DIY: Simple PSP-GPS hookup

[deniska]

Here is a farely simple way to connect your PSP to a GPS receiver:


You'll need:

- Holux GPSlim236 (~$100)
- Intec G6704 PSP Remote Control (~$11). Alternatively you can rip the connector of your original remote control.
- USB (Mini B) cable ($5-10) (don't use the included USB power cable)
- 1K 1/4watt resistor (>$1)
- Electric tape ($2 roll)

Tools:
- Soldering iron
- Multimeter (for checking the connector pins, alternatively you can use just a circuit made out of a low voltage bulb and a battery)
- Razor blade (to cut and clean stuff)


Basically, you just need to cut the USB cable and PSP remote plug, figure out which wires go to the connector pins, listed below, and connect them according to the diagram:


Use caution when connecting the wires, make sure all of them are carefully insulated. You don't want to short any of them, since this may brick your PSP or GPS device.
Also, GPSlim 236 spec says that the TXD voltage may range from 3.2 to 5 V, so 1K resistor may not be enough to lower the voltage in some cases. So buy a few resistors: 5k,3k,2k,1k and see if your circuit works with a bigger value resistor first..

Once your cable is finished, test your setup with a little GPS viewer program that I wrote:

http://deniska.dcemu.co.uk/bin/gps_viewer.zip
The source code is included in the zip...
Note, the program is written to work in kernel mode, so I doubt that it will work on 2+ fw..
Perhaps someone can look in to how to adjust it...

Here is the screenshoot:


So, waht's the point you ask? I am planning to plug this in to the upcoming map viewer applcation, which, of course will be able to point your gps location on a google-like map in real time... and scroll the map as you move along...

Special thanks to Art and futaris for helpping me out with serial port comm problems...

Almost forgot a disclaimer: As always, I am not responsible for any damages...

[EDIT]
The setup, described above, should also work with some older (and therefore cheaper) holux models: GR-230, GR-231. You can get those for ~45-60 bucks.

[Wally]

Freaking awesome.

Hey deniska, if you can do this this way then why cant we have a REAL tv tuner for the PSP

[Psyberjock]

a couple of numbers through a serial port and a stream of television information are two completely different things. GPS information is realtively small but a TV broadcast requires a lot of bandwidth. A serial port can't provide that much.

[Wally]

O ok.
Thanks for verifying that with me

what about the USB port though?

[deniska]

O ok.
Thanks for verifying that with me

what about the USB port though?

In order to pull this thing through USB, PSP would need to be a USB host, This is something that it was not designed to be....
Most of periferials (including usb tv tuners and PSP) are usb clients, and clients can't talk to each other :-(


BTW, USB-like port in GPSlim 236 is not really a usb port.. they just use a mini B usb connector...

[lewbacca]

does this work with other gps devices too? or is it only for this 236?

[deniska]

does this work with other gps devices too? or is it only for this 236?

It probably does, with some adjustments...
You'll have to look at particular device's spec to know for sure...
236 was picked because it's small, self-powered and could be used with other hardware - laptops, cell-phones, etc..

[futaris]

Thanks for the thanks Deniska...

NMEAp looks like a simple easy to use NMEA parser... In the long run, it might be better to use GPSd and libgps. It would allow us to connect to an external GPS and/or share GPS data through WLAN, etc...

Anyhow, probably more important to get KML, KMZ or GPX parsing working once maps are up and running.

[Computer_kid]

Very Cool! I like it a lot!

[lewbacca]

nice. thank you for confirmung my research about the compatibility of the gps devies

i ordered myself a 231 today. i will tell you if it works =)

btw.. do i need to recode your testing programm? wouldnt be that problem, but knowing it, before testing and find it not working would be better^^