Tag Archives: Adafruit

MicroPython, Raspberry Pi Pico, Tutorial

Getting Latitude and Longitude from the Adafruit Ultimate GPS with Raspberry Pi Pico W

July 1, 2025 admin

In this video lesson I show how to get usable Latitude and Longitude from the Adafruit Ultimate GPS version 3 using the Raspberry Pi Pico W. We read the NMEA sentences from the GPS, we parse them into individual strings for each sentence, and then we create arrays of data from the strings. Then we begin to parse the arrays, and convert the confusing numbers into useful Decimal Degree values for Latitude and Longitude.

Pi Pico GPS — This schematic shows how to connect the Adafruit Ultimate GPS to the Raspberry Pi Pico W

For your convenience, this is the code we developed in todays lesson:

# ====================================================================
# DISCLAIMER:
# This code is provided as-is for educational and experimental 
# purposes only. The author makes no representations or warranties of 
# any kind concerning the safety, suitability, or accuracy of this 
# code. Use at your own risk. The author assumes no liability for any 
# damages, system failures, security breaches, or network issues 
# resulting from the use or implementation of this script.
# ====================================================================
from machine import Pin,I2C,UART  #***************
import time
GPS = UART(1, baudrate=9600, tx=machine.Pin(8), rx=machine.Pin(9))
# The following line ensures that the GPS reports the GPVTG NMEA Sentence
GPS.write(b"$PMTK314,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0*28\r\n")
myNMEA=""
GPGGA=""
GPGSA=""
GPRMC=""
GPVTG=""
GPGSV=""
while not GPS.any():
    pass
while GPS.any():
    junk=GPS.read()
    print(junk)
try:
    while True:
        if GPS.any():
            #myChar=GPS.read(1)
            myChar=GPS.read(1).decode('utf-8')
            myNMEA=myNMEA+myChar
            if myChar=='\n':
                if myNMEA[1:6]=="GPGGA":
                    GPGGA=myNMEA
                    GPGGAarray=GPGGA.split(',')
                    #print(GPGGA)
                    #print(GPGGAarray)
                    if int(GPGGAarray[6]) != 0:
                        latRAW=GPGGAarray[2]
                        lonRAW=GPGGAarray[4]
                        numSat=int(GPGGAarray[7])
                        latDD=int(latRAW[0:2])+float(latRAW[2:])/60
                        lonDD=int(lonRAW[0:3])+float(lonRAW[3:])/60
                        if GPGGAarray[3]=='S':
                            latDD=-latDD
                        if GPGGAarray[5]=='W':
                            lonDD=-lonDD
                        print("LAT, LON, numSat ",latDD,lonDD,numSat)
                if myNMEA[1:6]=="GPGSA":
                    GPGSA=myNMEA
                    GPGSAarray=GPGSA.split(',')
                if myNMEA[1:6]=="GPRMC":
                    GPRMC=myNMEA
                    GPRMCarray=GPRMC.split(',')
                    knots=float(GPRMCarray[7])
                    heading=float(GPRMCarray[8])
                    print(knots, "Knots at a Heading of: ",heading)
                if myNMEA[1:6]=="GPVTG":
                    GPVTG=myNMEA
                    GPVTGarray=GPVTG.split(',')
                if myNMEA[1:6]=="GPGSV":
                    GPGSV=myNMEA
                    GPGSVarray=GPGSV.split(',')
                    if GPGGA!="":
                        if int(GPGGAarray[6])==0:
                            print('Aquiring Fix:', GPGSVarray[3], "Sattellites in View")
                                              
                myNMEA=""
except KeyboardInterrupt:
    print("\nStopping program... Cleaning up UART.")
    GPS.deinit()  # Properly release UART before exit
    ts=1
    time.sleep(ts)  # Short pause to ensure clean shutdown
    print("Exited cleanly.")

# ====================================================================

# DISCLAIMER:

# This code is provided as-is for educational and experimental

# purposes only. The author makes no representations or warranties of

# any kind concerning the safety, suitability, or accuracy of this

# code. Use at your own risk. The author assumes no liability for any

# damages, system failures, security breaches, or network issues

# resulting from the use or implementation of this script.

# ====================================================================

from machine import Pin,I2C,UART #***************

import time

GPS = UART(1, baudrate=9600, tx=machine.Pin(8), rx=machine.Pin(9))

# The following line ensures that the GPS reports the GPVTG NMEA Sentence

GPS.write(b"$PMTK314,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0*28\r\n")

myNMEA=""

GPGGA=""

GPGSA=""

GPRMC=""

GPVTG=""

GPGSV=""

while not GPS.any():

pass

while GPS.any():

junk=GPS.read()

print(junk)

try:

while True:

if GPS.any():

#myChar=GPS.read(1)

myChar=GPS.read(1).decode('utf-8')

myNMEA=myNMEA+myChar

if myChar=='\n':

if myNMEA[1:6]=="GPGGA":

GPGGA=myNMEA

GPGGAarray=GPGGA.split(',')

#print(GPGGA)

