Professional Documents
Culture Documents
BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
IN
ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING
Submitted by
Mr. P. Sekhar
M. Tech
Lecturer
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING
D.M.S. S. V.H COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
(Affiliated to Acharya Nagarjuna University)
(Approved by AICTE)
MACHILIPATNAM - 521 002 (A.P)
2007 – 2008
BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY
IN
CERTIFICATE
Bachelor of technology
In
ELECTRONICS & COMMUNICATION ENGINEERING discipline
2007 – 20008.
Receiver position is computed from the SV positions, the measured pseudo-ranges, and a
receiver position estimate.
Four satellites allow computation of three position dimensions and time.
Three satellites could be used determine three position dimensions with a perfect receiver
clock.
In practice this is rarely possible and three SVs are used to compute a two-dimensional,
horizontal fix (in latitude and longitude) given an assumed height.
Five or more satellites can provide position, time and redundancy.
Twelve channel receivers allow continuous tracking of all available satellites, including
tracking of satellites with weak or occasionally obstructed signals.
The parameters like latitude, longitude, altitude and speed are received from GPS via RS232
these parameters are compare with the predefine wave points and when status of success is
displayed on the LCD along with these instant latitude, longitude, altitude and speed
parameters are also displayed on the LCD.
To achieve this we are going to use one GPS module and one GSM module, which are
connected to a micro controller unit. Whenever the user sends an SMS to the GSM modem,
micro controller unit will get the appropriate request by sending standard AT commands, and
sends request to GPS module from the micro controller in the form of NMEA standard
command sentences, to get the vehicle longitude and latitude. After that by processing the
received data in micro controller, the reverse SMS with position will send to the user’s number
from GSM modem.
The GPS module in this system will communicate with the satellite and receives its
current position (vehicle position). If any theft occurs we can lock the doors remotely again by
sending SMS.
Software:
IDE: Embedded C and Assembly.
KEIL Uvision2.
Hardware:
1. GSM modem
2. GPS receiver.
3. ATMEL 89s52 micro controller
4. Max 232 IC.
5. Db 9 connectors
6.11.0592MHZ crystals
7. Resistors and capacitors
8. IC bases and connectors
10.8250 USART
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION TO GPS
Using the Global Positioning System GPS, a process used to establish a position at any point
on the globe) the following two values can be determine any where on Earth (Figure1):
1. One’s exact location (longitude, latitude and height co-ordinates) accurate to within a range
of 20mto approx.1mm.
2. The precise time (Universal Time Coordinated, UTC) accurate to within a range of 60ns to
approx. 5ns. Speed and direction of travel (course) can be derived from these co-ordinates as
well as the time. The coordinates and time values are determined by 28 satellites orbiting the
Earth.
GPS receivers are used for positioning, locating, navigating, surveying and determining the
time and are employed both by private individuals (e.g. for leisure activities, such as trekking,
balloon flights and cross-country skiing etc.) and companies (surveying, determining time,
navigation, vehicle monitoring etc.)
GPS (the full description is: NAVigation System with Timing And Ranging Global Positioning
System, NAVSTAR-GPS) was developed by the U.S. Department of defense (DoD) and can be
used both by civilians and military personnel. The civil signal SPS (Standard Positioning
Service) can be used freely by the general public, whilst the military signal PPS (Precise
Positioning Service) can only is used by authorized government agencies. The first satellite
was placed in orbit on 22nd February 1978, and there are currently 28 operational satellites
orbiting the earth at a height of 20, 180 km on 6 different orbital planes. Their orbits are
inclined at 550 to the equator, ensuring that a least 4 satellites are in radio communication with
any point on the planet. Each satellite orbits the Earth in approximately 12 hours and has four
atomic clocks on board. During the development of the GPS system, particular emphasis was
placed on the following three aspects:
1. It had to provide users with the capability if determining position, speed and time
whether in motion or rest.
2. It had to have a continuous, global, 3-dimensional positioning with a high degree offer
of accuracy, irrespective of weather.
3. It had to offer potential for civilian use.
Figure 6: The position is determined at the point where all three spheres intersect
Space segment
Satellite movement
Figure 9: Position of the 28 GPS satellites at 12.00 hrs UTC on 14th April 2001
The GPS satellites
Construction of a satellite
Calculating a position
Figure 20: Four satellite signals must be received
Figure 21: Three dimensional co-ordinate system
5.2.2 Linearisation of the equation
Figure 22: Conversion of the Taylor series
Error consideration
Table 4: Cause of errors
5.2.5.2 DOP (dilution of precision)
(Figure)
BLOCK DIAGRAM:
L.C.D
MAX
GPS 232 Micro MAX
controller unit
MODEM 232
RF
TRANSMITER
COMPUTER
RF RECEIVER SYSTEM
Schematic:
A Microcontroller is a single-chip microcomputer that contains all the components
such as the CPU, RAM, some form of ROM, I/O ports, and timers. Unlike a general-
purpose computer, which also includes all of these components, a microcontroller is
designed for a very specific task -- to control a particular system. Microcontrollers are
sometimes called embedded microcontrollers, which just means that they are part of
an embedded system.
AT89S52 MICROCONTROLLER
2.3 FEATURES
• 8K Bytes of In-System Reprogrammable Flash Memory
• Endurance: 1,000 Write/Erase Cycles
• Fully Static Operation: 0 Hz to 33 MHz
• Three-level Program Memory Lock
• 256 x 8-bit Internal RAM
• 32 Programmable I/O Lines
• Three 16-bit Timer/Counters
• Eight Interrupt Sources
• Programmable Serial Channel
• Low-power Idle and Power-down Modes
2.4 DESCRIPTION:
The AT89s52 is a low power, high performance CMOS 8-bit micro computer with 8K
bytes of flash programmable and erasable read only memory(PEROM).The device is
manufactured using Atmel’s high density nonvolatile memory technology and is
compatible with the industry standard 80c51 and 80C52 instruction set and pin out.
