Hand to hand with GPS

Episode: 2
NMEA Messages
As we all know, what is GPS?
GPS is a system, widely used throughout the globe. It recites versatile superfluous
information including position, speed, time, altitude very precisely. Its having
diverse applications like navigation, tracking, tracing, location, timing and very soon
it will be very essential indigence for human being as same as the telephone.
Now briefly we see the constituents of GPS. It uses between 24 and 32 Medium
Earth Orbit satellites that transmit precise microwave signals. A GPS receiver
receives that microwave signals to determine the above mentioned information. It
was developed by United States for defence purpose, but now it can be accessed by
everyone freely.
The important questions are, how can we use GPS? , what information we can
get? So now a days it is very easy to use GPS, many of the electronic gazettes around
us are loaded with GPS and these are having very easy to use graphical user
interface. Tracking, navigation, mapping can be done with the help of these gazettes.
But to make customize systems that use GPS as per our requirement, we just require
a GPS receiver.
A GPS receiver is a chip that receives microwave signals from satellites, converts
that signals to a particular message protocol like NMEA and gives serial output. We
can use that serial output in our system. The canonical hassle is to understand the
protocol of NMEA. We are going to describe an algorithm that takes serial input,
analyze it and recites the superfluous information.
The algorithm is very easygoing, can be implemented to any programming
language, any embedded systems compiler like Keil, AVR studio, winAVR, Keil for
ARM etc.
What is NMEA message format?, National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA)
is an organisation that is creating standards for marine electronics to unify the
systems. In GPSs context NMEA standards are the communication protocol,
followed by GPS receiver to give serial output.

Fig 1 | Understanding NMEA messages.

The diagram shows that a GPS receiver receives microwave signals from
satellite system and gives output in NMEA messages. NMEA messages are
basically packets of data or information. GPS receiver delivers information
line by line, here we refer these lines as the packets of information. These
messages are classified in various types of packets. Each packet has its own
protocol to send the information. These packets are identified by their
names. GPS receiver sends these packets serially, every second it delivers a
packet of information.

Fig 2 | understanding of NMEA Packets

First five character of a packet represent the packet name, and other
superfluous information separated by comma.

Ie.

$GPVTG,176.41,T,,M,0.00,N,0.00,K,A*38

Here $GPVTG is packet name and it is followed by other information.

Fig 3 | Actual NMEA messages

Important NMEA message packets.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

GGA Global Positioning System Fix Data

GLL Geographic Position Latitude/Longitude
GSA DOP and Active Satellites
GSV Satellites in view
RMC Recommended Minimum Specific GNSS Data
VTG Course Over Ground and Ground Speed

a. $GPGGA - Global Positioning System Fix Data

Data/Information : Time, Position, Numbers of satellite used, altitude
etc.
Message format:
$GPGGA,hhmmss.ss,LLmm.llll,{N/S},yyymm.mmmm,{E/W},i,ns,h.d,a.h,M,
g.s,M,a.s,XXXX*CS
Index
Message
0
$GPGGA
1
hhmmss.ss

LLmm.mmmm

{N/S}

Discription
Packet name (Global Positioning System Fix Data)
UTC Time
hh : hours
mm : minutes
ss.ss : seconds
Latitude
LL : Degree
mm.mmmm = minutes
North or South

yyymmm.mmmm

5
6

{E/W}
i

7
8
9
10
11

ns
h.d
a.h
M
g.s

12
13
14
15

M
a.s
XXXX
CS

Longitude
yyy : Degree
mmm.mmmm : minutes
East or West
Valid indicator (Fix value)
0: Not valid
1: Valid
Number satellites used
HDOP : Horizontal Dilution Of Precision
Altitude
Antenna height Unit (meters)
Difference between the WGS-84 reference ellipsoid
surface and the mean-sea-level altitude.
Unit of above parameter (meters)
Age in seconds since last update
Reference station ID
Check Sum

Table 1 | GGA Packet format

b. $GPGLL Geographic Position Latitude/Longitude

Data/Information: Position, UTC time, and status etc.
Packet format:
$GPGLL,LLmm.mmmm,{N/S},yyymm.mmmm,{E/W},hhmmss.ss,i,m*CS
Index
Message
0
$GPGLL
1
LLmm.mmmm

2
3

{N/S}
yyymmm.mmmm

4
5

{E/W}
hhmmss.ss

CS

Discription
Packet name (Geographic Position Latitude/Longitude)
Latitude
LL : Degree
mm.mmmm = minutes
North or South
Longitude
yyy : Degree
mmm.mmmm : minutes
East or West
UTC Time
hh : hours
mm : minutes
ss.ss : seconds
Status indicator
A : valid
V : invalid
Mode indicator
A: autonomous
N: data not valid
Check sum

Table 2 | GLL Packet format

c. $GPGSA DOP and Active Satellites

Data/Information : Operating mode, satellite used in fix position and DOP etc.

