KR1 & GPS New Firmware Beta

uptil7000 · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 13

Testing KR1+GPS latest Firmware coding.

I just got a brand new KR1 with the GPS module. I am not using anything as far as plotting current position with it for now, except Google Earth and Google Maps.

I am using Build gps110b3.bix (Firmware Version: gps110 , 2007-10-25 21:21)
Carrier: Sprint
Data Card: Novatel S720
Direct Connect Amplifier
One of those little magic Antennas they sell from here. (That little thing Rocks)

I have a new wilson cellular Antenna that will be installed in the spring along with a bunch of other stuff. Just testing equipment for now to determine best setup.

Just took a trip from Chicago to Kentucky in the motorhome. I am driving so troubleshooting on the road is kept to a minimum. It kept updating position except when I lost power to the router a few times by mistake. Hardwiring everything in should solve this problem for the most part.

I also lost routing after coming out of the evdo area in Chicago and switched to 1x. Not really sure on why this happened or when it picked back up. I think I dropped coverage at some point for about 15 - 30 Minutes but it came back on.

The card was showing green the whole time but I could not get anything in or out. All of a sudden it came back and everything was fine again. The laptop was shutdown and I was driving at the time so I am not sure what happened.

I have not used an old build but I think I have seen posts of yours in other forums.

Everything on this leg of the trip seemed ok except for a couple things.

1. I had to boot up my laptop and telnet into the router at least 3 times to get the GPS to pass info. (Always happened after losing power to the router) Huge pain in the butt. Is there a way around this?

2. No tag on info it's passing. Can't change it in the software like you stated above. When it gets pulled from Google maps it says KR1 GPS at the top of the page. The point on the map says nothing. There is a * in the properties.

3. Location Icon in Google earth comes up as X. Not sure if this is normal. Is there a way to change it?? I would assume this is coming from the KML file the router is sending. When I change it in Google Earth it destroys the change on the next refresh. Not a big deal at all just asking. Using even the same Icons that google earth let's you use would work.

4. No path logging at all. Again not sure if this is normal but would sure be nice. Is this a second party software thing and using it with Com port emulation software? I would think that's the solution but wanted to check to make sure.

It's up and running now but we are stopped for the night. We will be back on the road tomorrow. If you want to check the feed here are the URL's.

Google Maps: http://steve.is-lost.org:8888/x.html

Google Earth: http://steve.is-lost.org:8888/x.kml

I have setup a VERY basic page to check what's possible. This is extremely early in my testing but the possibilities look GREAT.

After I get 10 posts I will start PM'ing you with a couple other pages I am developing. I don't want to violate any board rules by posting personal websites here. If anyone is intrested PM me and I will send the URL.

Steve

deparson · EVDO Junkie Joined: 30 Aug 2006 Posts: 251

Very interesting stuff.

I am correct that the Google Map you posted shows your current position?

tz1 · Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 8:15 am Post subject:

1. You should not have to telnet into the router, but first, what OS are you using on the Laptop. If it is windows, what does the status say (enable the "show icon when connected"). After repowering/rebooting, it can take 30-45 seconds to get a network connection (and DHCP, etc.), and then up to 20-30 seconds before the GPS is active. It may have righted itself automatically, but the telnet was just a coincidence (what do you do in the telnet session?).

2. It is in the "Server" section - I need to double-check as I may have accidentally retrograded this change. Click "Basic" on the top bar, then "WAN (EVDO)" on the side. What is in the "Server-name" box (which should be the third of four)? That should be the text which appears instead of KR1 GPS.

3. I haven't figured a way to do a better Icon than the blue-x box, but I'll see what I can do. The problem is (like the above text) there are limits on what can be stored and where, and I have to specify an Icon or a style - it may be possible to add a changeable style.

4. No path on google-maps. Try loading (periodically with refresh) the :8081/current.kml file. It should show the last 5 minutes. The KMZ files have the earlier parts of your journey. Actually you can point google maps at the current.kml file, but it always caches it so won't update it properly (as well as the kml with the coordinate - the kml/kmzs work in google maps). WARNING - I have a timer that deletes the KMZ files if they are successfully downloaded after about 5 minutes, so it is better to download them locally.

kml/kmz files are at the 8081 port.
The first one worked (but might cache-lock):
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://steve.is-lost.org:8888/x.kml
The second I wasn't able to display, maybe because Google timed out or doesn't like 8081:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http://steve.is-lost.org:8081/current.kml

uptil7000 · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 13

deparson

Yes that's us!!! You should see us moving in the next hour or so. We are on the way to Atlanta. What you see is the KR1 Router with the Gps Module boutght here sending location data.

