Cerbo - USB GPS Issue - serial-starter.sh

Hi all,

Cerbox-GX
Firmware version 3.55

Running into a challenge with using a Globalsat N363N5 4800 BAUD USB gps receiver. When I plug it in, the GPS unit has a fix indicated by flashing red light but not present in list under GPS.

Detecting

root@einstein:~# cat /dev/ttyUSB0
[    2.320662] usb 2-1.2: New USB device found, idVendor=067b, idProduct=23a3, bcdDevice= 1.05
[    2.329184] usb 2-1.2: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[    2.336758] usb 2-1.2: Product: USB-Serial Controller 
[    2.342096] usb 2-1.2: Manufacturer: Prolific Technology Inc. 
[    2.348090] usb 2-1.2: SerialNumber: BWAHb115819
[    2.399567] usbcore: registered new interface driver btusb
[    2.723772] usbcore: registered new interface driver rtl8723du
[    3.295606] usbcore: registered new interface driver usbserial_generic
[    3.302524] usbserial: USB Serial support registered for generic
[    3.332901] usbcore: registered new interface driver pl2303
[    3.338709] usbserial: USB Serial support registered for pl2303
[    3.366674] usb 2-1.2: pl2303 converter now attached to ttyUSB0

GPS stream working

screen /dev/ttyUSB0 4800

$GNGSA,A,2,01,112,02,01,09,32,21,124,,,,0.86,0.16,0.61,7*0C

Still no GPS connected

Found this directory

root@einstein:/opt/victronenergy# ls
can-bus-bms               dbus-imt-si-rs485tc       dbus-systemcalc-py        mk2vsc                    vecan-dbus
dbus-acsystem             dbus-modbus-client        dbus-tempsensor-relay     mqtt-rpc                  vedirect-interface
dbus-adc                  dbus-modbustcp            dbus-valence              netmon                    venus-access
dbus-ble-networking       dbus-modem                dbus-vebus-to-pvinverter  prodtest                  venus-button-handler
dbus-ble-sensors          dbus-motordrive           firmware                  serial-starter            venus-eeprom
dbus-bornay-windplus      dbus-mqtt                 gps-dbus                  service                   venus-firmware-update
dbus-cgwacs               dbus-parallel-bms         gui                       service-advertiser        venus-platform
dbus-digitalinputs        dbus-pump                 gui-v2                    service-templates         version
dbus-fronius              dbus-recorder             hub4control               ssh-tunnel                vesmart-server
dbus-fzsonick-48tl        dbus-rv-c                 localsettings             swupdate-scripts          vrmlogger
dbus-generator-starter    dbus-shelly               mk2-dbus                  themes                    websockify-c
root@einstein:/opt/victronenergy# 
root@einstein:/opt/victronenergy# 
root@einstein:/opt/victronenergy# cd serial-starter/
root@einstein:/opt/victronenergy/serial-starter# ls
cleanup.sh         functions.sh       run-service.sh     serial-starter.sh  start-tty.sh       stop-tty.sh

Running this script actually makes it work

root@einstein:/opt/victronenergy/serial-starter# ./serial-starter.sh 
serstart starting
INFO: loading config file /etc/venus/serial-starter.conf
INFO: Create daemontools service vedirect-interface.ttyUSB0
INFO: Start service vedirect-interface.ttyUSB0 once
INFO: Start service gps-dbus.ttyUSB0 once

Then I can actually see the MQTT values under GPS

gps

▼0

Connected = {"value":1}

▼Position

Latitude = {"value":-32.29}

Longitude = {"value":115.72}

However on reboot, this is not persistent and but can replicate by rerunning serial-starter.

  • is this expected behavior? I want to use MQTT to capture positioning without needing to add a cron job or adding this script to startup manually, per cerbo.

Cheers

bump