Arduino and Neo-6M For GPS Navigation

You cannot imagine the world these days without GPS. 

Millions of people use GPS to navigate from one place to another every day. 

GPS also plays a vital role in defence and space applications. The Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites used for media communication and weather forecasting depend on GPS for their functionality. 

GPS is also helpful in locating parcels, pets, kids, and even lost hikers!

This tutorial will build an Arduino GPS module project using the Neo-6M module from u-Blox. 

I have provided you with a full step-by-step guide, connection diagrams, and Arduino example code to build a project where you can also track the position and speed of any object. 

At the end of the article, you will find a collection of the most frequently asked questions on the GPS modules with answers.

Let’s get started!

Components Needed To Build Arduino Neo-6M GPS Project

Hardware Components

• Arduino Uno Rev3 x 1
• GY-NEO6MV2 NEO-6M GPS Flight Controller Module x 1

• Dupont wire x 1 set
• Arduino USB cable (for powering Arduino and programming) x 1

Software

• Arduino IDE

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Basics of The Neo-6M GPS Module

In this section, we will see the pinout details, features and some useful tools to complete the GPS projects.

Let us have a look at the features of the Neo-6M GPS module.

What are the features of the Neo-6M GPS module?

The Neo-6M GPS module is a variant of the GPS receivers supplied by u-Blox. The Neo-6M receiver has the following features.

• Operates from 2.7 V to 3.6 V
• Provides several serial interface options (SPI, UART, USB, etc)
• Supports RTC feature with built-in RTC crystal
• Supports External wakeup feature
• AEC-Q100 Qualified 
• Supports 50 channels
• Supports GPS in L1 band
• The time to first fix is about 27 seconds (cold Start)
• Industry best sensitivity of -161 dBm
• Supports position update rate of 5 Hz ( 5 times a second)
• Accuracy
  1. Horizontal Position – 2.5 m
  2. Velocity – 0.1 m/s

-> Read our guide about What You Can Build with Adruino.

Block Diagram of the GPS module

You can find a SAW filter (a critical component in the RF link for GPS receivers), an RF front end with integrated LNA (Low Noise Amplifier) and a baseband processor to process the signals.

Here is the pinout of the Neo-6 chip.

You can find the pin details of the Neo-6M IC here. 

No	Module	Name	I/O	Description
1	All	Reserved	I	Reserved
2	All	SS_N	I	SPI Slave Select
3	All	TIMEPULSE	O	Timepulse (1PPS)
4	All	EXTINT0	I	External Interrupt Pin
5	All	USB_DM	I/O	USB Data
6	All	USB_DP	I/O	USB Data
7	All	VDDUSB	I	USB Supply
8	All	Reserved		See Hardware Integration Manual Pin 8 and 9 must be connected.
9	All	VCC_RF	O	Output Voltage RF section  Pin 8 and 9 must be connected together.
10	All	GND	I	Ground
11	All	RF_IN	I	GPS signal input
12	All	GND	I	Ground
13	All	GND	I	Ground
14	All	MOSI/CFG_COM0	O/I	SPI MOSI / Configuration Pin.  Leave open if not used.
15	All	MISO/CFG_COM1	I	SPI MISO / Configuration Pin. Leave open if not used.
16	All	CFG_GPS0/SCK	I	Power Mode Configuration Pin / SPI Clock.  Leave open if not used.
17	All	Reserved	I	Reserved
18	All	SDA2	I/O	DDC Data
19	All	SCL2	I/O	DDC Clock
20	All	TxD1	O	Serial Port 1
21	All	RxD1	I	Serial Port 1
No	Module	Name	I/O	Description
22	All	V_BCKP	I	Backup voltage supply
23	All	VCC	I	Supply voltage

We are using the module which comes with the chip assembled already.

Let us closely see the module, the critical parts and the connector details of the Neo-6M GPS board.

The host connector has four pins. Here are the details of the four pins. You will need these pins to complete the connection with the Arduino.

Pin	Label	Function
1	VCC	Input Power pin. Connect 5 V from Arduino to the VCC pin
2	RX	GPS Module’s UART Rx pin. Connect to the Arduino Tx pin
3	TX	GPS Module’s UART Tx pin. Connect to the Arduino Rx pin
4	GND	Ground Connection

Good Resources to understand GPS and NEMA format

• About NEMA – https://www.gpsworld.com/what-exactly-is-gps-nmea-data/
• GPS basic working Principle – https://trakkitgps.com/how-gps-works/

In the next section, we will connect the Arduino UNO to the GPS module.