I am about to get back on the road so this will be short.

1. I am running windows on the laptop. I understand the connection issues and how long it takes to boot the router and GPS. I replaced my Linksys with the KRI.

TELNET - I am just following what is the support doc that came with the KR1 and GPS under TroubleShooting. I let it sit for over an hour last night after a reboot and had to telnet to get the GPS to start sending (AGAIN). I am just changing the port speed back and forth and boom it starts going.

FYI - Worked my way up from Desktop Support to director of Information Technolgy for a Online University in Chicago (before I learned it pays better working for yourself). Not tooting my horn just wanted to let you know I understand networks and the rest of this stuff and how to troubleshoot. I do miss some of the little details but get the concept and how it should work.

2 I changed that box and rebooted like you said in the earlier post. I just confirmed and will reboot again. Hang on before you go through the code. I want to make sure it's not on my end.

3. The Blue box is fine I was just wondering what else could be used. I know it's limited but if someone like the person in another post wanting to do Multiple Vehicle tracking. Changing the Icon for each one would be helpful. Just a thought.

4. I will play with that tonight. I also have a Trackstick so I have a history. I was just trying how to make this cooler for the end users espically pairing it with something like Goops.

5. I was running into the same problem with 8081 and trying to pull up Google maps.

I will let you know how today goes after we get setteled tonight.

uptil7000 · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 13

***NOTE*** I just want to make clear to everyone that I am testing the NEW firmware with additional features. The old firmware with GPS works fine.

TZ,

Just confirmed one more time. After rebooting router no GPS data sent until I telnet in and change the speed of the port back and forth. I let it sit while I buttoned up the motorhome.

Maybe I should clarify this. It is sending data and I have a connection, Google maps sees the connection the only problem is it is 0,0. So I am somewhere in the Ocean off Africa. Once I chage the port speed back and forth the real data gets sent and I am tracking Live again.

tz1 · Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 10:53 am Post subject:

I think the title is limited to 16 characters or something. The KR1 may store or display more, but where I'm grabbing it from may be truncated (and it may also dislike spaces - if so, use underscores).

Thanks for the tip about your experience. I tend to get a mix, so try not to assume too much, and some are experts at one thing but not others.

I have an auto-baud detect system that looks for the GPS stream at various speeds, including 38,400 and 4800. There might be some noise at a different baud rate causing hiccups. Using a Garmin or similar utility to set the GPS baud rate to 38,400 (which I use because I normally run a 5Hz GPS) might help.

tz1 · Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 11:31 am Post subject:

current.kml also may not work even if it is up - I tried hard to make sure it would copy a valid file but may have to go back now that I'm writing more data to it (note it is edited each GPS update so the closing tags must be rewritten and the file pointer backed up, so things get complicated when trying to send it at the same time).

tz1 · Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 2:57 pm Post subject:

It seems to be working - I was able to follow you for a short time on the freeway to a rest stop or pull off area near Manchester, TN. Since I'm also using my KR1 in a non-EVDO area to link at the moment, I've limited the refresh rates. Even the kmz with time files seem to be working.

I might be able to do the icon the same way I do the angle-height (x-60-1500.kml to get 60 degrees / 1500 meters height, maybe add ?icon=xyz.png, but I'll have to experiment).

uptil7000 · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 13

Yes I noticed today about the character limit. There was a story aobut us in a magazine that came out last month. They called us RoadWarrios in the article. That's where the tag came from. Seemed kind of lame but could not think of anything else.

It was very cool today. I still had to Telnet in twice today. It's more of a ghost problem. I rebooted the router a few times today to try to make it hang. Of course when I was trying to do it everything worked fine. I think your right about it being noise on the GPS line making it hiccup.

I know when I do the telnet thing it responds after switching to 3 and then 4. Everthing seems to just wake up. Problem is I don't have a telnet app on my iPhone so it requires me to boot and use one of our laptops.

I have an iPhone that I am using to check to see when it's up and down. I can even put the URL into the Google maps program on the iPhone and there I am. This is on maps on the iPhone not in a regular browser window. Of course it should work but after messing with computers for so long I am always surprised when it does.

I search for the URL again and it updates me. VERY GEEKY but VERY COOL.

