GPS Wiring & Example Code

These blocks are compatible with GPS modules delivering an NMEA 0183 serial data stream. This includes the SIM33EAU GPS Module (Parallax #28504) and the PAM-7Q (Parallax #28509).

Wiring & Connections

Schematic for Parallax’s SIM33EAU GPS Module (#28504) and Propeller microcontroller for the example functions below. Wiring may be different for the PAM-7Q or other GPS modules, please see their product guides for specifics.

FLiP Wiring Alert! If using the Propeller FLiP module with a GPS module, use a 3-pin extension cable to provide some distance between the two modules to improve satellite reception and reduce interference.

Quick Code Example

The GPS Data Output Blockly example retrieves longitude, latitude, speed, heading, elevation, and number of satellites from the GPS module. The units are converted to decimal degrees and displayed in the Blockly terminal. The underlying GPS library is compatible with NEMA-formatted GPS strings. 

This example features a large number of blocks. We recommend that you download the SVG file containing this pre-arranged program below,  rather than recreate it block-by-block.

  1. Unzip the file you just downloaded and make a note of the file location.
  2. Open  BlocklyProp Solo in a Chrome browser, and make sure the BlocklykProp Launcher is also running.
  3. In BlocklyProp Solo, open the SVG project file you just unzipped.

Your workspace should now contain the following program (note that these blocks are displayed in a different layout in this image):