For Activity Board, FLiP, and Other board types. Not available for Badge or Scribbler Robot board types.
These blocks are compatible with GPS modules delivering an NMEA 0183 serial data stream. This includes Parallax's SIM33EAU GPS Module (#28504) and PAM-7Q (Parallax #28509).
New to this sensor? Click here to see an example schematic and quick Blockly program [1] to help you get started.
This block launches a processor automatically. Use only one instance of this block per project.
The GPS Init block configures the communication from your GPS module to your Propeller microcontroller.
If you have defined a constant using the constant define block, the constant will show up in all of the pin menus and can be selected instead of a numbered pin:
If you forget to use the GPS init block first, other GPS blocks will show a triangle warning icon as a reminder:
* I/O pin numbers available in this dropdown will depend on your selected board type.
The GPS has satellite fix block lets you know if your GPS module is receiving a usable satellite signal. The block provides 1 if true, 0 if false.
The GPS latitude block provides the latitude in microdegrees (millionths of degrees). Latitudes north of the Earth's equator are positive values, and latitudes south of the Earth's equator are negative values.
The GPS longitude block provides the longitude in microdegrees (millionths of degrees). Longitudes east of the Prime Meridian to are positive values, and longitudes west of the Prime Meridian are negative values.
The GPS heading block provides heading—the direction of travel—in degrees clockwise from magnetic north. The GPS module must be moving faster than two miles per hour to provide a meaningful heading value.
The GPS altitude block provides altitude above sea level in centimeters.
The GPS speed block provides the speed that the GPS module is traveling, in the chosen unit of measurement. Choose mph (miles per hour) or knots (nautical miles per hour) from the drop-down menu. The GPS module must be moving faster than two miles per hour to provide a meaningful speed value.
The GPS satellites tracked block provides the number of satellites that the GPS module can see.
These blocks are compatible with GPS modules delivering an NMEA 0183 serial data stream. This includes the SIM33EAU GPS Module (Parallax #28504) and the PAM-7Q (Parallax #28509).
Schematic for Parallax's SIM33EAU GPS Module (#28504) and Propeller microcontroller for the example functions below. Wiring may be different for the PAM-7Q or other GPS modules, please see their product guides for specifics.
FLiP Wiring Alert! If using the Propeller FLiP module with a GPS module, use a 3-pin extension cable to provide some distance between the two modules to improve satellite reception and reduce interference.
The GPS Data Output Blockly example retrieves longitude, latitude, speed, heading, elevation, and number of satellites from the GPS module. The units are converted to decimal degrees and displayed in the Blockly terminal. The underlying GPS library is compatible with NEMA-formatted GPS strings.
This example features a large number of blocks. We recommend that you download the SVG file containing this pre-arranged program below, rather than recreate it block-by-block.
Your workspace should now contain the following program (note that these blocks are displayed in a different layout in this image):
Links
[1] https://learn.parallax.com/support/reference/activity-board-wx-block-reference/sensor/gps/gps-wiring-example-code
[2] https://learn.parallax.com/sites/default/files/content/AB-Blockly/Reference/Parallax-BlocklyProp-GPS-Data.zip
[3] https://solo.parallax.com/