Retrieve GPS coordinates using bluetooth on PDA

[Vickie]

Hello,

I have a HP iPAQ 2790B PDA and a hp iPAQ GPS bluetooth unit (model:BTG-10H). What I would like to do is retrieve the current GPS coordinates from the GPS unit via LabVIEW using the bluetooth connection.

I am using LabVIEW 8.2 and PDA Module 8.2.

I don't know where to start.... THANKS for any help!

vickie

[mikealder]

First of all make sure your GPS is set to output NMEA type data. Then you need to create a Bluetooth connection to your GPS, before reading data from the BT serial port.

When the data gets to your program the data is in String format, look for the string starting with GPRMC then parse this to obtain the Lat/ Long (or any other useful information), I have a couple of programs that work on my PDA and Holux GPSlim236. I suggest a search on the forum will find other GPS related information and links to the NMEA syntax - Mike

[Vickie]

Thanks Mike,

According to the HP website, the GPS supports NMEA 0183 V2.2 protocol. Do you know if I have to create a BT connection from my PDA to the GPS through LabVIEW or just through the discovery application that is built into my PDA?

vickie

[mikealder]

I found the easy way was to make the GPS device name what the Bluetooth manager looks for, this way when you start the PDA application it automatically starts the Bluetooth (if switched off) and auto connects to the device - not too sure if the attachment works but it should give you a clue as to what is required - this was a speed related application so I only parse the speed information and work with it - Mike

[Vickie]

Thanks Mike! I will try this out.

vickie

[mikealder]

Bear in mind the code that shows in the picture's was intended for a Holux GPSlim236 so you will need to change the device name to match your unit, I have some newer versons of this code that also write to a log file and stores position etc - if I can find the code I will post that later as it gives a better idea how to parse the NMEA sentences, I find this http://www.garmin.com/manuals/GPS35LPSeries_TechnicalSpecification.pdf Quite a usefull guide to the exact NMEA codes and character length to sort out the Parse of the data, well worth downloading and keeping to hand if you intend messing around with GPS, the fact that it is for a different receiver really doesn't matter and it contains a break down of the common sentences found from most receivers - Mike

[Vickie]

OK, I can detect my GPS through the PDA bluetooth manager, but when I try to discover it through LabVIEW, it doesn't find any of the bluetooth deviced in my office -- which there are about 10 right now. Any ideas?

[mikealder]

Get your application to display the actual true name of the GPS device, a simple program on a BT equipped PC will offer this information, once you have it put this into your application - in the example I linked to I used "Holux GPSlim236" your device name will be different - Mike