Packet format:
$GPGSA,i,j,aa,aa,aa,aa,aa,aa,aa,aa,aa,aa,aa,aa,p.d,h.d,v.d*CS

Index
Message
0
$GPGSA
1
i

3
4
5
6
7

aa
p.d
h.d
v.d
CS

Discription
Packet name (DOP and Active Satellites)
: Mode
M : Manual, forced to operate in 2D or 3D
A : Automatic, 3D/2D
: Mode
1 : Fix not available
2 : 2D
3 : 3D
Ids of Satellites used in position fix , null for unused
PDOP
HDOP
VDOP
Check sum

Table 3 | GSA packet format

d. $GPGSV : GPS Satellites in view

Data/information : Messages, messages id, satellite id, elevation, azimuth etc.

Packet format:
$GPGSV,N,M, ns,si,se,saz,sn,. , ns,si,se,saz,sn *CS
Index
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8-19
20

Message
$GPGSV
N
M
ns
si
Se
saz
sn
3 set of 4-7
CS

Discription
Packet name (GPS Satellites in view)
Number of messages
Message Number
Number of satellites in view
Satellites ID
Satellites Elevation
Satellite azimuth
SNR number
Satellites information
Checksum

Table 4 | GSV packet format

e. $GPRMC Recommended Minimum Specific GNSS Data

Data/information : Time, Date, Position, speed and status etc.
Packet Format:
$GPRMC,hhmmss.ss,i,LLmm.mmmm,{N/S},yyymm.mmmm,{E/W},s.n,t.c,DDMMYY,m.v,
{E/W},
m*CS<CR><LF>

Index
Message
0
$GPRMC
1

hhmmss.ss

LLmm.mmmm

4
5

{N/S}
yyymmm.mmmm

6
7
8
9
10
11
12

{E/W}
s.n
t.c
DDMMYY
m.v
{E/W}
m

13

CS

Discription
Packet name (Recommended Minimum Specific GNSS
Data)
UTC Time
hh : hours
mm : minutes
ss.ss : seconds
Valid indicator
0: Not valid
1: Valid
Latitude
LL : Degree
mm.mmmm = minutes
North or South
Longitude
yyy : Degree
mmm.mmmm : minutes
East or West
Speed in Knots
True Course/ Heading
Date
Magnetic variation
East or West
Mode indicator
A: autonomous
N: data not valid
Check Sum

Table 5 | RMC packet format

f. $GPVTG Course Over Ground and Ground Speed

Data/Information: Speed and course.
Packet format:
$GPVTG,m.v,T,m.h,M,s.n,N,s.k,K,m*CS<CR><LF>
Index
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

10

Message
$GPVTG
m.v
T
m.h
M
s.n
N
s.k
K
m

CS

Discription
Packet name (Course Over Ground and Ground Speed)
Magnetic Variation / heading
Fixed text (Heading unit degree)
Magnetic heading
Degree, magnetic heading unit
Speed in Knots
Speed unit Knots
Speed in KM per Hour
Speed unit KM / hr
Mode indicator
A: autonomous
N: data not valid
Check sum

Table 4 | GSV packet format

Algo for extracting GPS data

form NMEA messages
Step 1. Create connection with GPS receiver.
Step 2. While RX: go to Step 3
Step3. Message = Read Line (Rx data)
Step4. if ( message [0:2] ! = $GP ) we are not getting NMEA messages / packets
{
Break go to step 3.
}
.
else we are getting NMEA messages.
{
Step 5. if (message [0:5+ = = $GPGGA )
{
Fragments [] = explode(, message)
if (Fragments [2] == OR Fragments [4] == )
{
latitude or longitude cant be determined
Break loop go to step 3
}
UTCTime = Fragments[1]
Format :- hhmmss.ss
UTCTime = UTCTime *0:1+ . :.UTCTime *2:3+ . :.UTCTime *4:5+
Format :- hh:mm:ss
Latitude = Fragments [2]
-Format :- xxmm.dddd
Latitude = Latitude[0:1] + Latitude[2:8] / 60
-Format :- Decimal format
Loc_N/S = Fragments[3]
Longitude = Fragments[4]
-Format:- yyymm.dddd
Longitude = Longitude[0:2] + Longitude [3:9] / 60
-Format :- Decimal format