The on-chip flash allows the program memory to be reprogrammed in-system or by a
conventional nonvolatile memory programmer. By combining a versatile 8-bit CPU
with flash on a monolithic chip, the Atmel AT89s52 Is a powerful microcomputer
which provides a highly flexible and cost effective solution to many embedded
control applications. The main advantages of 89s52 over 8051 are
Software Compatibility
Program Compatibility
Rewritability
VCC
Supply voltage.
GND
Ground.
Port 0
Port 0 is an 8-bit open drain bi-directional I/O port. As an output port, each pin
can sink eight TTL inputs. When 1s are written to port 0 pins, the pins can be used as
high impedance inputs. Port 0 can also be configured to be the multiplexed lower
order address/data bus during accesses to external program and data memory. In this
mode, P0 has internalpullups.Port 0 also receives the code bytes during Flash
programming and outputs the code bytes during program verification. External pull-
ups are required during program verification.
Port 1
Port 1 is an 8-bit bi-directional I/O port with internal pull-ups. The Port 1 output
buffers can sink/source four TTL inputs. When 1s are written to Port 1 pins, they are
pulled high by the internal pull-ups and can be used as inputs. As inputs, Port 1 pins
that are externally being pulled low will source current (IIL) because of the internal
pull-ups. In addition, P1.0 and P1.1 can be configured to be the timer/counter 2 external
count input (P1.0/T2) and the timer/counter 2
GPS receivers require different signals in order to function (Figure42). These variables
are broadcast after position and time have been successfully calculated and determined.
To ensure that the different types of appliances are portable
thereareeitherinternationalstandards for data exchange (NMEAandRTCM), or the
Manufacturer provides defined (proprietary) formats and protocols.
ThedifferentlevelsmustbetakenintoconsiderationdependingonwhethertheGPSreceiverus
edhasaTTLor RS-232interface(Figure)
•InthecaseofaTTLlevelinterface,alogicalzerocorrespondstoapprox.0Vandalogicalonerou
ghlyto theoperatingvoltageofthesystem(+3.3V..+5V)
•InthecaseofanRS232interfacealogicalzerocorrespondstoapositivevoltage(+3V_._+15V)
anda
logicaloneanegativevoltage(-3V...–15V).
If a GPS module with a TTL level interface is connected to an appliancewith an RS-232
interface,a level conversionmustbeeffected_
AfewGPSmodulesallowthebaudratetobeincreased(upto38400bitsper_second).
EachGPSdatasetisformedinthesamewayandhasthefollowingstructure:
$GPDTS,Inf1,Inf2,Inf3,Inf4,Inf5,Inf6,Infn*CS<CR><LF>
ThefunctionoftheindividualcharactersorcharactersetsisexplainedinTable8
AnexampleofaGGAdataset:
$GPGGA,
130305.0,4717.115,N,00833.912,E,1,08,0.94,00499,M,047,M,,*58<CR><LF>
ThefunctionoftheindividualcharactersorcharactersetsisexplainedinTable10
Description of the individual GGA data set blocks
ExampleofaGLLdataset:
$GPGLL,4717.115,N,00833.912,E,130305.0,A*32<CR><LF>
ThefunctionoftheindividualcharactersorcharactersetsisexplainedinTable
Description of the individual GGL data set blocks
GSA data set
TheGSAdataset
(GNSSDOPandActiveSatellites)containsinformationonthemeasuringmode(2Dor3D),the
number of satellites used to determine the position and theaccuracy ofthemeasurements
(DOP:Dilution of Precision).
AnexampleofaGSAdataset:
$GPGSA,A,3,13,20,11,29,01,25,07,04,,,,1.63,0.94,1.33*04<CR><LF>
ThefunctionoftheindividualcharacterorsetsofcharactersisdecribedinTable
Description of the individual GSA data set blocks
AnexampleofaGSVdataset:_
$GPGSV,2,2,8,01,52,187,43,25,25,074,39,07,37,286,40,04,09,306,33*44<CR><LF>
ThefunctionoftheindividualcharactersorcharactersetsisexplainedinTable13.
Description of the individual GSV data set blocks
AnexampleofanRMCdataset:_
$GPRMC,130304.0,A,4717.115,N,00833.912,E,000.04,205.5,200601,01.3,W*7C<CR
><LF>
ThefunctionoftheindividualcharactersorcharactersetsisexplainedinTable
AnexampleofaVTGdataset:
$GPVTG,014.2,T,015.4,M,000.03,N,000.05,K*4F<CR><LF>
ThefunctionoftheindividualcharactersorcharactersetsisexplainedinTable
Description of the individual VTG data set blocks
ZDA data set
The ZDA dataset(timeanddate)contains informationonUTCtime,the dateandlocaltime.
AnexampleofaZDAdataset:
$GPZDA,130305.2,20,06,2001,,*57<CR><LF>
ThefunctionoftheindividualcharactersorcharactersetsisexplainedinTable
Description of the individual ZDA data set blocks
Calculating the checksum
The checksumisdeterminedbyanexclusiveoroperationinvolvingall8databits
(excludingstartandstopbits)
Fromalltransmittedcharacters, including separators. The exclusiveor operation
commences afterthe startofthe
dataset($sign)andendsbeforethechecksumseparator(asterisk:*).
The8-bit result is divided into 2 sets of 4 bits (nibbles) and each nibble is converted into
the appropriate
Hexadecimal
value(0...9,A...F).ThechecksumconsistsofthetwohexadecimalvaluesconvertedintoASCII
characters.
Theprincipleofchecksumcalculationcanbeexplainedwiththehelpofabriefexample:
ThefollowingNMEAdatasethasbeenreceivedandthechecksum(CS)mustbeverifiedforitsc
orrectness.
