Datasheet

enough data to determine the location (2D fix) or location+altitude (3D fix).

For more details about NMEA sentences and what data they contain, check out this site

If you look at the data in the above window, you can see that there are a lot of commas, with no data in between them.

That's because this module is on my desk, indoors, and does not have a 'fix'. To get a fix, we need to put the module

outside.

If you can get a really long USB cord (or attach a GPS antenna to the v3 modules) and stick the GPS out a window, so

its pointing at the sky, eventually the GPS will get a fix and the window data will change over to transmit valid data like

this:

Look for the line that says $GPRMC,194509.000,A,4042.6142,N,07400.4168,W,2.03,221.11,160412,,,A*77

This line is called the RMC (Recommended Minimum) sentence and has pretty much all of the most useful data. Each

chunk of data is separated by a comma.

The first part 194509.000 is the current time GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). The first two numbers 19 indicate the hour

(1900h, otherwise known as 7pm) the next two are the minute, the next two are the seconds and finally the

milliseconds. So the time when this screenshot was taken is 7:45 pm and 9 seconds. The GPS does not know what

time zone you are in, or about "daylight savings" so you will have to do the calculation to turn GMT into your timezone

The second part is the 'status code', if it is a V that means the data is Void (invalid). If it is an A that means its Active

(the GPS could get a lock/fix)

The next 4 pieces of data are the geolocation data. According to the GPS, my location is 4042.6142,N (Latitude 40

degrees, 42.6142 decimal minutes North) & 07400.4168,W. (Longitude 74 degrees, 0.4168 decimal minutes West) To

look at this location in Google maps, type +40 42.6142', -74 00.4168' into the google maps search box . Unfortunately

gmaps requires you to use +/- instead of NSWE notation. N and E are positive, S and W are negative.

GPS modules will always send data EVEN IF THEY DO NOT HAVE A FIX! In order to get 'valid' (not-blank)

data you must have the GPS module directly outside, with the square ceramic antenna pointing up with a

clear sky view. In ideal conditions, the module can get a fix in under 45 seconds. however depending on your

location, satellite configuration, solar flares, tall buildings nearby, RF noise, etc it may take up to half an hour

(or more) to get a fix! This does not mean your GPS module is broken, the GPS module will always work as

fast as it can to get a fix.