't have it by default.

 

Hmm.. sounds like gpsd can't open the the right USB serial link. What does

Code:

lsusb

show? Also what does

Code:

find /dev -name 'ttyUSB*'

give when the GPS is both plugged in and not plugged in? The correct port will only be there when the GPS is plugged in.

 

Here's some info:

With GPS plugged in
dmesg:

Code:

usb 2-1: new full speed USB device using uhci_hcd and address 26
usb 2-1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice

lsusb:

Code:

Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0c45:62c0 Acer Crystal Eye Webcam
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
Bus 002 Device 026: ID 067b:2303 Prolific Technology, Inc. PL2303 Serial Port
Bus 002 Device 025: ID 09da:0006 A4 Tech Co., Ltd Optical Mouse WOP-35 / Trust 450L Optical Mouse
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 0000:0000

find /dev -name 'ttyUSB*'

Code:

dev/ttyUSB0

After removing GPS
dmesg:

Code:

usb 2-1: USB disconnect, address 26

lsusb:

Code:

Bus 001 Device 003: ID 0c45:62c0 Acer Crystal Eye Webcam
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
Bus 005 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 0000:0000  
Bus 002 Device 025: ID 09da:0006 A4 Tech Co., Ltd Optical Mouse WOP-35 / Trust 450L Optical Mouse
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 0000:0000 

-----

Seems like that 'Bus 002 Device 026: ID 067b:2303 Prolific Technology, Inc. PL2303 Serial Port' is it. And there is only one ttyUSB, so that can't be the wrong one either.
Any ideas?

 

Aw! I can't help but feel I'm the blind leading the blind. I am truly sorry for my stupidity. I'd still like to help and I wonder what happens if. as root, you ask

Code:

cat /dev/ttyUSB?

Is there a /dev/ttyUSB* device created by linux when you plug your GPS device in? That was what I hoped to discover with the shell command:- find .dev. -name 'ttyUSB*'.

The fact that your GPS shows up in the command lsusb is good. I wonder if the /dev/ttyUSB* device is being created when you plug the GPS stick in?

Let me know what you find. Good luck.