GPS Modules

A GPS module tells your project where it is. It powers location trackers, route loggers and drones that hold position or fly home on their own.

How it works:

  • The module listens for timing signals from GPS satellites, works out its own latitude and longitude, and streams the result to your Arduino or ESP32 over a serial connection.
  • A library turns that stream into coordinates, speed and time.
  • From there, a tracker logs each fix to a microSD card, or sends it by SMS or Wi-Fi.

Getting a fix:

  • Outdoors with a clear sky, a module gets a fix far faster than indoors.
  • Indoors or under cover it may never get one.
  • Mount the antenna facing the sky.

On drones, a GPS module (often with a compass) lets a flight controller hold position, return home and fly waypoint missions. It needs a flight controller that supports GPS, and the compass must be mounted away from power wiring.

How to choose:

  • Pick a NEO-6M-class module for trackers and logging.
  • Pick a NEO-M8N for faster, more precise fixes, as on drones.

Check whether the module runs at 3.3V or 5V before wiring it to your board.

Frequently asked questions

Why won't my GPS get a fix indoors?

It needs a view of the sky. Test outdoors, where fixes come much faster.

How does a GPS module talk to an Arduino?

Over a serial (UART) connection. A library parses the data into coordinates.

Where does a tracker store or send data?

To a microSD card, or by SMS or Wi-Fi, depending on the build.

What does GPS add to a drone?

Position hold, return-to-home and waypoint missions, with a flight controller that supports GPS.

Guides