Datasheet

This is the raw GPS "NMEA sentence" output from the module. There are a few different kinds of

NMEA sentences, the most common ones people use are the $GPRMC (Global Positioning

RecommendedMinimum Coordinates or something like that) and the $GPGGA sentences. These

two provide the time, date, latitude, longitude, altitude, estimated land speed, and fix type. Fix type

indicates whether the GPS has locked onto the satellite data and received 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 (http://adafru.it/aMk)

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.

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.

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