best gsm and gps modules for arduino

Can you please suggest a gsm module and gps module for an arduino board??
Cheap and best.

Is a MAX232 chip required ? if yes, how to connect??

I basically want to get information using gps module and sent that info as a message using gps module.

There are many GSM vendors these days, It would be better if you can visit local electronics market (SP road in bangalore i believe) and look for availability of GSM and GPS modules. and visit multiple shops to get actual prcing and go with one selling cheapest.

If you are going with GSM modem (not module) then it is possible that you need Max232. after you buy, post a picture of both GSM and GPS module we will give you right suggestions on how to go ahead.

Good Luck!

There are many GSM vendors these days, It would be better if you can visit local electronics market (SP road in bangalore i believe) and look for availability of GSM and GPS modules. and visit multiple shops to get actual prcing and go with one selling cheapest.

If you are going with GSM modem (not module) then it is possible that you need Max232. after you buy, post a picture of both GSM and GPS module we will give you right suggestions on how to go ahead.

Good Luck!

Ajay Bhargav

Thanks Ajay!

I think gps module will do, as I just want to send sms to a mobile.
AM I right?

I did not understand your question. GPS module for sending SMS?

@ bobdxcool

I think gps module will do, as I just want to send sms to a mobile.

i think you want to get coordinates using gps and send this to a cell using gsm modem

@ bobdxcool

I think gps module will do, as I just want to send sms to a mobile.

i think you want to get coordinates using gps and send this to a cell using gsm modem

majoka

Yes right sir.
Sorry for the mistake in the sentence

There are many GSM vendors these days, It would be better if you can visit local electronics market (SP road in bangalore i believe) and look for availability of GSM and GPS modules. and visit multiple shops to get actual prcing and go with one selling cheapest.




If you are going with GSM modem (not module) then it is possible that you need Max232. after you buy, post a picture of both GSM and GPS module we will give you right suggestions on how to go ahead.

Good Luck!

Ajay Bhargav

[quote]

@ bobdxcool

I think gps module will do, as I just want to send sms to a mobile.

i think you want to get coordinates using gps and send this to a cell using gsm modem

majoka

@Majoka and Ajay I am posting pictures below of the gps, gsm and max 232 modules.

The problem is that the gps reliever has max 232 IC on the board itself, but the output given is in the form of rs 232 port. So, I bought a max 232 board. So, I think I should connect the two using male-male cable. Pls see the pictures and suggest

Also, the gsm module has 3 ttl pins along with serial rs 232 port. The confusion here is which of these is rx and which is TX (which I would connect to 2 arduinos)

So,here is what I plan to do. I will connect tx n rx ports of one arduino to gps module and get the data from it. I will use one pin of 1st arduino to activate another pin of 2nd arduino , to which I will connect a gsm module (rx and tx) , which will send a message to a mobile phone containing the data.

Please correct me if I am wong.

I will be using 2 arduino uno boards (1 for gsm and 1 for gps)

# ttl pins , which is rx and which is tx?

I will connect this max 232 board rs 232 pin to rs 232 pin of gsm module, and take rx and tx output from out (printed on max board) to arduino. But I am again confused which is rx and which is tx for max 232 board?

ok... lets make things simple

1. GSM board has TTL connections which you can use directly to connect to your Arduino board, which means no max232 needed.
2. GPS module has max232 on board, But you can still take out wires from GPS module (TTL level) to connect to your Arduino board.
3. Arduino supports software UART so you can use only one board for both GPS and GSM module, great isnt it? check following link for soft uart support
http://arduino.cc/en/Reference/SoftwareSerial

Now coming to which signal is what.. (3 pin connector I am talkin about) for this you need to do some smart job. Take a multimeter and find out max232 connections with pin 1 and Pin 2. Pin 3 is probably ground as there are no visible tracks on that.

similarly with GPS if you do not want to use max232 then simply take multimeter and check max232 connections with on board GPS connector. its very easy to find. You can also download datasheet of gps Hollx GR-87. Pin 2 is TX and Pin 3 is RX. Download datasheet from here:
http://www.holux.com/JCore/en/products/products_download.jsp?pno=268

Hope this helps you get started..

and promise to submit this project on website We spend so much time helping everyone. We deserve to be credited back

ok... lets make things simple

1. GSM board has TTL connections which you can use directly to connect to your Arduino board, which means no max232 needed.
2. GPS module has max232 on board, But you can still take out wires from GPS module (TTL level) to connect to your Arduino board.
3. Arduino supports software UART so you can use only one board for both GPS and GSM module, great isnt it? check following link for soft uart support
http://arduino.cc/en/Reference/SoftwareSerial

Now coming to which signal is what.. (3 pin connector I am talkin about) for this you need to do some smart job. Take a multimeter and find out max232 connections with pin 1 and Pin 2. Pin 3 is probably ground as there are no visible tracks on that.

similarly with GPS if you do not want to use max232 then simply take multimeter and check max232 connections with on board GPS connector. its very easy to find. You can also download datasheet of gps Hollx GR-87. Pin 2 is TX and Pin 3 is RX. Download datasheet from here:
http://www.holux.com/JCore/en/products/products_download.jsp?pno=268

Hope this helps you get started..

and promise to submit this project on website We spend so much time helping everyone. We deserve to be credited back

Ajay Bhargav

Definitely i will submit it. But this time it will be a very big and innovative project.

So this will be my connections.

for gps

tx of gps to rx of arduino
rx of gps to tx of arduino


for gsm

tx of gsm to rx of arduino
rx of gsm to tx of arduino


I had another doubt

is it not possible to get rx and tx ttl output from max 232 board by connecting the serial com port of gps rx to the serial com port max 232 board (image posted above) ?

As, I had learnt that max 232 can be used to convert ttl to rs 232 and vice versa.

There are pins named TP1, Tp2,Tp3,TP4 and TP5 on the max 232 board along with T2 in, T2 out and R2 out.

yes ofcourse thats possible but all I wanted to say was.. you did not need a board extra board, you could have done it taking wires directly from GSM and GPS boards.

but now problem here is.. have one max232 board and you need two serial outs. which is not possible with current board. They might have given Test points but only one is connected on the RS232 out. hope you are getting my point. So its better you take wires from GSM and GPS board as for GSM you have TTL out directly and for GPS you can take out yourself or use max232 board for GPS atleast.

NOTE: check voltage levels of all devices before making any final connections