Comments on article "Navibe GM720 : setting and using with Linux"

<p>I recently buy an USB GPS, also called GPS Mouse, <a class="reference" href="http://www.navibe.com/product/gps_mouse/gm720/gm720.htm">Navibe GM720</a> on eBay. I'll use it with Linux on my Apple iBook G4.</p> <div class="contents topic" id="contents"> <p class="topic-title first"><a name="contents">Contents</a></p> <ul class="simple"> <li><a class="reference" href="#hardware" id="id4" name="id4">Hardware</a><ul> <li><a class="reference" href="#gps" id="id5" name="id5">GPS</a></li> <li><a class="reference" href="#computer" id="id6" name="id6">Computer</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a class="reference" href="#setting" id="id7" name="id7">Setting</a><ul> <li><a class="reference" href="#hardware-id" id="id8" name="id8">Hardware ID</a></li> <li><a class="reference" href="#setting-an-usb-gps-with-linux" id="id9" name="id9">Setting an USB GPS with Linux</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a class="reference" href="#using" id="id10" name="id10">Using</a><ul> <li><a class="reference" href="#verify-you-can-access-your-gps" id="id11" name="id11">Verify you can access your GPS</a></li> <li><a class="reference" href="#gpsd" id="id12" name="id12">GPSd</a></li> <li><a class="reference" href="#gpsd-tools-sirfmon" id="id13" name="id13">Gpsd tools : sirfmon</a></li> <li><a class="reference" href="#gpsd-tools-cgps" id="id14" name="id14">Gpsd tools : cgps</a></li> <li><a class="reference" href="#gpsd-tools-xgps" id="id15" name="id15">Gpsd tools : xgps</a></li> <li><a class="reference" href="#gpsd-tools-cgpxlogger" id="id16" name="id16">Gpsd tools : cgpxlogger</a></li> <li><a class="reference" href="#gpsdrive" id="id17" name="id17">GpsDrive</a></li> <li><a class="reference" href="#navit" id="id18" name="id18">Navit</a></li> <li><a class="reference" href="#openstreetmap" id="id19" name="id19">OpenStreetMap</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a class="reference" href="#ibook-with-gentoo-and-gps-use" id="id20" name="id20">iBook with Gentoo and GPS use</a></li> <li><a class="reference" href="#thanks" id="id21" name="id21">Thanks</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="section" id="hardware"> <h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id4" name="hardware">Hardware</a></h1> <div class="section" id="gps"> <h2><a class="toc-backref" href="#id5" name="gps">GPS</a></h2> <p>The <a class="reference" href="http://www.navibe.com/product/gps_mouse/gm720/gm720.htm">Navibe GM720</a> uses a USB-to-Serial converter from Prolific. The GPS chipset is the <a class="reference" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SiRFstar_III">SiRF Star III</a>, a recent and famous chipset used in numerous current GPS receivers.</p> <div class="image"><img alt="http://home.zyrianes.net/blog/static/includes/NGM720Pen.png" src="http://home.zyrianes.net/blog/static/includes/NGM720Pen.png" /></div> </div> <div class="section" id="computer"> <h2><a class="toc-backref" href="#id6" name="computer">Computer</a></h2> <p>I use an Apple iBook G4 with Gnu/Linux Gentoo PPC distribution. This 12" iBook is small enough, I can put it in a back bag and the battery allows 3-4 endurance hours.</p> <div class="image"><img alt="http://home.zyrianes.net/blog/static/includes/iBook.png" src="http://home.zyrianes.net/blog/static/includes/iBook.png" /></div> </div> </div> <div class="section" id="setting"> <h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id7" name="setting">Setting</a></h1> <div class="section" id="hardware-id"> <h2><a class="toc-backref" href="#id8" name="hardware-id">Hardware ID</a></h2> <p>lsusb only shows the USB-to-Serial converter:</p> <pre class="literal-block"> # lsusb Bus 003 Device 002: ID 067b:2303 Prolific Technology, Inc. PL2303 Serial Port </pre> <p>cgps reports: <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">SiRF</span> <span class="pre">binary</span> <span class="pre">GSW3.2.0PAT_3</span></tt>.