What I noticed today was a number next to my RoadWarrior tag on Google maps on the iPhone. At first I thought it was my IP address (oh no) but it kept changing when I did a refresh. Took a couple minutes before I relized it was my SPEED.

Showed it to the wife, she was not nearly as impressed as I was.

Glad you saw the trip for a while. Everything was humming along when you were watching. We had stopped to let the dogs out for a bathroom break. That was the stop you saw at a truck pulloff.

We have meetings all day tomorrow. We are leaving here on Sunday and driving back for 2 days. I should be able to test more on the way back. Any suggestions or updates let me know and I will load them up before we go.

Steve

uptil7000 · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 13

BTW - Weird thing going on with Google and cacheing. Take a look at the URL you posted today. It still shows an old posioin (where we were last night) and does not update at all.

Strange since you are using a direct URL that has no new data in it. I thought it was something I my end and the way the embedded URL was formatted.

If I do another search on the URL it comes up with the right map and location.

tz1 · Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2007 6:31 am Post subject:

Google maps is bad at caching KML files. I forgot what I needed to do to flush the cache, but they do mention it somewhere in their API document.

I don't know where the speed is coming from (I may need to check for a string leak and declare it a feature instead of a bug).

Thanks for helping test!.

uptil7000 · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 13

I would list it as a feature. I really like the fact you can tell the speed. By listing the speed it also let's you know if they are moving at all.

No problem helping to test. I will be driving back for the next 2 days so keep an eye on it if you can.

Next week I will be going to Columbus so I think I will find a tracking solution to add to it and test that too. I should also see where the drop outs for the connections are.

Any reccomendations? Something that will work without me having a laptop on would be the best. I will be taking my car on tha trip. I hate to leave all that gear on the front seat while I am stopped someplace to eat or get gas.

tz1 · Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 12:12 pm Post subject:

1. The baud finding is automated on the new version, however the next beta should tweak it so it should be better at finding it. Telnetting won't work, however telnet 22947 should show things when the the noise/stream starts working.

2. For GoogleEarth, Speed is a feature. I forgot I put it in. I'm adding the name string to the web page title. Still working on the icons.

3. I'm going to stop deleting the old kml files once downloaded. Even with my Motorcycle data, the KR1 has the capacity for 12 hours or more continuous (with 5Hz gps). I'll add something to prevent memory overflow later. Ordinary use (1Hz GPS) should go for several days without coming close.

The main reason is I think it was too aggressive with deletion yesterday when I went in and out of the connection area, and lost everything past a point, but /proc/uptime showed it hadn't been rebooted 5 hours when I got back and attached via ethernet. Something else might have gone wrong including loss of the GPS (which will stop acquisition), but with the current behavior, I can't easily tell if it even tried.

4. For the beta, I've left the raw GPS data stream in the KML files (note GoogleEarth strips this information out). I don't know if I should leave it, remove it, or compress it.

uptil7000 · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 13

Yes something needs to be done about the having to Telnet in. At this rate I will need to have the router sitting next to me and rebooting it on the fly over and over again util the GPS data starts going through.

I know I am in a coverage area since I can pull up web pages with my iPhone connected to the router. When I bring up the google page I just show zeros until I do the talnet dance. Left it yester for over an hour and then reboted every 15 minutes finally broke down and did the telnet.

I did not read through the specs on the little Garmin hockey puck I got with the router but I am assuming that is what you are talking about with the 1khz.

I have about 5 garmin handhelds and a bigger unit I use on our boat. I have not tried to hook those up to the KR1 I didn't want to fry the units or the KR1.

I am going to flip back to the old firmware for the trip to Columbus to see if it's my setup or it's in the firmware not doing a good handshake. It is suppose to be solid in the old firmware right??

tz1 · Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 8:42 am Post subject:

The new firmware ought not require telnetting in.

The old firmware should be solid.

See if it happens with the old firmware. Remind me if I don't have a new beta up by tomorrow (with better baudfind)

My GPS units - hockey puck and some bluetooth update at 5Hz - 5 times per second. The standard ones do 1Hz, one per second.

The RS232 connection is standard (the DIAGNOSTIC port with the cable provided) so should work with any of the handhelds. In fact, I've configured things using a virtual serial port to 22947. Mine has been modified to provide 5 volts on the 5v USB pin which powers my Garmin 5Hz or a bluetooth device (pin RS232 pin 9). (I do this instead of bridging to the real USB port). Anything that does NMEA sentences will work (GPRMC or GPGLL is the only required one, but without GPGGA you won't get altitude).