polaris/README.md

polaris

Path Reporting for Borrowed Goods

Currently in Pre-Pre-Alpha

Installation

Necessary Software

• Golang
• Arduino IDE
  • ESP plugin
  • TinyGPS++ library (Installing the TinyGPS++ Library section)

Necessary Hardware

• Computer (I used a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W)
• ESP8266
• uBlox 6m GPS module
• External Power Supply

Setup

Serverside

Compile the recipient Golang program on the computer with

go build gps.go

Nodeside

Open the sketch and use the Arduino IDE to upload to the ESP module Connect the GPS module; pinout is given in Arduino sketch, must check against pinout image

Running

Serverside

Run the recipient with

./gps &

When the path is received, it will be stored in a file named with the received date. It can be viewed with

cat YYYYMMDDHHmmss.gps

Nodeside

Compile and download the sketch to the ESP

Usage

Connect the ESP and GPS to the external battery. Once the GPS warms up, it will get a location reading every 30 seconds. Power does not need to be continuously supplied, as the location is written to the EEPROM. To get the location data, reset/power cycle ESP.

Plotting

So now you have your GPS coordinates. Now what?

For now, you have to search the GPS coordinates on Google Maps or something. However, in the future, it would be nice to process the coordinates locally, without having to copy/paste several sets of coords to a website. However, the methods I have found to do this (HERE and geoplot) have not worked, even the examples. Eventually, I will find another solution, probably in Python, but until then, copy/paste.

TODO

• A whole lot

• Golang plotting

• ESP write to EEPROM

• Solve the Power Problem

• Solve the Housing Problem

• Solve the Attachment Problem