Using Bluetooth GPS

[ninocass]

This how too describes how to get your bluetooth GPS device to work under linux

This is my second how too and parts of the files needed were installed at different times ie the bluetooth a few months ago so if anyone has any problems / suggestions let me know

Step 1

install the needed bluetooth files:

sudo apt-get install bluez-pin
sudo apt-get install bluez-utils

Then edit the main bluetooth config file:

sudo gedit /etc/bluetooth/hcid.conf

delete everything in the file and replace it with:

#
# HCI daemon configuration file.
#

# HCId options
options {
	# Automatically initialize new devices
	autoinit yes;

	# Security Manager mode
	#   none - Security manager disabled
	#   auto - Use local PIN for incoming connections
	#   user - Always ask user for a PIN
	#
	security user;

	# Pairing mode
	#   none  - Pairing disabled
	#   multi - Allow pairing with already paired devices
	#   once  - Pair once and deny successive attempts
	pairing multi;

	# PIN helper
	pin_helper /usr/bin/bluepin;

	# D-Bus PIN helper
	#dbus_pin_helper;
}

# Default settings for HCI devices
device {
	# Local device name
	#   %d - device id
	#   %h - host name
	name "Nino's Laptop";

	# Local device class
	class 0x3e0100;

	# Default packet type
	#pkt_type DH1,DM1,HV1;

	# Inquiry and Page scan
	iscan enable; pscan enable;

	# Default link mode
	#   none   - no specific policy 
	#   accept - always accept incoming connections
	#   master - become master on incoming connections,
	#            deny role switch on outgoing connections
	lm accept;

	# Default link policy
	#   none    - no specific policy
	#   rswitch - allow role switch
	#   hold    - allow hold mode
	#   sniff   - allow sniff mode
	#   park    - allow park mode
	lp rswitch,hold,sniff,park;

	# Authentication and Encryption (Security Mode 3)
	#auth enable;
	#encrypt enable;
}

restart the bluetooth services

 sudo /etc/init.d/bluez-utils restart

and now to test the bluetooth:

hcitool scan

this should return a list of devices like:

        00:16:4E:D7:AE:5F       Nokia N70
        00:12:62:AF:C0:6E       Nino
        00:11:67:80:41:96       BT-GPS

Step 2

With the bluetooth we need to create a serial connection between our GPS device and the computer

to do this we first need some information on the device; the MAC code and the serial port.

do a

hcitool scan

and take the MAC address of the GPS unit in my case:
00:16:4E7:AE:5F Nokia N70
00:12:62:AF:C0:6E Nino
00:11:67:80:41:96 BT-GPS

so i want: 00:11:67:80:41:96

to get the serial port do

sdptool browse 00:11:67:80:41:96

which will return

Browsing 00:11:67:80:41:96 ...
Service Name: Bluetooth Serial Port
Service RecHandle: 0x10007
Service Class ID List:
  "Serial Port" (0x1101)
Protocol Descriptor List:
  "L2CAP" (0x0100)
  "RFCOMM" (0x0003)
    Channel: 1
Language Base Attr List:
  code_ISO639: 0x656e
  encoding:    0x6a
  base_offset: 0x100
Profile Descriptor List:
  "Serial Port" (0x1101)
    Version: 0x0100

the channel we want is 1

now create a file in /etc/bluetooth/ called rfcomm

sudo gedit /etc/bluetooth/rfcomm.conf

adding an entry:

rfcomm4 {
        bind yes;
        device < GPS MAC ADDRESS>;
        channel 1;
        comment "Serial Port";
        }

to start using the GPS type:

rfcomm connect 4

if for some reason you get

"Can't create RFCOMM TTY: Address already in use"

do:

sudo rfcomm release 4

again followed by

rfcomm connect 4

that should display:

nino@laptop:~$ rfcomm connect 4
Connected /dev/rfcomm4 to 00:11:67:80:41:96 on channel 1
Press CTRL-C for hangup

any GPS software you are gonna use will make use of the /dev/rfcomm4

Step 3

Now to test the GPS install the GPS utils

sudo apt-get install gpsd-clients
sudo apt-get install gpsd

the GPSD is the daemon for the GPS reciever so we want to bind the service with the device:

gpsd /dev/rfcomm4

and finally to see if were getting any information from the GPS device run

xgps

if you want a tracking program have a looky at gpsdrive




Enjoy

Nino

[mundano]

I've done everything exactly like the howto, but when i type:

rfcomm connect 4

I'm getting this error:

ruben-desktop:~$ rfcomm connect 4
syntax error line 3
Can't find a config entry for rfcomm4


Can you help me?

[ymod]

When editing the /etc/bluetooth/rfcomm.conf file you have to make sure you enter the information without the < Brackets >

this is my rfcomm.conf file

rfcomm4 {
bind yes;
device 00:08:1B:12:FA:BB;
channel 1;
comment "Serial Port";
}



Just on a side note, thanks to ninocass for a fantastic HowTo.

[frankuzzo]

Hi, first thanks for the howto.

Following it, I manage to have my gps bt listed while scanning:

$> hcitool scan
Scanning ...
00:0D:B5:30:47:C3       BT-GPS-3047C3

But than on the following browse commang I get nothing:

sdptool browse 00:0D:B5:30:47:C3
Browsing 00:0D:B5:30:47:C3 ...

I have usually to enter 0000 to pair on my PDA, is that necessary on linux as well?

Bye!

[candyoff]

It failed in this stage

root@ed-laptop:/home/ed# hcitool scan
Scanning ...
        00:0B:0D:xx:04:xx       HOLUX GPSlim236

root@ed-laptop:/home/ed# sdptool browse 00:0B:0D:xx:04:xx
Failed to connect to SDP server on 00:0B:0D:xx:04:xx: Connection timed out

Wondering why?

I have tried "sdptool browse" with my Nokia N70 and tons of info come out.
Wondering what was the problem.
And thanks for the guide!

REgards

[candyoff]

solved the problem
i typed "sdptool browse" for 2 times
it just work!

Regards

[cosine7]

I can get /dev/rfcomm4 up and running but none of the gps software will read any thing. Do you have to worry about baud rates or does gpsd do all that for you? Other wise i might just have crap reception on my gps. Will xgps, just have nothing if it can not see enought satellites? Any how i'm using a ASUS BT-100 if anyone has had any luck.

[Cannaregio]

Everything seems ok, but, like frankuzzo, I manage to have my gps bt listed while scanning, but then on the following browse command I get nothing. It just says

sdptool browse 00:02:78:0A:4E:E9 Browsing 00:02:78:0A:4E:E9 ...

and then I'm back to the prompt.

What am I doing wrong?

[Cannaregio]

Turns out now it works, despite the fact that the browsing still does not give any answer from the unit.
For me it works like this

1) sudo hcitool scan (find unit)
2) sudo sdptool browse 00:00:00:00:00:00 (whatever it is)
3) sudo rfcomm release 0 (very important for me)
4) sudo rfcomm connect 0
...connected /dev/rfcomm0 to 00:00:00:00:00:00 (whatever)
...Press CTRL-C for hangup

and then on a separate terminal

5) sudo gpsd /dev/rfcomm0
6) sudo xgps

(of course rfcomm.conf is configured)

[dotsi]

You may try using sdptool records instead of browse. It worked for me.

Well, I still get nothing. xgps says "no data arriving".

Has anyone had the same problem and found a solution for it?

EDIT: solved by rebooting the computer