Skip to content

A GPS interface for the Yaesu VX-8DR based on the Seeeduino Xiao

Notifications You must be signed in to change notification settings

WaterstarRunner/VX8GPS-Xiao

Folders and files

NameName
Last commit message
Last commit date

Latest commit

 

History

5 Commits
 
 
 
 

Repository files navigation

VX-8DR GPS - Seeeduino Xiao Edition

Outline

There's not a whole lot to this project. Just a text parser for generic GPSs to connect to the Yaesu VX-8DR.

Advantages of this codebase

Using the Sededuino Xiao allows the whole project to be powered from the radio. In the minimalist implementation, only a Yaesu CT-M11 cable, a GPS module (eg Beitian BN-220 works well), a Seeedunino Xiao, and some minor soldering are required.

Additionally, the codebase will accept arbitrary field-lengths and decimal precision in the NMEA input. This means a very wide array of GPS modules (other than the recommended UBlox-chipset ones) will work without modifying the code.

Documentation

Full documentation is available at the link below, including schematics, related projects, and far more than you ever wanted to know about the Yaesu GPS format.

Basic hardware and background information: https://blog.waterstar.run/2021/03/a-simplified-vx-8dr-gps-design.html

Extended hardware construction guide: https://blog.waterstar.run/2021/11/a-vx-8dr-gps-and-audio-interface-board.html

Extended hardware versions

An extended version of the hardware (with a MOSFET to power/depower the GPS) has been released. It is designed to depower the GPS module during headset jack transmission to prevent noise from the module. In addition the GPS can be soft-switched off when the circuit is used purely as a headset adaptor. The hardware also has the ADC/DACs of the microcontroller connected to the speaker/microphone connections, leading to potential uses such as AFSK and other in-band signalling. The USB-C port on the microcontroller can even be used as a serial interface to a PC.

EasyEDA project for the enhanced version is available at the link below:

https://easyeda.com/WaterstarRunner/vx8-gps-audio-module

Software versions

A unified software package will be desirable to produce in the near future. But due to some tri-stated pins on the basic hardware that are read by the extended hardware, there are currently two separate software packages for the two hardware versions.

Basic version: https://github.com/WaterstarRunner/VX8GPS-Xiao/archive/refs/tags/BasicHW-v1.0.zip

Extended version: https://github.com/WaterstarRunner/VX8GPS-Xiao/archive/refs/tags/ExtendedHW-v1.0e.zip

About

A GPS interface for the Yaesu VX-8DR based on the Seeeduino Xiao

Resources

Stars

Watchers

Forks

Packages

No packages published

Languages