$GPRTE,1,1,c,0*07 (07 is_the_checksum)
Procedure:
1. Onlythecharactersbetween$and*areincludedintheanalysis:GPRTE,1,1,c,0
2.These13ASCIIcharactersareconvertedinto8bitvalues(seeTable)
3.Eachindividualbitofthe13ASCIIcharactersislinkedtoanexclusive-
oroperation(N.B.Ifthenumberofonesisuneven,theexclusive-orvalueisone)
4. Theresultisdividedintotwonibbles
5. Thehexadecimalvalueofeachnibbleisdetermined
6.BothhexadecimalcharactersaretransmittedasASCIIcharacterstoformthechecksum
Hardware interfaces
Antenna
GPS modulescan either be operated with a passive or active antenna. Active antenna,
i.e. with
abuiltinpreamplifier(LNA:LowNoiseAmplifier)arepoweredfromtheGPSmodule,thecurr
entbeingprovidedbytheHFsignaline.Formobilenavigationalpurposescombinedantennae(
e.g.GSM/FMandGPS)aresupplied.GPS antennaereceiveright-
handedcircularpolarisedwaves.
Twotypesofantennaareobtainableonthemarket,PatchantennaeandHelixantennae.Patchant
ennaeareflat,generallyhaveaceramicandmetallisedbodyandaremountedonametalbaseplat
e.Inordertoensurea
sufficiently high degree of selectivity, the base to Patch surface ratiohas tobeadjusted.
Patchantennae are oftencastinahousing(Figure),[xxii]).
Helixantennaearecylindricalinshape(Figure47,[xxiii])andhaveahighergainthanthePatcha
ntennae.
1PPS signal
Thetimepulsecanbeusedtosynchronisecommunicationnetworks(PrecisionTiming).
As time can play a fundamental part whenGPS is used to determine a position, a
distinction is drawn here
betweenfiveimportantGPStimesystems:
Atomic time (TAI)
The International AtomicTime Scale (Temps Atomique International) was introduced in
order to provide a
universal 'absolute' time scale that would meet various practical demands andat the
sametimealso be of
significanceforGPSpositioning.Since1967,thesecondhasbeendefinedbyanatomicconstan
tinphysics,the
non-radioactive element Cesium 133Cs being selected as a reference. The resonant
frequency between the
Selected energy states of this atom has been determined at 9 192 631 770 Hz. Time
defined in this way is
Therefore part of the SIsystem(System
International).Thestartofatomictimetookplaceon01.01.1958at
00.00hours.
8.3.3.2 Universal time co-ordinate (UTC)
UTC (Universal Time Coordinated)was introduced, in order to have a practical time
scale that was oriented
towardsuniversalatomictimeand,atthesametime,adjustedtouniversalco-
ordinatedtime.Itisdistinguished
from TAIin theway the seconds are counted, i.e.UTC = TAl - n,where n= complete
seconds that can be
alteredon1stJanuaryor1stJuneofanygivenyear(leapseconds).
8.3.3.3 GPS time
GeneralGPSsystemtimeisspecifiedbyaweeknumberandthenumberofsecondswithinthatw
eek.Thestart
datewasSunday,6thJanuary1980at0.00hours(UTC).EachGPSweekstart in the night from
Saturday to Sunday,
thecontinuoustimescalebeingsetbythemainclockattheMasterControlStation.
ThetimedifferencethatarisesbetweenGPSandUTCtimeisconstantlybeingcalculatedandap
pendedtothenavigationmessage.
8.3.3.4 Satellite time
Because of constant, irregular frequency errors in the atomic clocks on board the GPS
satellites, individual
SatellitetimeisatvariancewithGPSsystemtime.
Thesatelliteclocksaremonitoredbythecontrolstationand
Any apparent time difference relayed to Earth. Any time differences must be taken into
account when
Conducting localGPSmeasurements
Example of a timeframe(Table20)on21stJune2001(Zurich)
.
Table 20: Time systems
The interrelationship of time systems (valid for 2001):
TAI-UTC=+32sec
GPS-UTC=+13sec
TAI–GPS=+19sec
GPSBasics_u-bloxag
GPS-X-02007 Page73
GPS receivermodules
Basic design of a GPS module
GPS moduleshavetoevaluateweakantennasignalsfromatleastfoursatellites, in order to
determine a correct three dimensional position.
Atimesignalisalsooftenemittedinadditiontolongitude, latitudeandheight. Thistime signal
is synchronized with UTC (UniversalTimeCoordinated).
Fromthepositiondeterminedandtheexacttime, additionalphysicalvariables,
suchasspeedandaccelerationcanalsobecalculated.
TheGPSmoduleissuesinformationontheconstellation,satellitehealth,andthenumberof
visible satellitesetc.
Figure 53: Typical block diagram of a GPS module
Carrier Wave
How do we send information in a radio signal?
Carrier wave
● An RF signal – usually a sinusoid – that carries information
● Carrier is usually a much higher frequency than the information itself!
● Ex: 2.4 GHz 802.11b networks carry a lot less than 2.4 GBit/sec of data....
● Rather, carry up to 11 MBit/sec of information
● Why use a carrier??
● Easier to generate a sinusoid signal, and it will travel further.
Carrier wave frequency
● The frequency of a radio transmission is the center frequency of the carrier
● Actual frequency of the carrier changes over time, e.g., with FM transmission
Radio Frequency (RF) refers specifically to the electromagnetic field, or radio wave,
that is generated when an alternating current is input to an antenna. This field can be
used for wireless broadcasting and communications over a significant portion of the
electromagnetic radiation spectrum -- from about 9 kilohertz (kHz) to thousands of
gigahertz (GHz) -- referred to as the RF spectrum. As the frequency is increased beyond
the RF spectrum, electromagnetic energy takes the form of infrared, visible light,
ultraviolet, x rays and gamma rays.
Many types of wireless devices make use of RF fields: radio, television, cordless
phones, cell phones, satellite comm systems, and many measuring and instrumentation
systems used in manufacturing. Some wireless devices, such as remote control boxes
and cordless mice, operate at infrared or visible light frequencies.
The RF spectrum is divided into several ranges, or bands. Each of these bands, other
than the lowest frequency segment, represents an increase of frequency corresponding
to an order of magnitude (power of ten). FCC rules, combined with the continuing
evolution of digital technology, sparked the development of spread spectrum data
communication radios. These radios offer significant performance and operation
benefits to end-users.
The conventional radio signal which these devices use is referred to as narrow-band,
which means that it contains all of its power in a very narrow portion of the radio
frequency bandwidth. Due to the relatively small portion of the radio band that an
individual radio transmission occupies, the FCC has traditionally favored these
conventional radios. However, as a result of the very narrow frequency, these radios are
often prone to interference (a single interfering signal at or near their frequency can
easily render the radio inoperable).
