I received my Domino and want to add a GPS module to it. I’ve been looking around and not sure what solution will be the best for me. I’d like also if the GPS can give me the compass functionnality.This project will maybe end onboard a vehicule or a robot but since GPS are quite expensive, I’m not sure what to choose.
Since you are looking for a compass too, you can either buy both separate of get a IMU like a razor. I do not know how your application will look like, maybe a razor is overkill.
Does Razor refer to this: http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10010? It won’t give me the actual position as a GPS or a Compass feature (Maybe I’m wrong here). But this is an interesting component…
The project I’m currently looking for right now is for someone I know who is a major offroader/overlander (Overlanding - Wikipedia) and want a device capable of logging is journey: GPS Data, Compass, Inclination, G-Force, …
Having is data logged he would be able to replay is journey in a custom WPF application and the nicest part for him (and for me too) is that he his currently looking for a dash mount video system to record his adventures, which at some point his video and data would meet at a same. Being able to replay is adventures when he will get older.
I know I’m not close to that yet, but the WPF application is currently working with live/recorded data (I do not have my laptop, so no screenshot for now). Anything missing is the data recorder…
As for a GPS, see the Skytraq dev board from Sparkfun. It’s the most accurate GPS I have tested thus fr. As far as inertial measurement, either get a 9DoF Razor or one of SFE’s new 9DoFs.
The Razor 9DoF will NOT give position data as Foekie suggests.
That is the full source code to my NETMF robot, so you will need to peel it back to the “GeoInformationSystems” folder. It should give you plenty of usage examples.
I think for my first electronics in years, I’ll scale down a little bit. Thoses components aren’t cheap, and having a reputation of making electronics burn at school I think I will play around with some robots components (leds, motors, sensors,…). That will practice my soldering skills too!
Thanks again, I may put this project aside, but its not dead.
You will want to be careful with the SFE Skytraq dev board, though. It’s got a LVTTL UART, and the voltage should not exceed 3.3V, IE, it will work just fine with the Domino, but don’t try to talk to it with a 5V TTL cable.
Yeah, it’s not the code portion that scares me, as I do C# development as a living. It’s the electronics side that I’m less familiar with, but I will change that in 2011!
For sure I will complete this project, but budget and time-wise (classes, work and a conference to prepare) I will delayed this project to the end of winter or beginning of spring.