Step-By-Step Instructions To Connect The Neo-6M With Arduino UNO

In this section, we will build a project using Arduino UNO and the GPS receiver module from u-Blox.

The connections are easy to take significantly less time to complete.

Let’s get started with the hardware connections!

How To Connect The Neo6M GPS Module To The Arduino UNO?

Below is the step-by-step connection guide to complete the Arduino and the Neo-6M u-Blox GPS Module, and following that I have provided some example code for you to use as well.

In this project, you will interface the Neo-6M GPS module over the serial port to the Arduino UNO.

Step 1: Start with the GND connections

You can choose any GND pins on the Arduino to complete the GND connections.

It is a good practice to connect the GND pins first. 

Step 2: Connect the UART Tx pin

Connect the UART transmit pin (Tx) of the GPS module to the Arduino UNO Pin 5.

You can choose any pin on the Arduino using the software serial.

Please update the Arduino sketch to reflect the same pins on both code and the connections. 

Step 3: Connect the UART Rx pin.

Connect the GPS module’s UART receive pin (Rx) to the Arduino UNO Pin 4. You can choose any pin on the Arduino using the software serial.

Please update the Arduino sketch to reflect the same pins on both code and the connections. 

Step 4: Connect the Power pin.

Connect the GPS module’s VCC to the Arduino UNO’s 5 V pin. This completes the necessary connection.

Step 5: The Complete Connection

Congratulations! You have completed all the essential connections required for the Arduino and the Neo-6M GPS module project. 

In the next section, we will program the Arduino UNO with the sketch necessary to communicate with the Neo-6M module.

Arduino Code Example For The Neo-6M GPS Module

In this section, you will find the Arduino sketch required by the Arduino to communicate 

With the Neo-6M GPS module. 

We are going to use the TinyGPSPlus library for the project. To install the TinyGPSPlus module, follow the instructions below. 

1. Open the Arduino IDE

2. Click on Tools and choose Manage Libraries.

3. Enter TinyGPSPlus in the search bar and hit Enter

Once you find the TinyGPSPlus library, click on the Install button to install the library onto your PC.

Now you are ready to load the example code below and test the connections.

The complete Arduino code for the Neo-6M GPS Module

//Source: https://www.electronicwings.com/arduino/gps-module-interfacing-with-arduino-uno
 
 
#include "TinyGPS++.h"
#include "SoftwareSerial.h"

/* Create object named bt of the class SoftwareSerial */
SoftwareSerial GPS_SoftSerial(5, 4);/* (Rx, Tx) */
/* Create an object named gps of the class TinyGPSPlus */
TinyGPSPlus gps;
 
volatile float minutes, seconds;
volatile int degree, secs, mins;
 
void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600); /* Define baud rate for serial communication */
  GPS_SoftSerial.begin(9600); /* Define baud rate for software serial communication */
}
 
void loop() {
  smartDelay(1000); /* Generate precise delay of 1ms */
  unsigned long start;
  double lat_val, lng_val, alt_m_val;
  uint8_t hr_val, min_val, sec_val;
  bool loc_valid, alt_valid, time_valid;
  lat_val = gps.location.lat(); /* Get latitude data */
  loc_valid = gps.location.isValid(); /* Check if valid location data is available */
  lng_val = gps.location.lng(); /* Get longtitude data */
  alt_m_val = gps.altitude.meters();  /* Get altitude data in meters */
  alt_valid = gps.altitude.isValid(); /* Check if valid altitude data is available */
  hr_val = gps.time.hour(); /* Get hour */
  min_val = gps.time.minute();  /* Get minutes */
  sec_val = gps.time.second();  /* Get seconds */
  time_valid = gps.time.isValid();  /* Check if valid time data is available */
  if (!loc_valid)
  {
    Serial.print("Latitude : ");
    Serial.println("*****");
    Serial.print("Longitude : ");
    Serial.println("*****");
  }
  else
  {
    DegMinSec(lat_val);
    Serial.print("Latitude in Decimal Degrees : ");
    Serial.println(lat_val, 6);
    Serial.print("Latitude in Degrees Minutes Seconds : ");
    Serial.print(degree);
    Serial.print("\t");
    Serial.print(mins);
    Serial.print("\t");
    Serial.println(secs);
    DegMinSec(lng_val); /* Convert the decimal degree value into degrees minutes seconds form */
    Serial.print("Longitude in Decimal Degrees : ");
    Serial.println(lng_val, 6);
    Serial.print("Longitude in Degrees Minutes Seconds : ");
    Serial.print(degree);
    Serial.print("\t");
    Serial.print(mins);
    Serial.print("\t");
    Serial.println(secs);
  }
  if (!alt_valid)
  {
    Serial.print("Altitude : ");
    Serial.println("*****");
  }
  else
  {
    Serial.print("Altitude : ");
    Serial.println(alt_m_val, 6);
  }
  if (!time_valid)
  {
    Serial.print("Time : ");
    Serial.println("*****");
  }
  else
  {
    char time_string[32];
    sprintf(time_string, "Time : %02d/%02d/%02d \n", hr_val, min_val, sec_val);
    Serial.print(time_string);
  }
}
 
