Trouble with GPS module...

datac99

Hi All,

I have for this to be my first post in a while, but I seem to be haveing a hell of a time getting the GPS module to work. I've just returned one to Fry's thinking it was bad, but the new one is acting just the same.

I have a·BS2p, on a Board of Education, with the GPS module pluged into the breadboard area, and just the power, ground, and serial (Connected to P15). And all I seem to get is a blinking red light. The sky is clear, I've got a good view... I've tryed this on both the power addaptor and a 9V battery for well over 10 min and I just get the same blinking red light... I've tryed unplugging the power and retesting a few times but the same thing. I've even driven around with the module on my dashboard for about 1/2 an hour and I still just get a flashing red light.

I've searched the forums and everyone seems to have nothing but good experences with the module, so I must be doing something wrong... Two of them in a row could not be bad right???

Anyone have any ideas?

Best Regards,

Peter M.

datac99

Man this is driveing me nuts... I hooked the module back up this morning on my way to the market and it got a lock instantly... Pulled the power and retryed and it worked 3 times in a row... Get home, get my laptop out, power it up and it gets a lock... Try to plug in the USB to serial addaptor and I get no data out to the debug console... So I hit the reset button, with the serial addaptor still hooked up, and it just blinks... No sat lock....

Might be a bit of a clue though here... The 9V was pretty warm, and when I checked it it was down to 6.9V.... So I'm going to give this one last try.... I'm going to run an extension cord out into the street in front of my house and try it off the AC addaptor... The green light on the board was still going strong, so I really can't see this doing much... But I can't beleve I got two bunk modules in a row...

Philip Gamblin

I know I sound like a broken record but I have had problems with the usb port being assigned to different comm ports, based on what peripherals are installed and running. Is the usb cable a variable between working and not working?

datac99

I though so for a while Phil.... It seemed at first like it would only work with the USB cable unplugged... But I just had the module out in front of the house (where it got a lock in < 30sec on battery early this morning) pluged into just the AC addaptor and I got nothing in 10 min... I also tryed with the battery earlyer and got nothing then too, and that was with the USB cable...

I guess I'm going to take the sucker back and get the last one they have on the shelf... I really want this to work, I like the compactness and ease of access to the parallax module... But I'm starting to eyeball some of the little modules that sparkfun has... Or just go with one of the garmin units... I guess I could work up my own carryer board useing an SX chip and the code that comes with the Parallax module...

datac99

Eureka! A bit more digging and I found this: http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=607046
where brs had to hook up a few jumper wires to get the GPS module off the BOE breadboard... And it worked for me too... Crazy... I wonder what it could be on the board that's interfereing with the GPS signal so much? The voltage regulator?