Will it ever be possible for Android to be able to interface to a Bluetooth GPS Receiver for use in programs like Google Maps?
What sounds like such a simple thing which would give me some respite on my Samsung Galaxy S.
Cheers
Simon
I am curious also.
i need that too
I know that most of the Bluetooth GPS receivers use a simulated Comm port. As long as Android can use the Comm port and receive position data through ASCII sentences, then it should be fine.
i'm gonna try BlueNMEA (it's on the market)
i'll report back
edit: the app seems to be broken :\
If there is an app for NMEA data, that is a good sign. NMEA uses ASCII text strings to send data. To be honest, I know that Garmin's Bluetooth receivers will send NMEA data to the phone.
Sent from my Garminfone using XDA App
Any news on this topic?
Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk
Look for "Bluetooth GPS Provider" or "Bluetooth GPS mouse" in the market...
I didn't want to pay for something like that and I did not understand why I should give phone call or network access for such an application...
So I've have developed mine:
it' free,
it's open-source (you can verify what it's really doing and you can improve it!),
it just asks for needed permissions.
The application allows to use an external bluetooth GPS on Android devices:
The application starts a service, then connects to a Bluetooth device (NMEA GPS) and creates a mock GPS provider which can be used to replace the internal GPS.
It's also possible to log the external GPS NMEA data in a file on the device.
The app need the following permissions:
bluetooth and bluetooth admin (connection to the GPS device),
location and mock location (replace the GPS location provider by a new one using the bluetooth GPS device),
write external storage (if you want to log the NMEA data into a file on the sdcard).
It should run on all android devices (2.0 and above) and NMEA bluetooth devices.
I have tested it with a GlobalSat BT-338 bluetooth GPS (SiRF III), a Galaxy S (I9000) and a HTC Sapphire (Froyo CM-6).
It works with Google Maps, Wikitude, GoPenS and my own personal navigation app. It should work with all applications that use Android official location API.
Note: in order to install the app:
enable Settings/Applications/Unknown sources,
enable Settings/Applications/Development/Allow mock locations,
download and install the apk.
Project page:
Bluetooth GPS for Android on SourceForge
BlueGPS4Droid apk: BlueGps4Droid_1.0.apk
herbert1 said:
I didn't want to pay for something like that and I did not understand why I should give phone call or network access for such an application...
So I've have developed mine:
it' free,
it's open-source (you can verify what it's really doing and you can improve it!),
it just asks for needed permissions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, went from zero of these to three or more.. More is good I guess! Does yours reconnect to the GPS when the connection is lost (walk away from the GPS, GPS accidentally gets turned off in pocket, etc)? What happens if you turn off the phone (hit power button.. standby), does it disconnect? Reconnect? What happens to apps while running, do they pick back up, or reconnect to the internal GPS?
EDIT: It disconnects. You should have it reconnect, especially if the signal was just lost watch for the device to become available again, and it'd also be really nice if it could do it automatically even if not just used; ie I get in the car, fire up the Holux 236 and a few seconds later your program connects to it.
Very very nice start, worked as well as the Bluetooth GPS Mouse program I've been using for a few weeks.. No sat or fix info, but that's a limitation of the Mock interface of course. Not much to be done there.
And it will be great if supports usb gps too. I have an android device with usb host and a usb gps, so will be great if we can attach a serial port to the mock gps in your app.
Thanks.
Corvus.
I actually have stopped using this, as about 50% of the time my phone is freezing when entering Waze with it enabled, 0% of the time without it or using Bluetooth GPS Mouse.
But it is a new program, it has room to grow.
khaytsus said:
Wow, went from zero of these to three or more.. More is good I guess! Does yours reconnect to the GPS when the connection is lost (walk away from the GPS, GPS accidentally gets turned off in pocket, etc)? What happens if you turn off the phone (hit power button.. standby), does it disconnect? Reconnect? What happens to apps while running, do they pick back up, or reconnect to the internal GPS?
EDIT: It disconnects. You should have it reconnect, especially if the signal was just lost watch for the device to become available again,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have this kind of problems in my car, so I haven't planned anything for that. For now, I have preferred that, in case of problems, everything stops properly. However I will verify what I can do (if I can find a simple way to do this).
and it'd also be really nice if it could do it automatically even if not just used; ie I get in the car, fire up the Holux 236 and a few seconds later your program connects to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A priori, no good way for doing this with the sdk. If we have a background task, which runs looking for the GPS mouse to often it won't be good for the battery.
Generally you have to switch on the GPS, so It should not really be a problem to start the service at the same time, especially if, as I do, you plug the android device in a car dock...
Very very nice start, worked as well as the Bluetooth GPS Mouse program I've been using for a few weeks.. No sat or fix info, but that's a limitation of the Mock interface of course. Not much to be done there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use the extra info in the location to have the number of sat used.
However, if Google has made a better Mock API, we should be able to use GPS Test directly...
Thanks for your comments,
Herbert
Hello,
I downloaded the file but that is not apk but zip and does not include any apy files.
