ROS GPS node - trying to get gpsd_client to work (accept suggestions)
Hey there,
I have been trying to get a ROS node to work with my GPS (Garmin GPS18x-5hz).
I found the gpsd_client and although I'm using indigo and not hydro, I installed it anyway and tried to run it. I was following the tutorial on their page but I'm unable to get the GPS data on the topic /fix. When I try to echo the topic I don't get anything, and when I try to use gpscat to check what's coming from the GPS port I get some not human readable data, that is, it's not in the NMEA protocol.
On the other hand when I run the gpsd daemon and telnet the port selected, I have to send the command: ?WATCH={"enable":true,"nmea":true} in order to start receiving data in the nmea protocol.
Can you help me out? I'm rather new to the ROS environment and never used a GPS before.
EDIT: The type of data I receive when I use gpscat is the following:
$ gpscat -s 19200 /dev/ttyUSB0
P!\xb6f\xae>\x1aF\xe64\xdf\x10!\x96
~\x18zH
\xe0HR.ck\xfc*\x08&N\xce\x07\x88\x8c-\xcaO\xa04 X6\x1a^\x08\xa8\xc8\x0er\x13
\xffP!\xb6f\xee>\x1a\x06\xe64\xdf\x10!\x96L~\x18zH\x8c\xe0\x08R.ck\xfc*\x08&N\xce\x07\x88\x8c-\xcaO\xa04 X6\x1a\x1e\x08\xa8\xc8N2\x11
\xffP!\xb4f\xee>\x1aF\xe64\xdf\x10!\x94
~\x18:H
\xe4\x08R\xbeck\xfc*\x08&\x0e\xce'\x08\x8c-\xcaO\xa04 X6\x9a^\x08(\xc8\x0e2\x10
\xffP!\xb4f\xae>\x1aF\xe6t\xdf\x10!\x94
~\x18\x1aH\x8c\xe4HR.ck\xfc*\x08&\x0e\xce\x07\x08\x8c-\xcaO\xa0e X6\x1a\x1e\x08(\xc8\x0e2\x10
\xffP!\xb4fn>\x1a\x06\xe64\xef\x10!\x94L~\x18\x1aH\x8c\xe4\x08R.ck\xfc*\x08&N\xce\x07\x88\x8c-\xcaO\xa04 X6\x1a\x1e\x08(\xc8\x0e2\x10
\xffP!\xb6f\xee>\x1aF\xe64\xef\x10!\x96
~\x18:H
\xe4\x08R.ck\xfc*\x08&N\xce\x07\x88\x8c-\xcaO\xa04 X6\x1a\x1e\x08(\xc8\x0e2\x11
\xffP!\xb6f\xae>\x1aF\xe6\xf4\xef\x10!\x96
~\x18:H
\xe4\x08R.ck\xfc*\x08&N\xce\x07\x88\x8c-\xcaO\xa04 X6\x1a\x1e\x08(\xc8\x0e2\x10
\xffP!\xb4fn>\x1a\x06\xe64\xdf\x10!\x94\x8c~\x18:H\x8c\xe4\x08R.ck\xfc*\x08&N\xce\x07\x88\x8c-\xcaO\xa04 X6\x1a\x1e\x08(\xc8N2\x11
\xffP!\xb4f\xae>\x1aF\xe6\xf4\xcf\x10!\x94
(Not exactly like this it has spaces between messages)
Have you tried different baud rates in gpscat? If not, try 9600, 38400, etc. Also, if you have a Windows installation somewhere, have you tried downloading its official software to see if the unit is functioning correctly?
From the documentation this is the correct baud rate. In fact, through the gpsd I was able to retrieve data from the GPS with the nmea protocol. But, although it was supposed to be the protocol used by default, I don't get it if I simply try to gpscat the port to which the gps is connected.