Spread spectrum is a technique that takes a narrow band signal and spreads it over a
broader portion of the radio frequency band, offering the operational advantage of
being resistant it interference. Spread spectrum radios are inherently more noise-
immune than conventional radios. Thus they will operate with higher efficiency than
conventional technology.
In performing spread spectrum, the transmitter takes the input data and spreads it in a
predefined method. Each receiver must understand this predefined method and
despread the signal before the data can be interpreted. There are two basic methods to
performing the spreading: frequency hopping (FHSS) and direct sequence (DSSS).
FHSS spreads its signals by "hopping" the narrow band signal as a function of time.
DSSS its signal by expanding the signal over a broad portion of the radio band.
The FCC allows the use of spread spectrum technology in three radio bands, 902-928
MHz, 2400-2483.5 MHz and 5752.5-5850 MHz for transmission under 1 Watt of
power. This power limit prevents interference within the band over long distances.
Spread spectrum requires no FCC site license; the FCC grants a one-time license on the
radio product. After that license is granted, the product can be sold anywhere in the U.S
Polarization
You will notice the transmitter has three primary components: a frequency source (the
oscillator), a gain stage (the amplifier) and a free space coupler (the antenna). The
oscillator generates the frequency at which the transmitter will operate. This frequency
is called the Fundamental. In order for the fundamental frequency to be transmitted
effectively through the resistance of free space, it is necessary for the signal to be
amplified. This is the purpose of the gain stage. Once the oscillator’s frequency has
been amplified, it must transition from being a frequency contained within conductors
(called transmission lines) into free space. This is the function of the antenna. The
transmitting antenna allows the RF energy to be efficiently radiated from the output
stage into free space. It is, in essence, a bridge between a guided wave and free space.
WHAT IS MODULATION?
Now that you have a basic understanding of how a signal finds itself delivered into free
space, you may be wondering how any useful information could be represented by that
signal. The answer is Modulation. Modulation is the process whereby a carrier medium
is impressed with content. The frequency to be controlled is called the Carrier. A carrier
is like a moving truck. Just as you might place the contents of your house on the truck,
so the information you wish to transmit is loaded onto a carrier. That signal, which has
been impressed onto the carrier for “transportation”, is called the Program or Control
Signal. In the case of digital data transmission, a carrier frequency is modulated with a
control signal consisting of binary data.
The Receiver:
The purpose of a receiver is to receive the modulated carrier, remove it, and recover the
Original program signal. This process is called Demodulation. Figure 4 illustrates a
single-conversion superhet AM receiver. While receiver topologies vary widely all
involve several stages to affect the reception and recovery process. First, the receiving
antenna
Intercepts the electromagnetic waves radiated from the transmitting antenna. When
these waves impinge upon the receiving antenna, they induce a small voltage in it. This
voltage causes a weak current to flow, which contains the same frequency as the
original current in the transmitting antenna. That current is amplified to a more useable
level and then fed into a device called a mixer. The mixer takes this incoming signal
and combines it with anon-board frequency source called a local oscillator. This
converts the signal to a new lower frequency called the Intermediate Frequency or IF
for short. The detector then strips out the IF frequency and leaves present only the
original information.
By now you should have a basic, but clear, understanding of how information signals
are
transmitted and received. With that as a foundation, you are now ready to consider the
steps involved in putting RF to work for you.
Propagation Characteristics
The transfer of energy through space is called Propagation. In general, radio wave
propagation is divided into three broad categories:
(1) Ground Wave propagation, where the signal travels through or along the earth’s
surface;
(2) Line-of-Sight, where the wave travels almost like a beam of light in a straight line
and thus requires that the transmitter and receiver be within sighting distance of each
other;
(3) Sky Wave propagation, where the signal travels primarily through the air via
reflections from the ionosphere. It is important to consider the physical environment
In which the device will operate in order to determine if the frequency you have chosen
Possesses useable propagation characteristics. For example, transmission through walls
would be highly attenuated and poorly served by frequencies in the microwave region,
while effective transmission through water might require selection of a frequency in the
VLF range.
Propagation Basics
The propagation of radio waves in 802.11 applications is characterized by several
factors:
Signal power is diminished by geometric spreading of the wavefront,commonly
known as free space loss
Signal power is attenuated as the wave passes through solid objects such as trees,
walls, window and the floors of buildings
The signal is scattered and can interfere with itself if there are objects in the beam
of the transmit antenna even if these objects are not on the direct path between the
transmitter and the receiver
Free space loss. Geometric spreading happens because the wavefront radiated signal
energy expands like a big column as a function of the distance from the transmitter.
When the distance from the transmitter is measured in units of the signal wavelength
(λ), the free space loss (Lfsl) in signal power at a distance (r) from the transmitter is:
Lfsl = r2 (4π)2/λ2 Eq 1
Using decibels to express the loss and using 2.45GHz as the signal frequency for
802.11b/g APs, the equation can be simplified to:
Lfsl = 40 + 20*log (r) Eq 2
Where Lfsl is expressed in dB and r is expressed in meters.
Attenuation. When the RF signal passes though solid objects, some of the signal power
is absorbed. The most convenient way to express this is by adding an “allowed loss” to
the Free Space loss. Attenuation can vary greatly depending upon the structure of the
object the signal is passing through. Metal in the barrier greatly increases the
attenuation. Thickness also increases the loss. General rules of thumb on attenuation
are:
Trees account for 10 to 20 dB of loss per tree in the direct path. Loss depends upon
the size and type of tree. Large trees with dense foliage create greater loss.
Walls account for 10 to 15 dB depending upon the construction. Interior walls are
on the low end and exterior walls, especially those with stucco, create more loss.
Floors of buildings account for 12 to 27 dB of loss. Floors with concrete and steel
are at the high end and wood floors are at the low end.
Mirrored walls have very high loss because the reflective coating is conductive.
