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em-506 no fix

Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2015 3:48 am
by enduser
I have an em-506 GPS. I can not get a lock or able to connect to it.


Here is what I have done:
connected ftdi basic 5v ttl level converter.

Image here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7thXG ... sp=sharing

I have left outside with clear sky for up to 3 hours on 3 occasions.
Installed sirfdemo and attempted connection at default 4800 on correct com (double and triple checked)
I subsequently tried baud rates from 2400 to 115000
Attempted synchronize protocol and baud rate
Checked for grounding of circuits and wiring checks out
checked soldering of breakout board and no problems
Send "switch to nmea protocol" command from sirfdemo (both from menu and from transmit serial terminal)

Results
Light is on steady and not dim
5V being delivered from ftdi to 5v pin of breakout board
RX voltage always reads 3.3 volts
TX is always 5 Volts
No data ever comes from GPS into sirfdemo (not even errors)
When I send request from sirfdemo to ftdi the red tx lights up but no changes

There seems to a ground fault inside of GPS. Does this sound correct?

Should the GPS be able to get a fix without initializing? ie. with just power

Re: em-506 no fix

Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 4:02 am
by enduser
Bump...
I seem to have exhausted my meager experience and resources on getting the em506 working.
It seems to operate like the em406 so I have used the various em406 resources out there which are more abundant.
I never get a lock with the various sketches nor can I get any data from the GPS.

Has anyone had this issue. It appears that the em506 is DOA.