Loc_E/W = Fragments[5]
Fix = Fragments[6]
Nos_satellite = Fragments[7]
HDOP = Fragments[8]
Altitude = Fragments[9]
Break go to step 3.
}
Step6. if (message *0:5+ = = $GPGLL )
{
Fragments *+ = explode(, message)
if (Fragments *1+ == OR Fragments *3+ == )
{
latitude or longitude cant be determined
Break loop go to step 3
}
Latitude = Fragments [1]
-Format :- xxmm.dddd
Latitude = Latitude[0:1] + Latitude[2:8] / 60
-Format :- Decimal format
Loc_N/S = Fragments[2]
Longitude = Fragments[3]
-Format:- yyymm.dddd
Longitude = Longitude[0:2] + Longitude [3:9] / 60
-Format :- Decimal format
Loc_E/W = Fragments[4]
UTCTime = Fragments[5]
Format :- hhmmss.ss
UTCTime = UTCTime *0:1+ . :.UTCTime *2:3+ . :.UTCTime *4:5+
Format :- hh:mm:ss
Status = Fragments[6]
Mode = Fragments [7]
Break go to step 3.

}
Step7. if (message *0:5+ = = $GPGSA )
{
Fragments *+ = explode(, message)
Mode_a = Fragments[1]
Mode_b = Fragments[2]
Operating_setellites = Fragments[3]
PDOP = Fragments[4]
HDOP = Fragments[5]
VDOP = Fragments[6]
Break go to step 3.
}
Step8. if (message *0:5+ = = $GPGSV )
{
Fragments *+ = explode(, message)
Nos_messages = Fragments[1]
Message_No = Fragments[2]
Nos_setellites = Fragments[3]
Satellite_ID = Fragments[4]
Satellite_elevation = Fragments[5]
Satellite_azimuth = Fragments[6]
SNR_No = Fragments[7]
Break go to step 3.
}
Step 9. if (message *0:5+ = = $GPRMC )
{
Fragments *+ = explode(, message)
if (Fragments *3+ == OR Fragments *5+ == )
{
latitude or longitude cant be determined
Break loop go to step 3
}
UTCTime = Fragments[1]
Format :- hhmmss.ss
UTCTime = UTCTime *0:1+ . :.UTCTime *2:3+ . :.UTCTime *4:5+
Format :- hh:mm:ss
Status = Fragments[2]

Latitude = Fragments [3]

-Format :- xxmm.dddd
Latitude = Latitude[0:1] + Latitude[2:8] / 60
-Format :- Decimal format
Loc_N/S = Fragments[4]
Longitude = Fragments[5]
-Format:- yyymm.dddd
Longitude = Longitude[0:2] + Longitude [3:9] / 60
-Format :- Decimal format
Loc_E/W = Fragments[6]
Speed = Fragments[7]
Heading = Fragments[8]
Date = Fragments[9]
-format :- ddmmyy
Date = Date*0:1+. -. Date*2:3+. -. Date*4:5+
-Format:- dd-mm-yy
Magnetic_variation = Fragments[10]
Mode = Fragments[12]
Break go to step 3.
}
Step10. if (message *0:5+ = = $GPVTG )
{
Fragments *+ = explode(, message)
Heading = Fragments[1]
Heading_unit = Fragments[2]
Magnetic_heading = Fragments[3]
Magnetic_heading_unit= Fragments[4]
Speed_knots= Fragments[5]
Speed_unit_knots = Fragments[6]
Speed_KM = Fragments[7]
Speed_unit_KM = Fragments[8]
Mode = Fragments[9]
Break -go to step. 3
}
Break go to step 3.
}

Explanation for some functions used in algo :

Message[i:j] : here message in a string that stores a packet in it.
Message[i:j] : represent a substring of message from index i to j elements (note i
and j both are included).
Explode : it splits the string in to fragments by a specific character, here we are splitting
message by comma ,, and it stores all the fragments in to an array named
fragments[].
Other notations are common notations for many programming languages like C, C++.
User can use either full or partial algorithm according to requirement.