Scattering. RF signals can reflect off of many things and the direct signal combines
with signals that have reflected off of objects that are not in the direct path. This effect
is usually described as multipath, fading, Rayleigh fading or signal dispersion.
When RF signals combine they can be distorted. The distortion degrades the ability of
the receiver to recover the signal in a manner much like signal loss. While a great deal
of research has gone into the characterization of signal scattering, a simple and
common way of applying the effects of scattering is to change the exponent on the
distance factor in Equation 1.
When the Free Space Loss, Attenuation and Scattering are combined the loss is:
L = rn (4π)2/λ2 + Lallowed Eq 3
Expressed in decibels:
L (dB) = 40 + 10*n*log (r) + Lallowed Eq 4
One difficulty in using the exponent to model the effect of scattering is that the
exponent tends to increase with range in an environment with a lot of scattering.
Calculating a range can often require some iteration of the exponent to be used.
Coverage Area. In the example above, the AP160 has an antenna with a 70° beamwidth
and can effectively operate with a laptop to a range of 102 meters. The coverage area is
approximately a 70° sector of a circle with a radius of 102 meters so the coverage area
is 3,186 sq meters or about 0.8 acres. If we were to repeat the same exercise for the
AP160 with an 8 dBi gain omni-directional antenna, the range would be reduced to 98
meters. However, the coverage area increases to 15,174 sq meters or about 3.8 acres.
While directional antennas can increase the range of a communication link, their impact
on coverage area is less clear. The decision to use a directional antenna is often made
based upon convenience; it might be simpler to install an
access point on the edge of the area to be covered rather than in the center
Area geometry. The area geometry for the directional and omni-directional antennas
is shown below.
Required Bandwidth
The amount of information that can be transferred depends on the carrier frequency and
variable bandwidth. The carrier frequency must be many times the required bandwidth,
thus, applications such as video and data links, which require wide bandwidths, utilize
requencies well into the microwave range. In general, the bandwidth should be as
narrow as possible to accommodate the required information content. This yields the
best immunity to noise and allows the highest possible system sensitivity.
Power Consumption
In battery-powered applications, power consumption is generally a critical issue.
Surprisingly, the relationship between frequency and power consumption is often
overlooked. Since propagation efficiency is reduced as frequency climbs, higher
frequencies require more power to achieve range.
Potential Interference
The final component of frequency selection is to understand what potential interference
sources your device will be up against in the real world. Interference is the presence of
unwanted noise or signals that increases the difficulty of reception. You may find that
many frequencies suited to your application have a high level of interference present
because of their broad popularity. Interference can be divided into three primary
categories: natural noise, man-made noise, and man-made signals. Natural noise
originates in space and the earth's atmosphere. It tends to be greater at low frequencies.
Man-made noise is caused by unintentional RF radiation from man-made devices, such
as motors, switching power supplies and microwaves. Man-made signals are intentional
RF emissions such as radio, television, cellular, etc. Immunity to noise depends on
bandwidth and the frequency accuracy of the transmitter. The more accurate a signal’s
frequency and the narrower a signal’s bandwidth, the narrower the receiver’s
front-end filter can be. This increases the ratio between the signal and noise and greatly
reduces
the potential for off-frequency interference. Figure 6 illustrates how a receiver with a
narrow front end band pass opening (A) has a much better chance of receiving the
incoming signal than receiver (B) with its wide front end band pass opening.
Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Hardware connection
• NMEA mode
• Garmin mode
• DGPS mode
• Text mode
Introduction
All Garmin gps receivers support a computer interface. This can be used to backup the
waypoints and routes on a computer and to provide real time display information on a
computer screen. In addition Garmin supports differential gps input signals. The modes
supported by Garmin receivers are given in the table below.
All of the Interface Modes
E- E-
Interface Mode 38/40/45XL 12/12XL/48 III/III+ Notes
map trex
None Y Y Y Y Y .
Garmin Y Y Y Y Y AKA GRMN/GRMN
None/NMEA Y Y Y Y Y NMEA out 0183 2.0
NMEA/NMEA Y Y Y Y N NMEA in/out
Has Garmin Interface
Garmin DGPS Y Y Y Y Y
control
RTCM/NMEA Y Y Y Y Y .
RTCM/None Y Y Y Y Y DGPS input only
III+,
Text Out N N Y Y 1200 2400 4800 9600
12Map
III+,
RTCM/Text N N Y Y .
12Map
NMEA 0180, 0182,
Y Y N N N .
0183 1.5
Be sure that you have selected the correct mode and baud rate for the program or unit
you are trying to interface with. This is the main problem with interface failures. For all
moving map programs you will likely need NMEA mode with the baud rate set to 4800.
For programs that upload and download data you should probably be in Garmin mode
with the baud rate set to 9600. Some digital cameras will need text mode with a baud
rate of 9600. In all cases set the data width to 8, no parity, and 1 stop bit. Make sure the
interface mode is selected in the program and the correct COM port is selected.
Hardware Connection
The hardware interface for Garmin units meets the NMEA requirements and is
sufficient to drive 3 NMEA loads. It is also compatible with most computer serial ports
using RS232 protocols. The interface speed can be adjusted as needed by the particular
interface but it usually set automatically to the appropriate setting when the interface
selection is made. There is only a data in and data out line with ground. There are are
no handshake lines nor should you attempt to set up a software handshake using
xon/xoff as the unit does not recognize this and may interfere with binary data uploads
and downloads.
In order to use the hardware interface you will need a cable. See the accessories chapter
for the available cables. In some dedicated applications you may need to wire your own
or perhaps you would just prefer to do that. The Garmin cable connector shown below
will work for all of the handheld gps units except the etrex and emap.
Garmin gps receivers may be used to interface with other NMEA devices such as
autopilots, fishfinders, or even another gps receivers. They can also listen to
Differential Beacon Receivers that can send data using the RTCM SC-104 standard.
Some of the latest computers no longer include a serial port but only a USB port.
Garmin receivers are known to work with Serial to USB adapters and serial ports
attached via the pcmcia (pc card) adapter.
NMEA
The National Marine Electronics Association has developed a specification that defines
the interface between various marine electronic equipment. The standard permits
marine electronics to send information to computers and to other marine equipment.
