19Dec
ESP32 with NEO-8M GPS Module
📡 What is the NEO-8M GPS Module?
The NEO-8M is a high-precision GNSS GPS receiver by u-blox, capable of receiving data from:
- GPS (USA)
- GLONASS (Russia)
- Galileo (EU)
- BeiDou (China)
It outputs serial (UART) data in NMEA sentences, giving real-time:
- Latitude
- Longitude
- Altitude
- Speed
- Time & Date
- Number of satellites
- Fix quality
🧰 Components Required:
- ESP32 (DevKit v1)
- NEO-8M GPS Module (with or without ceramic antenna)
- Jumper wires
- Optional: OLED display or SD card module
⚙️ NEO-8M GPS Module Pinout:
| GPS Pin | Function | Connect to ESP32 |
|---|---|---|
| VCC | 3.3V / 5V | 3.3V or 5V (check module specs) |
| GND | Ground | GND |
| TX | Transmit (output) | GPIO16 (RX) |
| RX | Receive (input) | GPIO17 (TX) |
📌 Use SoftwareSerial if you want to keep default Serial for debugging.
🛠️ Wiring Diagram:
GPS Module ESP32 ---------- ----- VCC ----------> 3.3V GND ----------> GND TX ----------> GPIO16 (RX2) RX ----------> GPIO17 (TX2)
💻 ESP32 Code (Using TinyGPSPlus Library)
1. ✅ Install Libraries:
Go to Arduino IDE:
- Library Manager → Install
TinyGPSPlusby Mikal Hart
🧠 How It Works:
- The NEO-8M listens to satellite signals.
- It calculates the location and time using trilateration.
- Sends data to ESP32 as NMEA sentences like
$GPRMC,$GPGGA, etc. TinyGPSPlusparses this and gives readable info.
🛰️ Real-world Applications:
- Live Location Tracker
- GPS Logger to SD Card
- IoT Asset Tracking
- Vehicle Tracking System
- Geofencing
- Outdoor Robotics / Drones
⚠️ Important Notes:
- Cold start may take 15–60 seconds to get a GPS fix.
- Use ceramic patch antenna or GPS module with active antenna for better signal.
- Needs clear sky view for fast location lock.
- Avoid indoor testing—it may not get GPS fix.
HOW TO OPERATE
#include <TinyGPSPlus.h>
// Define the RX and TX pins for Serial 2
#define RXD2 16
#define TXD2 17
#define GPS_BAUD 9600
TinyGPSPlus gps;
// Create an instance of the HardwareSerial class for Serial 2
HardwareSerial ss(2);
void setup()
{
Serial.begin(115200);
//ss.begin(GPS_BAUD);
ss.begin(GPS_BAUD, SERIAL_8N1, RXD2, TXD2);
Serial.println(F("DeviceExample.ino"));
Serial.println(F("A simple demonstration of TinyGPSPlus with an attached GPS module"));
Serial.print(F("Testing TinyGPSPlus library v. ")); Serial.println(TinyGPSPlus::libraryVersion());
Serial.println(F("by Mikal Hart"));
Serial.println();
}
void loop()
{
// This sketch displays information every time a new sentence is correctly encoded.
while (ss.available() > 0)
if (gps.encode(ss.read()))
displayInfo();
if (millis() > 5000 && gps.charsProcessed() < 10)
{
Serial.println(F("No GPS detected: check wiring."));
while(true);
}
}
void displayInfo()
{
Serial.print(F("Location: "));
if (gps.location.isValid())
{
Serial.print(gps.location.lat(), 6);
Serial.print(F(","));
Serial.print(gps.location.lng(), 6);
}
else
{
Serial.print(F("INVALID"));
}
Serial.print(F(" Date/Time: "));
if (gps.date.isValid())
{
Serial.print(gps.date.month());
Serial.print(F("/"));
Serial.print(gps.date.day());
Serial.print(F("/"));
Serial.print(gps.date.year());
}
else
{
Serial.print(F("INVALID"));
}
Serial.print(F(" "));
if (gps.time.isValid())
{
if (gps.time.hour() < 10) Serial.print(F("0"));
Serial.print(gps.time.hour());
Serial.print(F(":"));
if (gps.time.minute() < 10) Serial.print(F("0"));
Serial.print(gps.time.minute());
Serial.print(F(":"));
if (gps.time.second() < 10) Serial.print(F("0"));
Serial.print(gps.time.second());
Serial.print(F("."));
if (gps.time.centisecond() < 10) Serial.print(F("0"));
Serial.print(gps.time.centisecond());
}
else
{
Serial.print(F("INVALID"));
}
Serial.println();
}
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