#print(GPGGAarray)

if int(GPGGAarray[6]) != 0:

latRAW=GPGGAarray[2]

lonRAW=GPGGAarray[4]

numSat=int(GPGGAarray[7])

latDD=int(latRAW[0:2])+float(latRAW[2:])/60

lonDD=int(lonRAW[0:3])+float(lonRAW[3:])/60

if GPGGAarray[3]=='S':

latDD=-latDD

if GPGGAarray[5]=='W':

lonDD=-lonDD

print("LAT, LON, numSat ",latDD,lonDD,numSat)

if myNMEA[1:6]=="GPGSA":

GPGSA=myNMEA

GPGSAarray=GPGSA.split(',')

if myNMEA[1:6]=="GPRMC":

GPRMC=myNMEA

GPRMCarray=GPRMC.split(',')

knots=float(GPRMCarray[7])

heading=float(GPRMCarray[8])

print(knots, "Knots at a Heading of: ",heading)

if myNMEA[1:6]=="GPVTG":

GPVTG=myNMEA

GPVTGarray=GPVTG.split(',')

if myNMEA[1:6]=="GPGSV":

GPGSV=myNMEA

GPGSVarray=GPGSV.split(',')

if GPGGA!="":

if int(GPGGAarray[6])==0:

print('Aquiring Fix:', GPGSVarray[3], "Sattellites in View")

myNMEA=""

except KeyboardInterrupt:

print("\nStopping program... Cleaning up UART.")

GPS.deinit() # Properly release UART before exit

ts=1

time.sleep(ts) # Short pause to ensure clean shutdown

print("Exited cleanly.")

MicroPython, Raspberry Pi Pico

Connecting the Adafruit Ultimate GPS to the Raspberry Pi Pico W

June 9, 2025 admin

In this video lesson we will connect the Adafruit Ultimate GPS to the Raspberry Pi Pico W, and will write a simple program to capture the data being sent by the GPS. In this lesson, we simply want to read and print the NMEA sentences coming off the GPS, and then in future lessons we will begin to parse the data, and turn the data into usable numbers. This is the schematic for connecting the GPS to your Raspberry Pi Pico W.

Then this is the simple code we developed to allow reading the data coming from the GPS.

from machine import Pin,I2C,UART  #***************
import time

GPS = UART(1, baudrate=9600, tx=machine.Pin(8), rx=machine.Pin(9))
# The following line ensures that the GPS reports the GPVTG NMEA Sentence
GPS.write(b"$PMTK314,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0*28\r\n")
try:
    while True:
        if GPS.any():
            #myChar=GPS.read(1)
            myChar=GPS.read(1).decode('utf-8')
            print(myChar, end="") #Supress the line feed, so It continues to print across
except KeyboardInterrupt:
    print("\nStopping program... Cleaning up UART.")
    GPS.deinit()  # Properly release UART before exit
    time.sleep(1)  # Short pause to ensure clean shutdown
    print("Exited cleanly.")

from machine import Pin,I2C,UART #***************

import time

GPS = UART(1, baudrate=9600, tx=machine.Pin(8), rx=machine.Pin(9))

# The following line ensures that the GPS reports the GPVTG NMEA Sentence

GPS.write(b"$PMTK314,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0*28\r\n")

try:

while True:

if GPS.any():

#myChar=GPS.read(1)

myChar=GPS.read(1).decode('utf-8')

print(myChar, end="") #Supress the line feed, so It continues to print across

except KeyboardInterrupt:

print("\nStopping program... Cleaning up UART.")

GPS.deinit() # Properly release UART before exit

time.sleep(1) # Short pause to ensure clean shutdown

print("Exited cleanly.")

MicroPython, Raspberry Pi Pico

Incorporating an Adafruit Ultimate GPS into your Raspberry Pi Pico W Project

May 2, 2025 admin

In this video lesson we will show you how to connect and begin to get data from your Raspberry Pi Pico W connected to an Adafruit Ultimate GPS. The circuit schematic presented below. Notice Tx on the Pi Pico goes to Rx on the GPS, and Rx on the Pi Pico goes to Tx on the GPS.

Then this is our initial code which reads the data from the GPS one byte at a time and prints it. In future lessons we will explain how to get useful information from this data, but for now, this code will allow you to read the data:

from machine import Pin,I2C,UART
import time

GPS = UART(1, baudrate = 9600, tx=machine.Pin(8), rx=machine.Pin(9))

try:
    while True:
        if GPS.any():
            myChar=GPS.read(1).decode('utf-8')
            print(myChar, end="")
    
except KeyboardInterrupt:
    print("\n . . . Cleaning Up UART")
    GPS.deinit()
    time.sleep(1)
    print("Cleanly Exited UART")

from machine import Pin,I2C,UART

import time

GPS = UART(1, baudrate = 9600, tx=machine.Pin(8), rx=machine.Pin(9))

try:

while True:

if GPS.any():

myChar=GPS.read(1).decode('utf-8')

print(myChar, end="")

except KeyboardInterrupt:

print("\n . . . Cleaning Up UART")

GPS.deinit()

time.sleep(1)

print("Cleanly Exited UART")

Technology Tutorials

Tag Archives: Adafruit

Getting Latitude and Longitude from the Adafruit Ultimate GPS with Raspberry Pi Pico W

Connecting the Adafruit Ultimate GPS to the Raspberry Pi Pico W

Incorporating an Adafruit Ultimate GPS into your Raspberry Pi Pico W Project

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