GPS receiver communication is defined within this specification. Most computer
programs that provide real time position information understand and expect data to be
in NMEA format. This data includes the complete PVT (position, velocity, time)
solution computed by the GPS receiver. The idea of NMEA is to send a line of data
called a sentence that is totally self-contained and independent from other sentences.
There are standard sentences for each device category and there is also the ability to
define proprietary sentences for use by the individual company. All of the standard
sentences have a two-letter prefix that defines the device that uses that sentence type.
For gps receivers the prefix is GP. This is followed by a three-letter sequence that
defines the sentence contents. In addition NMEA permits hardware manufactures to
define their own proprietary sentences for whatever purpose they see fit. All proprietary
sentences begin with the letter P and are followed with a letter that identifies the
manufacturer controlling that sentence. For Garmin this would be a G.
Each sentence begins with a '$' and ends with a carriage return/line feed sequence. The
data is contained within this single line with data items separated by a comma. The data
itself is just ASCII text and may extend over multiple sentences in certain specialized
instances but is normally fully contained in one variable length sentence. An example
sentence might look like:
$GPGGA,123519,4807.038,N,01131.000,E,1,08,0.9,545.4,M,46.9,M,*42
The NMEA standard has been around for many years and has undergone several
revisions. The protocol has changed and the number and types of sentences may be
different depending on the revision. All Garmin receivers understand the latest
standard, which is called: 0183 version 2.0. This standard dictates a transfer rate of
4800 baud. Some Garmin receivers also understand older standards. The oldest
standard was 0180 followed by 0182, which transferred data at 1200 baud. Some
Garmin receivers also understand an earlier version of 0183 called version 1.5. Some
Garmin units can be set to 9600 for NMEA output but this is only recommended if you
have determined that 4800 works ok and then you can try to set it faster.
If you are interfacing a Garmin unit to another device, including a computer program,
you need to insure that the receiving unit is given all of the sentences that it needs. If it
needs a sentence that Garmin does not send then the interface to that unit is likely to
fail. The sentences sent by Garmin receivers include:
NMEA 2.0
The new etrex summit sends a $HCHDG sentence for its compass output.
This list is specific to the handheld units. Other Garmin units may send other sentences
and some use proprietary sentences to send control commands to the units themselves.
Note that Garmin converts lat/lon coordinates to the datum chosen by the user when
sending this data. This is indicated in the proprietary sentence PGRMM. This can help
programs that use maps with other datums but is not a NMEA standard. Be sure and set
your datum to WGS84 when commuicating to other NMEA devices.
It is possible to just log view the information presented on the NMEA interface using a
simple terminal program. If the terminal program can log the session then you can build
a history of the entire session into a file. More sophisticated logging programs can filter
the messages to only certain sentences or only collect sentences at prescribed intervals.
Some computer programs that provide real time display and logging actually save the
log in an ASCII format that can be viewed with a text editor or used independently
from the program that generated it.
NMEA has its own version of essential gps pvt (position, velocity, time) data. It is
called RMC, The Recommended Minimum, which might look like:
$GPRMC,123519,A,4807.038,N,01131.000,E,022.4,084.4,230394,003.1,W*43
NMEA input
Many of the Garmin units also support an NMEA input mode. While not too many
programs support this mode it does provide a standardized way to update or add
waypoint and route data. Note that there is no handshaking or commands in NMEA
mode so you just send the data in the correct sentence and the unit will accept the data
and add or overwrite the information in memory. If the waypoint name is the same you
will overwrite existing data but no warning will be issued. The sentence construction is
identical to what the unit downloads so you can, for example, capture a WPL sentence
from one unit and then send that same sentence to another unit but be careful if the two
units support waypoint names of different lengths since the receiving unit might
truncate the name and overwrite a waypoint accidentally. If you create a sentence from
scratch you should create a correct checksum. Be sure you know and have set you unit
to the correct datum. A WPL sentence looks like:
$GPWPL,4807.038,N,01131.000,E,WPTNME*31
Some of the things that you might be able to do using Garmin protocol include:
Older multiplexing units cannot do many of the items in the list. Specifically they
cannot do item 2, or any item beyond 8 in the above list. The G-12 family cannot do
items above 9 but this could change with new firmware releases.
The most often used capabilities include the backup of critical user data such as
waypoints and routes. To do this you would need to secure a Garmin capable program.
These are available from Garmin or several third party sources. There are programs for
pc's running dos, or windows, for macs, for Unix, and for palm pilots. Once you have
the correct program you can place your unit in Garmin mode and set the baud rate to
9600. Generally all programs accept this baud rate but some may support other rates
and even change the rate. Cable the unit to the computer and make sure the computer
program is set to the correct serial port and the baud rate to 9600. The standard serial
port settings are 8N1, 8 bit data, no parity, 1 stop bit. Do not use xon/xoff since this
may interfere with proper transfer of binary data. If the program cannot access the unit
then check to ensure some other program is not using the port (the palm sync program
is notorious for this) and that the port is configured correctly. This protocol is binary
and requires handshaking so all three wires need to be hooked up correctly. Perhaps a
null model adapter may be required to get the receive and transmit signals hooked up
properly.
You cannot modify individual waypoints or routes using this interface. Instead you load
the full set of routes or the full set of waypoints. If you wish to revise certain data you
should download the full set and the revise the data you wish on your computer, clear
all the waypoint data, and then reload the full set back. Otherwise you may get
unpredictable results on some units. Most units will simply overwrite waypoints with
the same name but the emap will create a new waypoint if the location is different. This
can make updating a waypoint a bit frustrating. Similarly you load the full tracklog. On
units with multiple tracklogs you may find them all concatenated together on download.
Some programs may be able to upload saved logs directly but some may not. On units
that support the uploading of maps the rule is similar. You must assemble all of the
maps you wish to upload and then send them all at once replacing the previous upload.
Of course, the data in the computer program need not originate in your gps. It is quite
possible, in some programs, to import external data to the program for later uploading
or to edit the data files directly to provide this new information. It is also useful to
modify and add comment data to waypoints using a computer keyboard instead of
toggling it in with the unit keypad. Be aware that waypoints are always interpreted as
using the WGS-84 datum for this interface.
