Communication and location

NEO-6M GPS with ESP32

The NEO-6M is a low-cost GPS receiver that streams text over a serial port. By default it sends NMEA sentences at 9600 baud, so you connect two wires and can already see data in a terminal, before parsing anything.

Connect the module's TX to an ESP32 RX pin, and RX to a TX pin: the wires cross. Modules usually accept 3 to 5 V, and the serial pins work at 3.3 V logic. Check your module, because boards differ. The first fix takes about 30 to 60 seconds under open sky on a cold start, and much longer indoors, where it may never get one. Testing beside a window is a common way to think the module is broken.

A small backup battery keeps satellite data between power cycles. If it is missing or dead, every start is a cold start. The default update rate is one fix per second. For 5 or 10 Hz, raise the baud rate too, or the serial buffer overflows. The code below prints raw sentences. To extract position, use a parser library. On a display board, check for a free UART first: many boards share theirs with USB, so see the table below.

const int GPS_RX = 44, GPS_TX = 43;   // ESP32 side, use a free UART

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);
  Serial1.begin(9600, SERIAL_8N1, GPS_RX, GPS_TX);
}

void loop() {
  while (Serial1.available()) Serial.write(Serial1.read());
}

Use this information at your own risk. It is for general guidance only: the example code compiles, but it has not been tested on every part, and modules differ between sellers. Check the manufacturer's data before you build. Product names belong to their owners, and LCD Ultra Pro is not affiliated with them. See our Terms.