</p> </div> <div class="section" id="setting-an-usb-gps-with-linux"> <h2><a class="toc-backref" href="#id9" name="setting-an-usb-gps-with-linux">Setting an USB GPS with Linux</a></h2> <p>A lot of these (all?) USB GPS use the Prolific USB-to-Serial converter. So your kernel needs the pl2303 driver.</p> <p>Linux kernel setting (here v2.6.23-rc1):</p> <pre class="literal-block"> Device Drivers ---> [*] USB support ---> USB Serial Converter support ---> <M> USB Serial Converter support <M> USB Prolific 2303 Single Port Serial Driver </pre> <p>When you plug your USB GPS, you see in /var/log/messages:</p> <pre class="literal-block"> Jul 29 17:23:40 iyn usb 3-1: new full speed USB device using ohci_hcd and address 3 Jul 29 17:23:40 iyn usb 3-1: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice Jul 29 17:23:40 iyn pl2303 3-1:1.0: pl2303 converter detected Jul 29 17:23:40 iyn usb 3-1: pl2303 converter now attached to ttyUSB0 </pre> <p>If none, verify if the pl2303 module is loaded, with the command lsmod:</p> <pre class="literal-block"> # lsmod | grep pl2303 pl2303 21956 0 </pre> <p>If none, the command:</p> <pre class="literal-block"> insmod pl2303 </pre> <p>loads the module.</p> <p>You see that the GPS can be accessed with the <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">ttyUSB0</span></tt> serial device, so I'll use the <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">/dev/ttyUSB0</span></tt> device name.</p> </div> </div> <div class="section" id="using"> <h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id10" name="using">Using</a></h1> <div class="section" id="verify-you-can-access-your-gps"> <h2><a class="toc-backref" href="#id11" name="verify-you-can-access-your-gps">Verify you can access your GPS</a></h2> <p>The <a class="reference" href="http://gpsd.berlios.de/">gpsd</a> suite has the <a class="reference" href="http://gpsd.berlios.de/sirfmon.html">sirfmon</a> utility which communicates with the GPS through the serial port (or through gpsd, see below).</p> <p>Starts it with:</p> <pre class="literal-block"> sirfmon /dev/ttyUSB0 </pre> <p>This software displays on top the informations received from the GPS and on bottom the raw communication with the GPS.</p> </div> <div class="section" id="gpsd"> <h2><a class="toc-backref" href="#id12" name="gpsd">GPSd</a></h2> <p>The <a class="reference" href="http://gpsd.berlios.de/">gpsd</a> daemon is an abstraction layer. It communicates through the physical serial port GPS and offers services (lat, long, ...) to its clients (cgps, sirfmon, gpsdrive, navit, ...).</p> <p>A lot of Linux applications use it, and it is ported to Open/Free/NetBSD and Mac OS X.</p> <p>It's very simple, just start the daemon with</p> <pre class="literal-block"> gpsd /dev/ttyUSB0 </pre> <p>If you want to kill it, use the <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">killall</span> <span class="pre">gpsd</span></tt> command.</p> <p>FYI: gpsd installs the usb hotplug rules.</p> <p>The <a class="reference" href="http://gpsd.berlios.de/">gpsd</a> suite has a lot of very usefull tools.</p> </div> <div class="section" id="gpsd-tools-sirfmon"> <h2><a class="toc-backref" href="#id13" name="gpsd-tools-sirfmon">Gpsd tools : sirfmon</a></h2> <p><a class="reference" href="http://gpsd.berlios.de/sirfmon.html">sirfmon</a> is a <a class="reference" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SiRFstar_III">SiRF Star III</a> chipset specific tool, it displays a lot of advanced information from this specific chipset class GPS. It'a a textual tool.