r1.3

Summary:

Successfully updated my kernel on my BUG and then the ROOT FS (order is important, you must upgrade the kernel FIRST and then shutdown and then update the Root FS). However GPS is still not getting a fix!

Typos and minor bugs in the R1.44 Kernel upgrade procedure:

• bug_kflash was in /usr/bin NOT /sbin
• version is: 
  • Linux version 2.6.27.2 (buildbot@darner) (gcc version 4.1.2) #104 PREEMPT Thu Mar 12 11:32:33 EDT 2009
• which is slightly older than the version in the instructions (probably because the person who wrote the instructions has an experimental, newer version)

Typos and minor bugs in the R1.4 Root FS upgrade procedure:

• on the Mac, e2fsck and resize2fs are in /usr/local/sbin

Here's what the GPS is showing

command is:

cat /dev/ttymxc/1

("V" on the GPGLL lines mans "void" i.e no GPS FIX AFAIK!) - Antenna is pointing out the window which means it should get a fix since my other GPSes i.e. E71 and LD-4W have no problem getting a fix there!)

$GPGLL,,,,,081149.577,V*18

$GPGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*1E

$GPGSV,3,1,12,11,89,179,27,24,76,162,,08,57,214,,27,32,183,*72

$GPGSV,3,2,12,07,28,280,,19,28,046,,28,24,317,,03,17,062,*74

$GPGSV,3,3,12,20,17,150,,13,03,220,,23,-1,196,,29,-1,293,*77

$GPRMC,081149.577,V,,,,,,,170309,,*23

$GPVTG,,T,,M,,N,,K*4E

$GPGGA,081150.577,,,,,0,00,,,M,0.0,M,,0000*5E

$GPGLL,,,,,081150.577,V*10

$GPGSA,A,1,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,*1E

$GPGSV,3,1,12,11,89,179,27,24,76,162,,08,57,214,,27,32,183,*72

$GPGSV,3,2,12,07,28,280,,19,28,046,,28,24,317,,03,17,062,*74

(Part 2 of my Bug Adventures series, for more real time wiki action check out my Bug Adventures wiki where I flesh out my thoughts before posting them here!)

Why doesn't my GPS aka BUGgps seem to work?
By "not working", I mean it doesn't get a GPS satellite lock which
results in a Java exception for those using the high level API and void
values e.g. "$GPGLL,,,,,022837.595,V*1D "for apps reading the RAW GPS
sentences.  My guess is it's a low level software bug that will be
fixed in the "real soon now" R1.4 software release. Note that I have
attached the external antenna and put it on the window sill where my
other GPSes (Nokia LD-4W, Nokia E71) have no problems obtaining a GPS
lock!

Herewith my debugging notes:

1. http://bugcommunity.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=351 seems to be the definitive source of how to fix your GPS! the fix in the thread:
   1. "navigate the front-panel menu to the GPS module
      and you will be able to see fix: True/False and IOX, which is the value
      of the IOX register:"
      1. (front panel led sequence is: modules->GPS->IOX) I get 0x63 which means
         1. bit  0: 1 == no GPS fix, since fix is active low
         2. bit 1: 1 = no overcurrent condition
         3. bit 2: 0 = no wakeup from sleep
         4. bit 3: 0 = don't know what this is, guess is 0 means don't download firmware
         5. bit 4,5 unused
         6. bit 7,6 0,1 == external antenna
            
2. Other people's code I have tried
   1. GPSRawFeedExample always outputs "V*blah" which I think means void!
      1. e.g. $GPGLL,,,,,051302.397,V*10
   2. GPSLoggerSimpleGUI - the GUI doesn't work but at least the program doesn't crash :-)
   3. GPSLogger2 creates a zero length file in /tmp but does nothing else e.g. /tmp/GPSSun Jan 04 20:25:49 UTC 2009.log
   4. GpsLogger_1.1 java.lang.NullPointerException
      at com.buglabs.bug.module.gps.GPSModlet.getLatitudeLongitude(Unknown Source)
   5. My friend Simon's app has the same bug as GPS Logger 1.1 i.e. java.lang.NullPointerException
      at com.buglabs.bug.module.gps.GPSModlet.getLatitudeLongitude(Unknown Source)
      1. Simon's guess: the NMEA sentence they are getting from the underlying
         hardware isn't quite in the format they expect, so they end up trying
         to get a double out of the string  ","
      2. http://lists.buglabs.net/pipermail/bug-dev/2008-December/000167.html seems to be the same problem!
3. Evidence that this is a Bug that's being worked on:
   1. this fix went into  svn trunk (svn://svn.buglabs.net/bug/trunk  ) on December 14, 2008, http://svn.buglabs.net/svn/!revision/7632
      // default to passive (external) antenna, until
      // such time as we have confidence in the internal            
      // antenna's ability to obtain a fix          
      log.log(LogService.LOG_DEBUG, "GPSModlet defaulting to passive (external) antenna");              
      setPassiveAntenna();