static void smartDelay(unsigned long ms)
{
  unsigned long start = millis();
  do
  {
    while (GPS_SoftSerial.available())  /* Encode data read from GPS while data is available on serial port */
      gps.encode(GPS_SoftSerial.read());
    /* Encode basically is used to parse the string received by the GPS and to store it in a buffer so that information can be extracted from it */
  } while (millis() - start < ms);
}
 
void DegMinSec( double tot_val)   /* Convert data in decimal degrees into degrees minutes seconds form */
{
  degree = (int)tot_val;
  minutes = tot_val - degree;
  seconds = 60 * minutes;
  minutes = (int)seconds;
  mins = (int)minutes;
  seconds = seconds - minutes;
  seconds = 60 * seconds;
  secs = (int)seconds;
}

The lines below set the software serial pins.

If you had to connect the UART pins to other Arduino UNO pins, please change the below line accordingly.

In our example, we have used Pins 5 and 4 for the UART communication.

/* Create object named bt of the class SoftwareSerial */
SoftwareSerial GPS_SoftSerial(5, 4);/* (Rx, Tx) */

If the connections and programming were successful, you would find GPS parameters in the serial terminal, such as latitude, longitude and time. 

You may not receive the data soon if you are working indoors. I suggest moving closer to a window where you can see the open sky. 

You will start to see the location information soon after you have the position locked by the GPS module. 

In the next section, you will find answers to a collection of questions on the GPS module and Arduino.

FAQs About The GPS Module Neo-6M And Arduino Projects

I have included a list of the most frequently asked questions about projects built using Arduino and the Neo-6M GPS modules from u-Blox.

If you have more questions, please post them in the comments section.

I will be glad to answer them. 

1. How do I connect my Neo 6M to my Arduino?

The Neo-6M is a GPS module which can track up to 22 satellites in view. The module consumes a typical power of about 25 mA while providing the best sensitivity for acquiring and tracking GPS signals. 

The Neo-6M module can communicate with Arduino over UART.

You can either use a dedicated serial port or create a software serial port to make Neo 6M and Arduino communicate with each other. 

2. How does GPS neo 6M work?

GPS module Ne0-6M tracks GPS satellites on the L1 band. The GPS receiver can track up to 50 channels.

The received signals from the GPS satellites are processed, and the extracted data are Ephemeris data and Almanac data.

You use this data to find the time and how far a particular satellite is. 

Once you have at least three satellites in view, the module will do triangulation and find the position of the module itself.

3. How accurate is Arduino GPS?

The accuracy of the GPS modules depends on many factors. For example, a first moving vehicle in a sub-urban area needs a position faster rather than a precision of centimetres. 

Accuracy is critical when you are performing specified jobs using robots in logistics.

The Neo-6M accuracy also depends on the number of satellites it tracks.

The horizontal accuracy is 2.5 m, and the velocity accuracy is 0.1 m/s. 

4. Is Neo-6M GPS accurate?

The Neo-6 Modules from u-Blox are accurate. The datasheet specifications are one of the best in the industry.

The accuracy related to speed, position and time are as below.

5. How do I add the TinyGPS library to Arduino?

TinyGPS library is a versatile tool to parse the NMEA message from GPS modules. 

To install the TinyGPS library on your PC, follow the steps below.

1. Open Arduino IDE. Click on Tools. Select the Manage Libraries option. 
2. You are now in the library options window
3. Type “tinyGPS” in the search bar and hit ‘Enter’
4. Select the library TinyGPS from the results
5. Click on the Install button.

The library is now ready to use in your future Arduino GPS projects.

Conclusion

In this article, we covered the basics of using GPS with Arduino. 

We looked at the key features of the GPS receiver module Neo-6M from u-Blox, and also covered a few terminologies and tools which help process the GPS data.

I have good experience working with GPS receivers for commercial vehicles and space applications (satellites, missiles, etc.).

I will gladly answer your questions if you want to know more! 

If you have any feedback to improve the article, please share it in the comments section.

Your valuable input helps me to improve the article quality and bring more helpful content in the future. 

Please remember to share the GPS Neo-6M article with your fellow Arduino enthusiasts.