Mediatek GPS problem

Hi there,

I was trying to use Ardupilot (2.7 software version- latest from the server), with Ardushield V2 (airspeed sensor and thermopiles (including the Z sensor).

I successfully flew this setup with Ublox GPS. I wanted to make a change and explore the MediaTek GPS. I got a MediaTek GPS, configured it for Ardupilot (following instructions given here: http://code.google.com/p/ardupilot/wiki/MediaTek ).
However, my MediaTEK module gets a lock (its blue LED becomes solid) while the blue LED on Ardupilot keeps on blinking without ever getting a lock...

Yes, I did change the configuration file telling Ardupilot to use MediaTek GPS module. I checked wiring between GPS module and Ardupilot- no problem at all with the wiring.

What else should I do?

More than this, I tried to re-flash the MediaTEK GPS module and I would get the error: Fail!!(Download) BROM_CMD_START_FAIL

So it seems right now that I can't re-program the GPS module. Also right now after trying to re-flash the GPS module and getting the above described error (Fail!!(Download) BROM_CMD_START_FAIL), the GPS module wouldn't get a lock anymore- the blue LED from its adapter board is not becoming solid blue anymore...

Any ideas on what might cause this sort of strange (at least for me) problems?

Thanks!

Replies

Preston December 29, 2010 at 6:36am

Using the newly revised instructions...(no pass through code, use the FTDI cable only)...I was able to update the firmware and am now getting accurate location information in the longitude.
Ron Holley December 28, 2010 at 1:38pm

Is there a performance difference between the Ublox v.s. MediaTek GPS. First time UAV setup about to happen. I hope this is correct forum.

Ron
Florin Mingireanu October 25, 2010 at 1:55pm

So, in the end... I see that the code line that tells MediaTek GPS to go into binary mode is already included where it should be. In this case, the reason for not getting a lock through the Ardupilot (although the GPS module itself gets a lock) should be other...
Did anybody actually manage to make MediaTek GPS work with Ardupilot?
And did anybody actually manage to fix the error (Fail!!(Download) BROM_CMD_START_FAIL) that I get when I try to re-flash the GPS module second time? (as I said I was able to re-flash the module the first time; second time I got the error (Fail!!(Download) BROM_CMD_START_FAIL) ).

Thanks!
Serge October 23, 2010 at 4:37am

Hey,

concerning the flash, you mght want to try to swap the RX and TX pins. I had the same error, and reversing them solved the problem and resulted in the green donut rather then the red cross.

Regardin the no-lock in the ardu, I think the output of the GPS is NMEA instead of binary. You have to tell it to go into binary at startup using: the $PGCMD,16,0,0,0,0,0*6A command

GL with it

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Mediatek GPS problem

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