GPS Location Tracker with Arduino

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

This tutorial will guide you through building a simple GPS location tracker using an Arduino and a GPS module. You will learn how to interface a GPS module with an Arduino to retrieve the current coordinates (latitude and longitude) and display them on a serial monitor or an LCD screen.

Components Required

• Arduino Board (e.g., Uno, Nano)
• GPS Module (e.g., NEO-6M or any other GPS module)
• Jumper Wires
• Breadboard
• LCD Display (optional, for visual output)

Wiring the Circuit

Connect the GPS module to the Arduino as follows:

• GPS Module:
  • VCC - 5V on Arduino
  • GND - Ground
  • TX - Digital Pin 4 on Arduino
  • RX - Digital Pin 3 on Arduino

Installing Libraries

To read data from the GPS module, you’ll need to install the TinyGPS++ library. Follow these steps:

1. Open the Arduino IDE.
2. Go to Sketch → Include Library → Manage Libraries.
3. Search for "TinyGPS++" and install the library by Mikal Hart.

Arduino Code

This Arduino sketch reads GPS data from the module and prints the latitude and longitude to the serial monitor:

#include 
#include 

TinyGPSPlus gps;
SoftwareSerial gpsSerial(3, 4); // RX, TX pins for GPS

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600); // Serial monitor
  gpsSerial.begin(9600); // GPS module

  Serial.println("GPS Tracker Initialized");
}

void loop() {
  // Check if data is available from the GPS module
  while (gpsSerial.available() > 0) {
    gps.encode(gpsSerial.read());
    
    if (gps.location.isUpdated()) {
      Serial.print("Latitude: ");
      Serial.println(gps.location.lat(), 6);
      Serial.print("Longitude: ");
      Serial.println(gps.location.lng(), 6);
    }
  }
}
        

How the Code Works

In this code, the gps.encode() function decodes the data received from the GPS module. The gps.location.isUpdated() function checks if new GPS data is available, and if it is, the latitude and longitude are printed to the serial monitor. The gps.location.lat() and gps.location.lng() functions return the latitude and longitude values, respectively.

Testing the Tracker

After uploading the code to your Arduino, open the serial monitor. Once the GPS module locks onto satellite signals (this may take a few minutes), the current latitude and longitude will be displayed. You can use these coordinates to track the location or display them on an LCD screen.

Improving the Project

You can expand this project by:

• Displaying GPS data on an LCD screen.
• Logging the location data to an SD card or sending it via an ESP8266 to a web server.
• Using a GSM module to send location data via SMS.

Conclusion

This GPS tracker project provides a basic understanding of how to interface a GPS module with an Arduino to retrieve location data. You can further develop it into more advanced systems, such as a GPS-based vehicle tracking system or personal GPS locator.