GPS fix keeps dropping in GCS

ArduRover Rover 4.6
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1

Hello everybody,

I have a little issue with my GPS readings on QGroundcontrol. I get a fix but it is not stable. I mean the GPS fix appears for a couple of second, then I got “No-GPS” and this phenomenon keep repeating.
My setting: Ardurover 4.6 on a Beaglebone Blue board. The GPS unit is the Grove -GPS (Air530) it is connected on the Beaglebone UA1 socket. In /etc/default/ardurover I set the following:
GPS=“-B /dev/ttyS1”
In QGroundcontrol, the GPS_TYPE is set on NMEA
I am sure I miss something key in the settings but I cannot pinpoint exactly what.
One of you would be so kind as to point me towards the right direction?
Thanks in advance for your help
I wish you a beautiful day
Alain

2

The GPS signal is probably not strong enough, or there are interferences from the USB port. Are you using any USB connections?

3

Hello,
Thanks for your reply.
No, I am not using any USB connection, the board is powered from the 12V barrel plug.
As for the GPS signal, the board is currently sitting outside with a clear view of the sky. I got 20 satellites so far…

4

Check baud rate and GPS update rate.

A baud rate mismatch could result in sync issues where some messages actually get parsed while most are simply missed.

Some NMEA modules only provide 1Hz updates by default, which is inadequate for ArduPilot.

2 Likes
5

Hello,
Thanks a lot.
Bad rate is correct 9600 so I just checked the update rate of the Air530Z and as per their documentation it is 1Hz by default…
I just hope it can be upgraded though, Is is something which can be achieved in QGroundcontrol?

6

Probably not. You’ll need to read their documentation and configure it to update at 5Hz via whatever mechanism they recommend.

2 Likes
7

Ok, I am looking into this and I’ll report back :wink:
Thanks for pointing out the culprit though

8

Hello,
A quick update before closing this topic. As you guessed it is not possible to upgrade/change the settings for this GPS unit, so I am looking for a new one (and keep my bankster depress, but it is another story…)
Thanks for your time and help, much appreciated :slight_smile: