Nikon D200 GPS - Version 2
I’ve had it for quite a while and love it: a new and improved of my original GPS design for my D200. This time it’s smaller, practical and easy; just mount it on the flash shoe, plug it in to the 10-pin connector and turn it on! Within no time at all GPS coordinates will be flowing into the camera.
This version eliminates the need for the expensive MC-35 and even the special 10-pin connector. I’ve opted for a quick GPS receiver and encased everything in a small black box with a flash shoe mount. Because it is powered through the camera’s power source, a switch on the side of the box turns off the GPS. Version 3 should include a battery, rechargeable through a USB connection.
Read on for directions on how to create your own GPS.
Parts List
- 4.7Kohm resistor (x 2)
- 10Kohm resistor
- 2.2Kohm resistor
- NPN Transistor
- IC PC Board
- SPST Micromini Toggle Switch
- 3×2x1″ Project Enclosure Box
- USGloblSat EM-406A GPS
- Remote Cord for Nikon D200 - find a cheap (<$10) one on eBay
- Small cable ties
- Velcro with a sticky mount
- Epoxy stick
Tools Needed
- Soldering iron & solder
- Wire cutters
- Needlenose pliers
- Exacto knife
- Patience
Overview
It’s quite a simple project; just four resistors, a capacitor, the GPS, a switch and some soldering. The goal is to make it tight so it fits in a small enclosure that can be mounted on the camera. I prefer to do a dry run without any soldering to see how it all fits together; I would suggest you do the same.
Disclaimer
Although I have used this successfully with my camera, I cannot guarantee that it will not harm your camera, even if all directions are followed exactly. By constructing this GPS following these directions (or even using them as a basis for your own project), you do so at your own risk and agree to hold me harmless from any damage done to your camera.
Wiring Diagram
The wiring diagram depicted above is the top view of the PC board. My handwriting shows four resistors (r1, r2, r3, r4), a transistor (with emitter, base, and common leads), Red, Black, and White wires, and the six leads to the GPS (number 1 through 6).
Step 1
Attach the four resistors to the PC Board as shown.
- R1 - 4.7K ohm
- R2 - 10K ohm
- R3 - 2.2K ohm
- R4 - 4.7K ohm
Step 2
Attach the transistor to the PC board, carefully placing the base, common and emitter leads in their proper holes on the board.
Step 3
Attach a wire (preferably red) between the PC board and the switch. This will be used to cut off power to the GPS.
Step 4
Cut the switch off of the cheap remote cord to expose the measly three wires in it. If you happen to have a 10 pin connector with ten wires then you will have to do things a bit differently.
Attach the red wire to the other terminal of the switch. Note the picture depicts a SPDT switch and has an additional terminal. You can choose to leave the switch out as it is a bit obtrusive on the box but doing so will keep the camera active and drain the battery quickly. Alternative, you may prefer a switch with a lower profile such as a slide switch.
Attach the black and white wires to the PC board. The location of the white is depicted with a “w” in the wiring diagram although the picture should help to clear up where it goes.
Step 5
Take the six pin cord for the GPS and cut off one end. I made the mistake of cutting it in half, giving me a much shorter span of wire to work with.
Attach the black wires, numbered 1 through 6 to the locations on the PC board. Wire 3 is connected to the emitter and wire 6 to common of the transistor. The other four wires should be readable.
Step 5a
Solder the connections on the underside of the PC board, if you haven’t done so already. I like to fit everything together first and when I’m happy, do the soldering and then snip the extra wire. You can see from the image that I am not an expert solderer; just make sure that the solder does not stray.
Step 6
Attach the GPS to the PC board using velcro, connecting the white 6-pin connector to it.
Wrap a wire tie around the wire and through a hole in the PC board, make a tight connection to provide strain relief. This is a very important step because if it is not done, one tug on that wire will disconnect something on the PC board making the GPS inoperative.
The device is finally beginning to take a recognizable shape!
Step 7
Create two holes on the long side of the enclose, one to fit the wire through and the other to hold the switch. Make the hole for the switch the size specified for the switch. Remember both the switch and wire will be on the same side as the 10-pin connector on the Nikon body with the switch to the front of the box. If the holes will be different sizes, pay careful attention to where the holes are made.
Step 8
Carefully insert the PC board, wire, and switch into the enclosure. It should fit in there tight. Make sure to secure it to the box if there is anything loose. You can screw the top cover onto the enclosure; we are almost done!
Step 9
This is the tricky part: making the connector. With an exacto knife, strip off the rubber on the 10-pin connector of the cheap remote cord. The goal is to get the plastic piece with the 10 holes and three pins. With patience, the rubber can all be removed and the pins extracted. The pins must be located in different holes than their original location. You’ll want to cut the wire to a size that would ultimately fit between the enclosure and the camera with just a little bit of slack.
Ultimately the wires are connected to the pins in the following sequences. This image is looking into the barrel of the connector.
- White wire - pin 1 (receive)
- Red wire - pin 3 (power)
- Black wire - pin 7 (power ground)
You’ll want to hook GPS power to pin 3 on the camera which always has +5V while the camera is active; note that by keeping the GPS on, this pin will continue to have a +5V supply as receiving the NMEA data keeps the camera active. Using pin 2 to power would keep the power to the GPS flowing even while the camera is off and this would be sure to drain your battery quickly.
It takes a bit of patience and luck to extract the pins, clean them, reinsert in the correct location and solder the wires to the pins. Be careful as the pins are often numbered looking into the connector although you will be soldering on the outside of the connector.
Step 10
Once you have confirmed everything is correct, plug it into your camera and turn the camera on, making sure the switch on the box is in the on position. You should start to see the flashing GPS symbol on the display of the camera within a few seconds. If you don’t, turn off the camera and disconnect the connector and recheck your work. After a bit, the GPS symbol will stop flashing and will be solid (you may need to have a clear view of the sky for a lock to be made). At this point all we need are a few finishing touches.
Carefully disconnect the module from the camera. To make the connector secure, fashion some epoxy in the shape of an elbow connector around the bare wires and the 10-pin connector making sure to secure the pins in the connector. Make certain to leave enough room on the connector to plug it into the camera (about 1/4″). Also, make the elbow bend such that it lines up with how you want your cable to flow. Hopefully you can do a prettier job than I did!
Finally, to make the mount, fashion one out of a hot shoe adapter or take the mount from the bottom of an old, broken flash and mount it to the base of the case. This will give the GPS a place to sit while taking photos. You may need to get creative with how to attach it. The next version will need to add a flash mount on top of the GPS so we can use the GPS and flash at the same time.
Good luck! I look forward to hearing your results and would love to see pictures of your projects.
February 25th, 2008 at 2:50 am
[...] Canon D200 hotshoe GPS [link][via] [...]
February 26th, 2008 at 7:29 am
Hi Rick,
can you please sent a detailed wiring diagram for the unit. Specially for wiring of resistors and the transistor etc.
Q, is the GPS output level TTL( Nikon D200) compatible ?
Best Regards
Herbert
February 27th, 2008 at 12:45 am
Hi Herbert,
I did this over a year ago and finally got around to blogging about it…can’t find some of the early design work but I wanted to get up what I had. I’ll look around for it and add to a new blog entry.
Thanks,
Rick
February 27th, 2008 at 2:24 am
Hi can this be used with a Canon 400D ,any chance of a picture showing final results
Thanks Paul
February 27th, 2008 at 7:48 am
Thank you Rick,
Thank you for your efforts.
I will keep you informed about the success.
The GPS module is on order, soldering will start soon after delivery
Best Regards
Herbert
February 27th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Does this somehow add in which direction the picture was taken to the EXIF header? Otherwise I don’t see the added value to using a gpx track. (I’m always logging a gpx track since I’m collaborating on http://www.openstreetmap.org to map the world)
Jo
February 27th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]
February 27th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Will this work with a D300? I’m looking to upgrade to that model from my old D70.
February 27th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
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February 27th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
[...] epicblog» Blog Archive » Nikon D200 GPS - Version 2 (tags: electronics camera DIY gps hardware photography howto) [...]
February 27th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
Will this work with a Nikon D40
February 28th, 2008 at 12:18 am
There’s actually a commercial solution now. See
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bezdomny/sets/72157603997529380/
February 28th, 2008 at 12:20 am
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February 28th, 2008 at 12:20 am
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
February 28th, 2008 at 12:20 am
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Sphere: Related Content [...]
February 28th, 2008 at 1:14 am
[...] DIY Camera GPS system - [via] Link [...]
February 28th, 2008 at 1:16 am
[...] Canon D200 hotshoe GPS [link][via] [...]
February 28th, 2008 at 2:34 am
[...] วันนี้ที่อยากจะนำเสนอเป็นเรื่องเกี่ยวกับการพัฒนาชุดอุปกรณ์ GPS Photo ขึ้นเองครับ(Do it by your self) ผมไปเจอวิธีทำจากเว็บไซต์ epicblog คิดว่าน่าจะเป็นประโยชน์ ซึ่งสอนการพัฒนาชุดอุปกรณ์ ตั้งแต่การประกอบแผงวงจรและชุดรับสัญญาณ GPS จากนั้นก็เชื่อมต่อกับ กล้อง DSLR ผ่านทางช่องเสียบ flash ของกล้อง โดยการทดลองได้บอกวิธีทำค่อนข้างละเอียด ทั้งการซื้ออุปกรณ์อิเล็กทรอนิคต่างๆ จนถึงขั้นตอนการประกอบ ลองเข้าไปอ่านรายละเอียดได้ที่ http://www.rickwargo.com/2008/02/24/nikon-d200-gps-version-2/ [...]
February 28th, 2008 at 6:09 am
[...] cyna, lutownica i odrobina umiejętności manualnych. Warto poczytać i może zbudować samemu. Link do artykułu. Dodaj nas do [...]
February 28th, 2008 at 6:10 am
[...] Geotagging Nikon D200 DIY, 给单反相机加上GPS Posted on February 28, 2008 by rockgis Geotagging的功能被越来越多的用到了手机，相机上，看这里。不过有些发烧友用自己的方法升级现有的手机，给它配上GPS，让它具备Geotagging的功能。实在是佩服！看这里和这里。 [...]
February 28th, 2008 at 8:08 am
To answer some of the earlier questions; yes, I believe it will work with the D300 and other Nikons that support NMEA GPS data and embedding into EXIF files with the 10-pin connector. As for the Canon, I suppose you’ll need to create a variation of the connector. There are only three wires that go through, +5V, GND and Tx; if those three inputs are sufficient for the Canon to embed the GPS coordinates then you just have to figure out how to do the connector. Good luck!
It only embeds the GPS coordinates into the EXIF data - that is part of the camera’s firmware. I agree, orientation and distance information would be invaluable. The coordinates are quite useful to me to locate some of the small towns I travel through where I take pictures.
By the way, I upgraded my D70 to the D200 and was very glad I did. I would definitely suggest the D300.
February 28th, 2008 at 11:39 am
[...] ejemplo llega el trabajo de Rick Wargo, quien ha construido con sus propias manos el accesorio GPS para su Nikon D200. La unidad se basa en el chip SiRF Star III al igual que las propuestas comerciales que rondan los [...]
February 28th, 2008 at 11:47 am
Actually the new D3 will also save heading information in the EXIF header (if the GPS unit sends it.)
February 28th, 2008 at 11:49 am
DIY GPS-Empfänger für die Nikon D200…
In einem Beitrag für notorische Hobbybastler und Lötkolbenschwinger zeigt Rick Wargo, wie man sich einen GPS-Empfänger für seine Nikon D200 selbst bastelt und das für unter 100$!
Neben ein paar einfachen elektronischen Bautei…
February 28th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
[...] I also am only vaguely aware of what an Ohm is, given that I only do software), then this DIY GPS box that attaches to the 10-pin on your Nikon D200 will thrill you– and your [...]
February 28th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Hi all, I am pretty handy, but have never tackled anything electronic like this before. Can anyone recommend a good starting point to understand how to tackle this project. Also, in the picture showing the back side of the board, is the solder linking the channels or does each channel remain separate? Better still, does solder conduct electricity. Sorry for polluting such a great post with nubie questions, but I really want GPS on my D200 and this is the first reasonable way to achieve it. Thanks for the great post.
February 28th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
[...] DIY - GPS Camera attachment - [Link] [...]
February 28th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
[...] those who like hacking equipment, this guy made a Nikon D200 geotagging hack with cheap parts. I don’t have the expertise to build such a machine, but acording to forums, [...]
February 28th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
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February 28th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Will this work with a Canon 10D? Thanks!
February 28th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
I am having a hard time reading your drawing, do you have a more readable schematic?
February 29th, 2008 at 5:06 am
[...] Nikon D200 GPS [...]
February 29th, 2008 at 8:13 am
Hi Rick,
refering to Chris’s comment:
Chris Says:
February 28th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
I am having a hard time reading your drawing, do you have a more readable schematic?
Please look for and publish the schematics, would help a lot.
Regards
Herbert
February 29th, 2008 at 8:31 am
I’ll try to take some time this weekend to look or come up with new/improved drawings/schematics.
February 29th, 2008 at 10:08 am
Rick,
I was hoping you could clarify one point I am having trouble with. Do all the channels on the board stay independent, or does the solder join any adjacent channels on the board? For example there is a cluster of wires above where it says DIP on the back side of the board - are all the channels still independent, or does the solder connect them.
Thanks
February 29th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
[...] metody tańszego “pozyskania” tzw. GPS geotagger. Na blogu epicblog możecie znaleźć dokładną instrukcję budowy własnego odbiornika, w tym wypadku dla aparatu Nikon D200! Z tego co się rozglądałem, z [...]
March 1st, 2008 at 1:54 am
[...] DIY Camera GPS system - [via Link [...]
March 1st, 2008 at 6:10 pm
[...] DIY Nikon D200 GPS epicblog Geotagging the cheap way for D200 owners [...]
March 2nd, 2008 at 3:55 pm
have you seen these cool Nikon GPS Solution products of mine?
but I’m currently working on a third, low-cost solution to be available soon.
http://www.foolography.com
the current ones are a little over $100
and to answer some questions:
no, it won’t work with canon cameras of any type, not even with a different connector.
the 40D now has some kind of GPS support, but only via the expensive WiFi accessory which needs to be bought seperately. That in turn can take connect a USB GPS.
This project should work with Nikon D200, D300, D2Hs, D2X, D2Xs and D3. the D2Xs, D300 and D3 can also record Compass bearings, but obviously you’d need to add a compass, which will make this project non-DIY for most people, and definitly way more expensive.
March 3rd, 2008 at 7:12 pm
What i use a gps on my camera to?
Hello i realy want to know wil it work on a Nikon D80 ?
And if it do can you then please sent a detailed wiring diagram?
March 4th, 2008 at 9:58 am
@David- the channels are independent (as far as the soldering is concerned) - the solder is just used to connect the wires to the PC board. I’m not the best solderer… It looks like a heap of solder connecting everything but it’s not! The paths on the PC board are what connects the components together.
March 4th, 2008 at 9:59 am
To all those who have asked: I believe this will only work on the following Nikon cameras:
Nikon D200, D300, D2Hs, D2X, D2Xs and D3
March 4th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
@Rick,
Thanks Rick - I figured that was the case but just wanted to be sure. Just waiting now for a release cable (ebay $7.50) and I should be good to go.
Thanks again for posting this great project.
March 5th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
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March 5th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
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March 6th, 2008 at 9:25 am
I’ve a serial GPS (deluo) with only 4 cables coming from it (blank, blank, black, red, white and green) right to left as in the same position as in your pictures
which one is which? should it matters that I’m missing 2?
can you please publish a more schematic version of the wiring diagram? I’m confused
thanks and regards from Ireland
GQ
March 6th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Rick- I looked at the data sheet for the EM-406A… runs off 5v (perfect) and has TTL output (some modules have RS-232) which make it ideal for this use. Since there’s no schematic, I’m a little confused about what the resistors and transistor are for… before I read the data sheet, I thought you were using those parts as an RS-232-to-TTL level translator, but since the EM-406A’s output is TTL, it doesn’t seem that there’s need for any parts other than the EM-406A, case, cable with connector, and a switch. So what am I missing???
Great article BTW… my D3 wants a GPS… I’ve bought several products from USGlobal before and they sell products that perform really well.
March 7th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Link to EM-406a
http://www.usglobalsat.com/p-46-em-406a-sirf-iii.aspx
March 7th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
After reverse engineering the photos and creating a schematic, it appears that the discrete components are used to do the following… two resistors are used to create a voltage divider to hold the data input to the module at a logic ‘1′ level, yet allow it to be used to input data to the module for diagnostic purposes. At first blush, it would seem that a single resistor could have performed the same function. Two resistors and the transistor seem to be used for an unusual level translator for the output… perhaps the TTL voltage level for a logic ‘1′ level from the GPS module was not sufficiently high to drive the D3’s data input. Any input Rick?
March 8th, 2008 at 8:16 am
Can Krietner or anyone who has done a “real” schematic please post it?
That would be a huge help.
Thanx
March 8th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
StanS,
I haven’t posted a schematic because I am not certain that it is completely accurate. Bear in mind that these cameras are very expensive (the D3 is 5 Gs), and I am using photos that are not entirely clear for my source to reverse engineer the schematic. The colors of the resistors are not entirely clear, and although I am pretty sure that I have the correct values, I don’t want to post anything that could lead to the damage of anyone’s camera. Also, the circuitry appears to be somewhat unconventional (I have been a design engineer for 30+ years) to me, so until I verify that I’ve got it right, I can’t post anything yet. I will be in contact with the USGlobalSat engineers next week and once I have spoken to them, and have one of their GPS modules in my hands and done some testing, anything I could say would only be an educated guess.
March 10th, 2008 at 6:44 am
Kreitner, can you email me on quilmore(at)gmail .com
I’ve done a schematic and I’d like you to compare it with what you have
March 10th, 2008 at 8:37 am
I’d definitely be interested in a clearer schematic. My friend and I built this on breadboard over the weekend and the camera didn’t seem to recognize it. Everything was double checked too. Also, what does the GPS symbol that shows up on the camera look like? Just so I have an idea. Thanks!
March 10th, 2008 at 8:40 am
Hello,
can i please have a copy of the schematic too. My e-mail is: herbert.kurzfeld(at)t-online.de
Thank you. The GPS chip is on order. Will start soldering soon after arrival.
herbert
March 10th, 2008 at 9:53 am
Herbert, I’ve sent it
please, don’t use it unless you know what you’re doing!
but if it works please let me know
Mike, look at your manual, it’s a “GPS” label, blinking when hunting, solid when it has got good signal
March 10th, 2008 at 10:28 am
Thanks Quilmore. Lord knows where my manual is, but I figured it would be something simple like that. I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing it. Could you send me a copy of the schematic too, at least just to compare it to what we deciphered here. I promise I won’t hold you accountable if I screw up anything.
My email is mjpark at gmail.com. Thanks
March 10th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Just a word to the wise before you all start soldering up a storm, the information I used to draw up a schematic (the parts layout and photos) is likely wrong… the drawing (which admittedly is very difficult to see clearly) seems to have pins 3 and 4 mixed up… so proceed cautiously if you don’t have the engineering skills to understand the schematic in it’s entirety. My D3 cost a pretty penny, and I’m certain none of you want to send yours back to Nikon for repair any more than I do… don’t get in a rush, we’ll hash this out until we’re certain and get a proper schematic that anyone can understand.
Mail sent to Quilmore
March 10th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Hey, if I break my D200, I just see it as a good reason to pick up a D3. All kidding aside, if I decide to proceed any further, it will be with extreme caution.
March 10th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
@ Kreitner
I would also be interested in receiving you diagram too. I have a picture of what I have done up to this point - taken with a Macro (or in this case Micro) lens - I am only waiting for the cable to arrive now so am otherwise quite close to a working model. While the clarity / color of the picture is good, I did place the resistors using a process of elminination - so I can not say that it is accurate, and I have not yet tried the device.
I would be happy to share what I have with you this with you to get this unit up and running.
You can reach me at esteroapd A.T gmail [(DOT}] com.
Thanks
March 10th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
I’ve been told this is correct, still unproven
have a look and develop by yourself, this is only my interpretation of the pictures above
[img]http://quilmore.hejka.net/nikongps.jpg[/img]
March 10th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
@ quilmore
If I am not mistaken, e (emitter) should be connected to RX (lead 3 of the GPS). Is this correct? Diagram shows TX…
“Wire 3 is connected to the emitter”
March 11th, 2008 at 2:37 am
I’ve spotted that too and i also think the design is wrong
i don’t understand electronics well enough, but that is what I’ve got is just my view on the above design
Kreitner seems to have a pretty good idea of what’s this all about, follow him, not me
He also said the GPS module I have is no good for this and I’ll have to convert its signal to TTL
I’ll do so in time or get a proper one
March 11th, 2008 at 8:07 am
Yes, Bill I came to the same conclusion that you did… pins 3 & 4 are reversed… also, the level translator is of an unusual design, one not familiar to me. I will test it on a breadboard before I’m certain I successfully translated Rick’s photos and drawing to an accurate schematic…
March 11th, 2008 at 9:09 am
Hi,
please read the specs of EM-406a Ver. 1.1 page 3.
Pin RX should be kept high to 3.5 V, if not used. RX is the receive channel of the GPS unit. At this point, the diagram is correct, I think. Pin 3 is connected to 2 resistors, 2.2 k to VCC and 4,7 k to ground . It makes sense to keep pin 3 to a logical ‘1′ at TTL level.
I have not jet analyzed the schematics around the transistor. The output level of the GPS unit is 0 to 2.85 Volt. This should be an acceptable TTL level, if the camara does not pull the signal down due to internal low resistance of the circuit.
The questions is, do we need the transistor at all. We will try and measure if the GPS unit has arrived.
Any comments are welcome
March 11th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Yes Herbert, that is correct… the voltage at pin 3 connected to the voltage divider calculates out to 3.4v… close enough. (Depending on which ‘diagram’ you are speaking of. quilmore’s diagram is correct, but several of us used Rick’s drawing to come up with a schematic, and had pins 3 & 4 reversed…)
Yes, correct on the GPS output being TTL levels of 0v and 2.85v… but what I have read elsewhere is that the camera input is CMOS levels, meaning a logic 1 must be much closer to 5v than a TTL logic 1; the transistor and it’s associated 2 resistors are meant to be a level translator to give the camera a valid logic ‘1′. It’s an unusual design, I haven’t tested it yet to make certain that what I gleaned from Rick’s documentation is correct… I will breadboard it this weekend and see if it works.
March 11th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
to: Kreitner,
please contact me on my e-mail and I will sent you the information and drawing I have, also with the pin assignment of the 10pin connector. The colour coding of the cable is transparent…
my e-mail: herbert.kurzfeld(at)t-online.de.
the communication via e- mail is only to avoid confusion to other readers until we talk of the same diagram and pin assignments etc. Than we can publish. Is that ok with you all involved.
The GPS unit has arrived from the USA today, so we can start also to work on it and measure some details.
Regards
Herbert
it is now 9:07 pm in Germany, just for the time sync
March 21st, 2008 at 3:31 pm
You may take a look at my solution incl schematic with some pictures at picasaweb . Small, easy solution. Works well on the D200, and should work equally well on a D300.
I use a standard Globalsat Gmouse gps with a rs232c output.
http://picasaweb.google.com/slaskmail99
March 23rd, 2008 at 9:37 pm
Slaskmail,
do you have any current consumption figures? Quiescent/data aquisition?
Specifically, how much current does the transistor system use. Would it be better to use a MAX 232 solution?
March 27th, 2008 at 6:22 am
I don’t know if this is correct, but i think looking at the transistor position that collector and emisor pins are swapped in the pin wiring.
April 4th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
Nikon D200 demo
April 17th, 2008 at 9:37 am
I’ve also tried to reverse engineer the schematics and I don’t have a problem with the voltage divider that keeps Rx at 3.5v which is what the tech sheet from Globalsat calls for if we aren’t using it but I fuzzy on the role of the transistor because I’m not clear how it is connected.
Rick could you please post a schematics of the circuit. We’ll figure out how to solder the components
Thanks
April 19th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Well, I’ve not blowed up my D200, but the GPS is not working yet.
If you guys have a good shematic, please email it me djtripp at gmail
My first attempt had TX and RX reversed, but I don’t want to tear anything apart and put it back together until I get some better verification.
Thanks.
April 21st, 2008 at 4:00 pm
I am also still looking for a good schematic
May 2nd, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Here’s a diagram I came up with from Rick’s sketch and final wiring pictures. Not 100% sure if it’s correct though.
May 2nd, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Link:
http://mwa.airpoppoff.com/GPSschematic.JPG
May 4th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Hello, I have designed a circuit using the MAX233 and works, NIKON wonderfully in a D300.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/agrupacion_fotografica_alicante/discuss/72157604878719971/
Greetings.
May 4th, 2008 at 9:43 am
http://www.flickr.com/photos/litris/2461859755/
May 23rd, 2008 at 7:10 pm
I bought my Real Time GPS Tracker for teen tracking at http://www.gpsteentracking.com. I noticed that a simular product is at http://www.ggppss.com. They seem to be close in features and price. I bought mine to monitor my teens driving speeds. They are also good for monitoring the whereabouts of a teens vehicle via a home computer….how cool.
May 26th, 2008 at 5:25 am
Hello everybody,
the diagram MWA has posted seems to be correct when looking to Rick’s assembly sequence photos.
BUT I think this can’t work because pins 3 & 4 on the EM406a are swapped.
My knowledge on electronics is limited but in the docu of the GPS module pin 3 is RX or 3.5V when not used, like in this case.
Any comments on this?
greetings
Herbs
May 29th, 2008 at 7:17 am
Hi there
Do you know how the camera handles the GPS data. Is it a case of just ” Put this data into this EXIF location ” ?
The reason I am asking is that I would want to convert the Lat & Lon data from the NMEA data stream in British National Grig format using the Airy 1936 epsiloid using a Pic chip.
thanks Roy
July 11th, 2008 at 8:18 am
Anyone know if MWA`s circuit drawing is correct? Just about to build a GPS logger for the D300.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:08 am
Hi Rick,
I am glad that someone like you has published a cheap way to get into the field of GPS support. I read carefully what you’ve wrote as also the comments. But I am uncertain about a few things. First the transistor you have used is a NPN 2n2222 - am I right? And second the users obviously found a mix up with pins 3 and 4 of the GPS module - is this the truth? And third - I have to say I am no expert in this field much more a beginner - Pin 6 from the GPS module delivering GPS time is necessary or not?
Please have a look at my questionary.
Thanks a lot, Markus.
July 18th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Brilliant Rick, finally got the set-up you posted to work and took my first pictures with a breadboard lashup to verify the circuitry. Just re-designing layout using surface mount components to really reduce the size.
MWA`s circuit is the one to follow, BUT remember to swap over pins designators for Pins 3 and 4.
Thanks, Ian
July 19th, 2008 at 1:50 am
Markus, pin 6 on the 406A I have just got does not function. However there is a LED built on the GPS module which is on on initially but flashes at one hertz once GPS lock is established.
July 19th, 2008 at 1:51 am
Sorry, meant to add leave pin 6 unconnected.
Ian
July 19th, 2008 at 4:54 am
Hi Ian,
thanks for answering my question. In case you got it working - did you use the transistor linked originally to this page: NPN 2N2222?
Thanks for help,
Markus.
July 19th, 2008 at 7:03 am
Markus, yes used the 2n2222 as done by Rick.
As I mentioned above, it works really well. Sensitivity of the 406A is excellent. I am just waiting on a cheapo remote control from HK to get the connector from it.
Then I am rebuilding to less than matchbox size…. (he says confidently…!)
Regards, Ian
July 19th, 2008 at 7:06 am
“In case you got it working “, should have said that I had it working yesterday taking pictures with positional info attached. You can also see your present position in LAT/LONG on the D300 main screen, its cool….!
Ian
July 19th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Hi Ian,
thanks once more. I hope I’ll get it working too. I will leave a short message if I do so.
Markus
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:47 am
Hi there,
to Ian who helped in the final phase of assembly. All he found out was right! It’s so nice to see it working.
this is the ’short’ message i was about to leave in case i’ll get it working. I finally realized that i forgot to connect something on the board. So thanks goes to Rick who has invented the circuit and to MWA who has puzzled out whats connected on the drawing and last but not least
Markus.
July 23rd, 2008 at 11:01 am
Glad you too had success Markus.
I have just finished my one now and got it in a box one inch and a half square by .5inch deep. Used surface mount components and a small power switch. Suppose I could post pics on Flickr if anyone needs it, just let me know here.
Many thanks to you Rick for showing how it was done, and giving us all hope that it could be done.
Thanks again, Ian
July 31st, 2008 at 10:26 am
Great design and something I have been trying to produce for some time now. I built a MAX232 RS232 level converter for my external GPS which works well (but obviously means carrying the GPS and a cable) and I wanted a camera powered independent design. I have picked up a GPS Receiver Module GPS-320FW (from http://www.rfsolutions.co.uk) which (supposedly) offers LVTTL and RS232 outputs of NMEA 4800 sentences. The RS232 output is not sufficient to be picked up by my D200 directly so have been playing around with level converters but without much luck. The output of this GPS module is rather different to the EM406 used in this article and I wondered if anyone else had tried to use this and come up with a suitable solution. It is a bit of a pain that the D200 needs such high serial voltages.
I still don’t understand the circuit that is proposed here. I see how Rx is kept high by the voltage divider as specified in the 406 module datasheet. As several previous authors have made clear, this should actually be Pin 3 and both Pin 3 and 4 should be swapped.
The diagram that I am working from seems to have the base of the transistor connected to Vcc and the (supposed) Tx pin connected to the emitter. I would have thought that this would have meant that the transistor was simply open circuit and therefore doesn’t really doing anything. It would seem that the Tx pin is thus connected to Vcc via the 10k and 4k7 resistors in parallel (i.e. a resistance of about 3k2), shifting the resting voltage towards Vcc. I have seen something similar advocated when using the old Macintosh RS422 interface which similarly sometimes needed an extra voltage boost by simply soldering a battery between the rails to boost the baseline voltage. I am by no means an electronics expert and am prepared to believe that people have used this design but I fail to see how it works!
John
August 2nd, 2008 at 7:26 am
John,
This circuit is a common base configuration, which is an impedance translator as well as voltage gain, low impedance in and high impedance out. Its a very stable config and commonly used in hi frequency applications to prevent unwanted oscillations. (important when dealing with the NMEA data). It certainly works well with the EM-406A.
You can see my finished receiver here http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandozer/tags/gps/
Thanks again to Rick, for the concept.
August 3rd, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Ian,
Great job on the project. Like the small foot print.
I have a Hammond box but they have two screws holding both sides together. Your box does not have any screws; may I ask where did you get that box.
In the EM-406A spec sheet they mention a 470 ohm resistor with a 3.2 V Zener for the voltage divider; seem like it would be more accurate than two resistors. Thanks.
August 4th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Al,
The box I used is a transit box for antistatic electronic devices, used in my workplace. Nothing special really other than just the right size, and they are scrap after first use.
As regards using a zener diode, sure it fixes the level at 3.2V ok. It will cause a heavier discharge on the camera battery. A fully charged battery kicks out over 8 volts, that means you have 4.8+V across the 470ohm resistor, thats 10 ma being wasted, using resistors only dumps less than 1ma. As far as I can see it just holds the Rx pin on the GPS to logic 1, the two resistors does that fine.
Ian
August 4th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Ian,
I was wondering the same in regards to battery drain. I guess just keep it simple. : )
I will see how my box work. Thanks.
Al.
August 5th, 2008 at 5:38 am
Ian, Thanks for explaining that - I have also done a bit of Googling and am now rather wiser about how this works and the high frequency advantages of this design!
You have made a great job on the build and enclosure. I have never tried soldering SMDs and think I will stick to through hole components for the time being and hope to be able to squeeze it into a small Hammond enclosure (Prob the same one that Al Chin is using). I was planning to use this ‘upside down’ i.e. the hotshoe screwed to the lid and keeping the screws out of sight (and out of the way of the GPS antenna).
I echo Ian’s comments - thanks to Rick for the design.
John
August 17th, 2008 at 11:38 am
When Adorama put the Nikon MC-35 on sale, I just removed the RS232 circuit and integrated it into a carved out Hammond enclosure. However, I don’t care for the battery drain and ended up buying the Sony CS1KASP in addition. I find it suits me better since it allows coordinates for ANY camera to geotag. Nevertheless, here’s my finished product that ran $120, has a Nikon pass-thru for the 10 pin cable and is fully weather sealed.
http://www.posdsm.com/uploads/images/53/DSC_2394%20(Medium).JPG
http://www.posdsm.com/uploads/images/53/DSC_2395%20(Medium).JPG