One interesting use for this protocol is to transfer information between units. To do this
you need a Garmin to Garmin cable (available from Garmin and other sources) to hook
the two units together. One of the units is placed in Host mode and the other unit sends
commands to upload and download data. The commands are shown on your units
menu. They may include:
1. RQST/SEND ALL USR
2. RQST/SEND CFG - configuration
3. RQST/SEND PRX - Proximity alarm data
4. RQST/SEND RTE - Routes
5. RQST/SEND TRK - Track Log
6. RQST/SEND WPT - Waypoints
7. RQST/SEND ALM - Almanac
The emap and etrex do not support this mode. Other units may not work correctly in
this mode or may not support some commands. For example a G-III does not have
proximity alarms. The G-38 and the G-12 can talk to each other but the G-38 will not
be able to support waypoint icons and you can easily overflow the track log on a 38
with the tracklog on a 12. It is also possible to use a computer as an intermediary for
this transfer by moving the data from the unit to the computer and then uploading it to
the target platform. Some Palm pilot programs even support the host mode so that they
can serve as a temporary storage point for gps user data.
Firmware Upgrade
Garmin releases firmware upgrades for all of their twelve channel units to fix bugs and
to add functionality. These upgrades are available from the Garmin web site and are
free so long as you agree with the terms and conditions. They come with the
appropriate program for pc platforms and are only supported by Garmin. There is no
third party source and users on Macintosh units will have to find a friend to do the
upgrade or use a pc emulator. Be careful that you only try and use the firmware for you
specific unit, or you could break your unit completely and have to send it back to
Garmin for repair. The older multiplex units cannot be upgraded in this fashion and if
needed they must be returned to Garmin for any upgrades. Be sure and read the
instructions that accompany the upgrade at the Garmin site.
To ensure success make sure you download the upgrade using a binary mode. It comes
as a zip file so if it unzips correctly you can be sure you downloaded it correctly. Make
sure you have a good connection to the gps. Try one of the Garmin interface programs
to backup your data. Generally an upgrade does not lose user data but this is not always
the case so it is a good idea to back it up. Leave the unit in Garmin mode for the
upgrade. Your pc baud rate should be set to "maximum rate" possible so that the
program can increase the baud rate to minimize the download time. Expect to lose any
customization that you may have performed on your unit. Be sure you have fresh
batteries in the unit. Writing the firmware into the prom can use significant battery
power and if the batteries are weak you may not get a good load or you may start out
with a seemingly good load that will fail later. Do not abort the process once it has
begun. It can take several minutes to do the upgrade so be patient. If the upgrade fails,
try it again. You must get an good upgrade before your unit will be operational again.
If you lose power or connection during the upgrade you may have a unit without any
code at all. If you were to attempt to power up the unit it will tell you the firmware is
missing. Some have reported that this happened some time later. Weak batteries that
were not able to burn the new code in the machine usually cause this. To recover
perform these steps:
If you are unsuccessful then call Garmin and arrange to return your unit for them to
upgrade. If you feel that the upgrade has a bug in it and the older release is better you
can generally use an earlier upgrade to downgrade your unit. Garmin generally does not
keep older versions available but they are often available on the net from other users.
PVT data
Some of the Garmin receivers support a PVT mode as part of the Garmin mode. If you
are using a computer program that supports this then you can remain in Garmin mode
even while running your real time mapping application. You set your unit to Garmin
mode and then select this solution from the menus in the application. Delorme mapping
products support this mode. This is an advantage in that you don't need to switch modes
and you can leave your interface at 9600 baud, which makes the real time response a bit
faster. The update interval is 1 second and this mode does not require handshaking nor
does it support retransmission of data. The following data is typically included as part
of the pvt structure in the D800 message:
Undocumented modes
The Garmin Interface specification defines much of the exact interface requirements for
Garmin mode. However, there are many things that are in the interface that are not
described in this manual. Garmin has indicated that these are for test purposes and are
not to be used by customers. They may also be changed from release to release and may
only work with a particular test setup. However, many of these modes have been
discovered and decoded by third party programmers. Such additional features such as
screen captures fall into this category. One vendor has actually managed to get the
pseudo range data out of the Garmin 12 family and provides a post processing
capability with these units by collecting data on a pc in real time for later processing
thereby opening the possibility of using this unit for surveying applications.
DGPS mode
All Garmin receivers support DGPS. DGPS is a method of improving accuracy your
receiver by adding a local reference station to augment the information available from
the satellites. This station transmits correction data in real time that is received by a
separate box, called a beacon receiver, to send correction information to the gps
receiver. Most folks fabricate a custom cable to work with the beacon receiver. Here is
a diagram for a fairly complicated version, but you may not need a setup that is this
complicated depending on what else you may be doing.
For simple dgps connections you can just wire a beacon receiver output signal along
with its ground to the data input terminals of the gps. If you need to be able to control
the beacon receiver from the gps receiver then you will also need to send the output for
the gps receiver to the beacon receiver. A standard computer interface cable can usually
be used for this connection. If you also need to talk to a pc at the same time things start
to get a little more complicated. To talk to a pc in NMEA mode you can simply send the
output of the gps to both units. Wire the output signal to the input on the computer and
the input on the beacon receiver. There is sufficient power in the signal from the
Garmin to drive both units and even a third item. Note if the beacon receiver doesn't
need to receive commands from the gps then there is no reason to send the signal both
places but the ground wire is still needed. Finally if the gps needs to talk to the pc in
Garmin mode and also the beacon receiver you will need a switch to permit the beacon
receiver to transmit difference signals or the pc to interact with the gps. You won't be
able to do both at the same time. This should not present any real problems since the bi-
directional Garmin mode is used to upload and download waypoint, route, and track
data, which do not need the beacon receiver to be operational.
Text Mode
Text mode is a simple output mode that supplies velocity and position information in
real-time. Currently certain digital cameras to include this data on the picture primarily
use this. In the future many other uses will be found for this mode, which requires very
little processing on the part of the device receiving the data. An example is shown
below.