Where can i download the bluegps4droid.apk file from? or How can I use the zip file in the android unit?
Thanks for the help
Sandor
Any Hope for Android 1.6?
I just tried Bluetooth GPS for Android but sadly found out it won't work with Android 1.6 such as used by my Archos 5 Internet Tablet.
Any hope for 1.6 support? Is it even possible?
I imagine the other two solutions suggested here were not found in my Market because they are 2.x only as well. Boo. I was so looking forward to this solving all my problems of the craptastic GPS in that device.
herbert1 said:
I didn't want to pay for something like that and I did not understand why I should give phone call or network access for such an application...
So I've have developed mine:
it' free,
it's open-source (you can verify what it's really doing and you can improve it!),
it just asks for needed permissions.
The application allows to use an external bluetooth GPS on Android devices:
The application starts a service, then connects to a Bluetooth device (NMEA GPS) and creates a mock GPS provider which can be used to replace the internal GPS.
It's also possible to log the external GPS NMEA data in a file on the device.
The app need the following permissions:
bluetooth and bluetooth admin (connection to the GPS device),
location and mock location (replace the GPS location provider by a new one using the bluetooth GPS device),
write external storage (if you want to log the NMEA data into a file on the sdcard).
It should run on all android devices (2.0 and above) and NMEA bluetooth devices.
I have tested it with a GlobalSat BT-338 bluetooth GPS (SiRF III), a Galaxy S (I9000) and a HTC Sapphire (Froyo CM-6).
It works with Google Maps, Wikitude, GoPenS and my own personal navigation app. It should work with all applications that use Android official location API.
Note: in order to install the app:
enable Settings/Applications/Unknown sources,
enable Settings/Applications/Development/Allow mock locations,
download and install the apk.
Project page:
Bluetooth GPS for Android on SourceForge
BlueGPS4Droid apk: BlueGps4Droid_1.0.apk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any way you could port this to android 1.6 ? everyone with an archos needs this app cause the gps that is in it is terrible . Please please please port it to android 1.6 .
I've been in touch with a developer of one of these programs and unfortunately it is not possible to port these apps to 1.6 since 1.6 lacks some of the Bluetooth APIs/libraries needed for the functionality. Without a whole lot of messy programming it isn't possible for these apps to work on 1.6.
Can I use an USB GPS receivier instead of a Bluetooth one?
Stefem said:
Can I use an USB GPS receivier instead of a Bluetooth one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not sure that such app exists...
Some devices (some tablets for example) have usb host capabilities, but not all of them.
If you can read the NMEA sentences from the USB GPS, it should be feasible (At least to adapt one of the app used with bluetooth GPS).
Thanks for this great App!
Wow!
Thanks Herbert1, this was exactly what I was looking for. I am using you app with a Samsung Galaxy S and a Columbus v900 BT GPS reciever. The reciever does the logging and is WAY faster and more accurate then the internal GPS android gives me.
Bluetooth Tethering Manager is an app designed to automate Bluetooth tethering connections between your phone and other android devices. It allows you to choose when the tethering should stop (Screen off or WiFi connected) to save battery on your devices (Bluetooth takes very small amount of battery when is not connected). So you don't need to go to settings and manually start Bluetooth tethering (on server side) or connect to server device (on client side). This app does it for you.
Additionally on the client device you can see:
- the signal strength of your connection (3G,H, etc.);
- battery level of your server device.
With Blue Tethering you don't need to pull out the phone from your pocket to check how much battery do you have or what's the signal strength. App uses an android 4.0+ built in tethering.
!!NOTE!!
Make sure that built in Android tethering works between your devices, before using my app.
Link to Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tomlocksapps.bluetoothtetheringmanager
Now version 1.1 is out.
Changelog:
- fix minor bugfixes,
- ability to start service with system,
- turn off Bluetooth when is in idle,
- now supports locale!
Hi,
This is a very handy application. No need to buy a 3G tablet and an extra sim card. Thanks for this app!
Hi,
I am trying to be able to use my new Fire for navigation in my car. I realize it does not have a built-in GPS, but there are a number of apps that will let you share GPS from another device via bluetooth or WiFi.
They all rely on the ability to set a Mock Location App in Developer options.
I have used the toolkit and installed Google Play services, and downloaded an app that I know works on my other Android tablet. "GPS Connector". It has a simulation mode, as well as using BT or USB for real GPS data from another device.
I have also installed an app called "Fake GPS location" which just allows you to pick a spot in the world, and then sends that GPS info to the tablet for other apps to use.
Both apps rely on the Mock Location App being set to the app.
When I use Fake GPS location, it works as it should. Apps on the tablet get the fake location and behave as expected.
When I use GPS Connector, it does not work. The tablet acts like there is no GPS info available.
The obvious diagnosis would be its a problem with the GPS Connector app (and it may well be), however the app works fine elsewhere. And, I have downloaded three similar apps, and none of them work on the Fire either (but work elsewhere).
Wondering if anyone here has any ideas? I have seen posts and videos of this working, but likely on older OS/tablets so not sure if Amazon has done something.
Appreciate the help!