This was easily the most time I’ve spent producing an Arduino Tutorial. I’ve been sporadically walking around NYC with this Arduino GPS for weeks as I’ve tweaked the code and gotten it just right.
If it wasn’t obvious from the title, this tutorial will teach you how to use an arduino paired with a GPS Module and an SD Card Module to log your latitude and longitude over the course of a day. As a bonus, I’ll also show you how to easily overlay this data onto a map using services like Google Earth and Google Fusion Tables. I added a short “history lesson” to this episode to explain how Arduino GPS came to be; it’s the first time I’ve done that, so please let me know if you like the extra knowledge. Grab some popcorn and your Arduino, because this tutorial is pretty long – GPS is complicated! The schematics, programs, parts list, sample data, and important links are available for below.
I used the tinyGPS library to decode the NMEA GPS Data. Cooking-Hacks generously supplied both the GPS shield and SD Card shield that I used in this tutorial.
You can download the files associated with this episode here: Arduino Tutorial 15 Files
This video can also be viewed at element14.com.
Major Components in Project
PARTS /SOFTWARE LIST
1. Arduino Mega2560: http://www.newark.com/arduino/a000047/arduino-mega2560-board/dp/13T9286
2. USB Cable: http://www.newark.com/pro -signal/usb2 -102b/cable -usb2 -0-a-b -blue -2m/dp/38K9260
3. Arduino Software: http://arduino.cc/en/Main/Software
4. TinyGPS Arduino GPS Library: http://arduiniana.org/libraries/tinygps/
5. Google Earth: http://www.google.com/earth/index.html
6. Spreadsheet Software: Microsoft Excel or Open Office: http://www.openoffice.org/
7. Jumper Kit: http://www.newark.com/3m/923351- i/pcb-accessories/dp/65F2290
8. Cooking Hacks GPS Shield: http://www.cooking- hacks.com/index.php/gps-module-for-arduino.html
9. Cooking Hacks GPS Antenna: http://www .cooking -hacks.com/index.php/internal-gps-antenna.html
10. Cooking Hacks SD Card Shield w/ SD Card: http://www.cooking-hacks.com/index.php/microsd-2gb-module-for-arduino.html
11. Enclosure: http://www.newark.com/enclosures_enclosures
12. 9V Battery Holder: http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10512
13. Power Button or Toggle Switch: http://www.sparkfun.com/products/9276
Source: Arduino GPS Tracking System