@000607204655N6012249E01107556S015+00130E0021N0018U0000
@yymmddhhmmss Latitude Longitude error Altitude EWSpd NSSpd VSpd
Each item is of fixed length making parsing by just counting the number of characters
an easy task. It is grouped by use permitting a digital camera, for example, to just read
the first 30 characters and report the time and position. Some of the data will require
some programming to make meaningful for most users; such has the speed, which is
devided into the X, Y, and Z components. This is the only format that provides vertical
speed, which should be a great boon for balloonists.
• If a numeric value does not fill its entire field width, the field is padded with
leading '0's (eg. an altitude of 50 meters above MSL will be output as
"+00050").
• Any or all of the data in the text sentence (except for the sentence start and
sentence end fields) may be replaced with underscores to indicate invalid data.
2. Select the first column that the GPS data will be received. In this
Example we are going to use a separate column for the Latitude and
For the Longitude. Select the Latitude column by clicking on it. The
Column will now be highlighted.
3. Click on the Data Entry tab on the right side of the screen to bring it
Forward.
4. Click on the down arrow under User Data Entry Type and choose Serial
Port. The Serial Parameters box will appear.
.
Input Type: Streaming
If a serial device sends its data continually and repeats the
Stream of data without a request from the hand-held computer
When the transfer is initiated, the Serial Input type is called
Streaming. A GPS unit sends a stream of data and repeats a
Stream a data at once per second or repeats the data in
Whatever interval has been defined.
Port: Com 1
This is the Com Port that the GPS unit will use on the handheld.
For example, if your hand-held will use Com Port 2, click
On this option and change it to Com 2.
Baud: 9600, Parity: None, Data Bits: 8, Stop Bits: 1, Flow: None
These are settings available for most GPS units. The GPS unit
And Data Plus settings must be identical. If you are having
Trouble receiving data; verify that these settings are the same on
Your GPS unit.
Close On Exit: Checked
This option closes the Com port when moving to the next column.
This can save power consumption.
9. Select the Multi Column Store radio button because we want to store
The longitude when we store the latitude.
10. In the Multi column store group, Select the Latitude column in the
Store In Column drop down. The Latitude is Parse Element Number 2
and Element Number 3 is the North/South reference. Use these as the
Element and Cat Element choices. Press the Add button when
finished.
These settings yield “4243.552178 N” from the example GPS data for
the latitude.
These settings yield “4243.552178 N” from the example GPS data for
the latitude.
11. In the Multi column store group, Select the Longitude column in the
Store In Column drop down. The Longitude is Parse Element Number
4 and Element Number 5 is the East/West reference. Use these as the
Element and Cat Element choices. Press the Add button when
Finished.
This yields “11431.147225 W” from the example GPS data.
12. When completed, press the OK button. This will store the Latitude and
Longitude in the appropriate columns from the same reading when the
Enter key is pressed.
13. Click on Compile/Save.
14. Click on Test.
While the above method does work for collecting the GPS latitude and
Longitude values, it should be noted that typical NMEA outputs these
Values as always positive and combines degrees and decimal minutes
Into one number. The data in this form is not typically of much use to
Other data processing programs.
To present the data in a more useful form, a custom serial input program
can be used to parse through the incoming GPS data strings and convert
the values into more meaningful representations in the form of decimal
degrees instead of degrees and decimal minutes combined like the NMEA
0183 format. A program such as this is included in the DPCEdit on-line
help and may be copied and pasted from the help into a file so that it may
be used with the serial input. The following steps outline how this may be
done.
First it is advised to adjust the formats of the latitude and longitude
columns to numeric, size 13 with a decimal value of 8. Do this by
selecting the latitude column, choosing the Data Format tab, then clicking
the Edit button and changing the values appropriately. The same should
be done with the longitude column.
To present the data in a more useful form, a custom serial input program
can be used to parse through the incoming GPS data strings and convert
the values into more meaningful representations in the form of decimal
degrees instead of degrees and decimal minutes combined like the NMEA
0183 format. A program such as this is included in the DPCEdit on-line
help and may be copied and pasted from the help into a file so that it may
be used with the serial input. The following steps outline how this may be
done.
First it is advised to adjust the formats of the latitude and longitude
columns to numeric, size 13 with a decimal value of 8. Do this by
selecting the latitude column, choosing the Data Format tab, then clicking
the Edit button and changing the values appropriately. The same should
be done with the longitude column.
To establish the serial input program, follow these steps.
1. Select the latitude column.
2. Click on the Data Entry tab on the right side of the screen to bring it
forward.
3. The serial input parameters are assumed to have already been set
using the steps above. Click on the Advanced button in the serial
parameters box. The advanced serial parameters dialog will
appear similar to the following.
4. The Serial Input Program section resides in the lower left portion
of the dialog. Click the Edit button. A dialog will appear asking for
the name of the program to edit.
5. In the New File Name edit box, type sergps and click the OK
button. The DPCEdit program will appear as follows.
11. Press and hold the Ctrl key on the keyboard and press the Home
Key in order to move the editing cursor to the very top of the editing
Window.
12. Press and hold the Shift key on the keyboard and press the down
arrow key four times. The top four lines of the text should be
highlighted.
13. Press the Delete key on the keyboard and the four highlighted lines
Should be removed.
The Sample Program will only allow DGPS positions to be
Collected. If you do not have DGPS capabilities, change the <2 to a
<1 in the following sentence:
if(atof(tstring)<2); 0=old or NO GPS 1=GPS, 2=DGPS
This will allow standard GPS positions to be utilized while blocking
Old positions.
14. Click on the Tools menu and choose Compile. The program
Should be compiled without errors, as shown in the following dialog.
15. Click on the OK button.
16. Close the DPCEdit program. You should now be back in the
DataPlus Professional Generator.
17. Within the Serial Input Program portion of the Advanced Serial
Parameters dialog, click on the Select button.
.
18. From the file list that appears, highlight the sergps.RUN file and
press the OK button.
19. The program should now be selected for use as Post-Parse, as
shown.
Hardware Specification:
GPS APPLICATIONS
Description of the various applications
Military
Time measurement