</p> <p>Start gpsd if not yet done, and just:</p> <pre class="literal-block"> sirfmon </pre> <p>and sirfmon will use gpsd to get geographic informations, see this Sirfmon screenshot:</p> <div class="image"><img alt="http://home.zyrianes.net/blog/static/includes/sirfmon.png" src="http://home.zyrianes.net/blog/static/includes/sirfmon.png" /></div> </div> <div class="section" id="gpsd-tools-cgps"> <h2><a class="toc-backref" href="#id14" name="gpsd-tools-cgps">Gpsd tools : cgps</a></h2> <p><a class="reference" href="http://gpsd.berlios.de/xgps.html">cgps</a> is also a text tool which displays useful geographic informations, but it isn't specific to one chipset class GPS. See this cgps screenshot:</p> <div class="image"><img alt="http://home.zyrianes.net/blog/static/includes/cgps.png" src="http://home.zyrianes.net/blog/static/includes/cgps.png" /></div> </div> <div class="section" id="gpsd-tools-xgps"> <h2><a class="toc-backref" href="#id15" name="gpsd-tools-xgps">Gpsd tools : xgps</a></h2> <p>It's same as cgps but with a graphic interface.</p> </div> <div class="section" id="gpsd-tools-cgpxlogger"> <h2><a class="toc-backref" href="#id16" name="gpsd-tools-cgpxlogger">Gpsd tools : cgpxlogger</a></h2> <p><a class="reference" href="http://gpsd.berlios.de/xgps.html">cgpxlogger</a> is a gps data logger, it displays GPS informations, in GPX format.</p> <p>Use example:</p> <pre class="literal-block"> # cgpxlogger > 2007-07-29_20h08.gpx </pre> <p>and <tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">Ctrl-c</span></tt> stop it.</p> <p>GPX is one of the most known gps data logger format, a lot of applications use it. It's a good solution if you want trace your way or help the <a class="reference" href="http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/OpenStreetMap:About">OSM</a> project.</p> </div> <div class="section" id="gpsdrive"> <h2><a class="toc-backref" href="#id17" name="gpsdrive">GpsDrive</a></h2> <p><a class="reference" href="http://www.gpsdrive.de/">gpsdrive</a> is a car navigation system for laptops. It can download maps from Expedia or TopoZone. See this Gps Drive screenshot:</p> <div class="image"><img alt="http://home.zyrianes.net/blog/static/includes/GpsDrive.png" src="http://home.zyrianes.net/blog/static/includes/GpsDrive.png" /></div> </div> <div class="section" id="navit"> <h2><a class="toc-backref" href="#id18" name="navit">Navit</a></h2> <p><a class="reference" href="http://navit.sourceforge.net/">navit</a> is a car navigation system for laptops and embedded touch screen displays. For the installation, you need some specific libraries: <a class="reference" href="http://www.cegui.org.uk/">cegui</a> with openGL support and quesoglc. See this <a class="reference" href="http://navit.wiki.sourceforge.net/Getting+started">Navit installation page</a> from the project. This is a promising project.</p> </div> <div class="section" id="openstreetmap"> <h2><a class="toc-backref" href="#id19" name="openstreetmap">OpenStreetMap</a></h2> <p><a class="reference" href="http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/OpenStreetMap:About">OSM</a> is a collaborative editable map. Most of the current maps have restrictive rights, this project allows each person with a GPS to upgrade the <a class="reference" href="http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/OpenStreetMap:About">OSM</a> map. Some softwares (like Navit) can use this non-commercial Map. See the current <a class="reference" href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/index.html">OSM Map</a>.</p> </div> </div> <div class="section" id="ibook-with-gentoo-and-gps-use"> <h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id20" name="ibook-with-gentoo-and-gps-use">iBook with Gentoo and GPS use</a></h1> <p><tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">/etc/init.d/pbbuttonsd</span> <span class="pre">stop</span></tt> deactivates the suspend to ram process, when you close your laptop or after 5mn of inactivity, so you can log your GPS way with cgpxlogger, and import it to <a class="reference" href="http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/OpenStreetMap:About">OSM</a>.</p> </div> <div class="section" id="thanks"> <h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id21" name="thanks">Thanks</a></h1> <p>gpsd developers, Gwenn, Jkx.</p> </div> http://home.zyrianes.net/blog/Articles/158/ Comments on article "Navibe GM720 : setting and using with Linux"