Tom Tom?

[kevcal]

Well I did a search and couldn't find anyone who'd mentioned this yet..?

Apparently the tomtom software runs under linux - is there any way that the GP2X could be used (with a powered GPS input via usb) to use tom tom data for navigation?

Some stuff here -> http://www.tomtom.com/page.php?Page=gpl
but I guess the source code isn't available for the application..

If the source isn't available, surely some bright person has figured out the format of the data files?

Must admit, haven't got a tomtom or anything like that and as such know _nothing_ about it - just thought it was a good idea B)

Kev

 

[Yod4z]

It a lot of work to be done before it can work on GP2x and i think tomtom will not allow the use on the GP2x

 

[Wite_Noiz]

Linux yes, ARM... ?

Anyone know what CPU the TomTom GO's use? The spec just says CPU 400MHz.

But TomTom themselves would need to port it and, as Yod4z said, I doubt they would.

Would be cool though

 

[kevcal]

Well hadn't thought anyone could persuade Tomtom to do it...

Just thought that if the data file formats are known, then 'someone' could write 'something' to make use of that data..

Initially an application to portray your position on an isometric map would be pretty easy initial step..? (Not used SDL before, would prefer Allegro myself, or even AllegroGL).

Kev

 

[MadDog]

This is the main place all the data comes from, but I bet a licence to use it costs an arm and a leg....


http://www2.teleatlas.com/Pub/Home

 

[kevcal]

This is the main place all the data comes from, but I bet a licence to use it costs an arm and a leg....
http://www2.teleatlas.com/Pub/Home

Ah well - just thought there may be some sort of public domain mapping data available that we could use..
I've seen a guy at work with some s/w on his pda that looks like tomtom (dunno what it actually is), and see no reason why an app for the gp2x couldn't be written to do the same job.

Just an idea.

Kev

 

[DBH]

you can buy tom tom for PDAs so maybe if we ask nicely they could port it to GP2X !

 

[kevcal]

Had a quick look at the sizes of the dat files on my friends PDA - they're big.. dunno if there's any info on the format anywhere.

Have seen other posts now in this part of the forum wanting the same kind of thing - apologies if I'm just repeating what other people have mentioned. :blink:

Kev

 

[katletz]

You can find the specs for TomTom Go on the net (eg.
http://www.gpsforless.co.uk/product_details.php?id=3591 )

It uses the same processor (ARM 920T, though with 400MHz). So you wouldn't even have to recompile the navigation software (unless it needs the 2.4 kernel and the extra modules). But they have GPLed the kernel, so maybe it would be easier to recompile this and run it on the GP2X (dual boot?). Of course you would also need a copy of the software and the maps (maybe you can find this on the cd if you have bought a TomTom Go)?

I agree, it would be a really nice feature if you could run the navigation software on the GP2X, personally I would even consider paying for the software. I have just so much hardware around already, I don't want to get another gadget (which can only do one thing).

Stefan

Apparently the tomtom software runs under linux - is there any way that the GP2X could be used (with a powered GPS input via usb) to use tom tom data for navigation?

Some stuff here -> http://www.tomtom.com/page.php?Page=gpl
but I guess the source code isn't available for the application..

If the source isn't available, surely some bright person has figured out the format of the data files?

Must admit, haven't got a tomtom or anything like that and as such know _nothing_ about it - just thought it was a good idea B)

Kev

 

[TKF15H]

I bet a licence to use it costs an arm and a leg....

Well, we've got two ARMs, maybe that'll do. >_<

 

[kevcal]

Hehe - seems we mostly only have use of one arm anyway

Can't believe there would be a big enough market for them to release the software for the gp2x - as you'd also need to buy a GPS receiver - which I guess cost £80+ ..

Kev

 

[dwelch]

Hehe - seems we mostly only have use of one arm anyway

Can't believe there would be a big enough market for them to release the software for the gp2x - as you'd also need to buy a GPS receiver - which I guess cost £80+ ..

Kev

I am sure it can be done whether it is ported from tom tom or someone else. This is a project I am interested in, not necessarily re-inventing the entire wheel. I would be happy simply getting data from my handheld gps (serial port) and plotting it on a static map borrowed from google or elsewhere. I have a buddy that has written mapping software and could get info on map data and how to graph it. what I have no interest in is trying to write software to follow the roads to a destination, much less announce the turns, etc.

The problem I have every time I think about this project...A fully functional ready to run garmin unit is $250. A gp2x is about $200 a gps unit is $100 without software. Hundreds of dollars in hardware and thousands in man hours to create something that is barely more advanced than what the handheld does already.

 

[kevcal]

Well I agree with your statement that you don't need to have the ability to get directions from A to B (but a useful by-product of the project if possible)- just seeing your position on a map is useful.

As far as I'm concerned, all I'd need to buy (which I was considering anyway) is a small gps input device which amounts to about 80 or 90 UK pounds...

It's parsing the data from the maps (whatever source they are) which I think is the problem...

Kev

 

[dwelch]

Well I agree with your statement that you don't need to have the ability to get directions from A to B (but a useful by-product of the project if possible)- just seeing your position on a map is useful.

As far as I'm concerned, all I'd need to buy (which I was considering anyway) is a small gps input device which amounts to about 80 or 90 UK pounds...

It's parsing the data from the maps (whatever source they are) which I think is the problem...

Kev

Here is free data for the us.

http://www.census.gov/geo/tiger99/tl_1999.html

It is crude, but usable. Sounds like you are not in the us though, I think there is UK data. I had started at this page

http://www.gpss.tripoduk.com/

And that lead me to the tiger page above somehow. You can follow their product/pages to the uk downloads. They appear to support multiple platforms so perhaps they would be willing to go with the gp2x.

I have a garmin 2620 now, but only one for two drivers, two cars. I have thought about just taking the laptop and getting some windows software, but also want to try something with the gp2x at least. Maybe should figure it out on windows first, who knows.

I think you are right, and was considering starting a new topic about it. If you look at the tiger data above, basically all roads or boundaries for parks and other areas. Are just straight lines. Main street may have 30 individual table entries, each one having two points, sometimes three. You are supposed to figure out how to link up all of these points. The problem I am struggling with is how to do that, what is the best way, do you sort out all the streets and have a multi point street? Do you just leave it like this? More importantly even if you knew you were in this city and this state (within a specific dataset) how do you sort your data so that once the gps tells you where you are you can find the nearby streets and draw them on the display, not even worrying yet about how to figure out what street you are on, just figuring out what to draw on the screen for each update. I was told back in the Doom days that doom used a BSP (binary sport partition?) which somehow sorted the data so that the engine knew what walls were closest to the player and farther away to know what walls to draw first and last. I was wondering, if something like that would work here.

Anyway, yes a gps is needed, they were supposed to be under $10 by this point in time as every cell phone has one and that was supposed to drive the technology.



This looks pretty cool

http://www.rfsolutions.co.uk/acatalog/Embe...GPS_Module.html

I wonder if it is standalone or if it needs a separate antenna.


Ebay has these

http://www.allsurplus.net/Axiom/

For $18

Then if you look at the faq, and do the search for an antenna it is another $9 or $10.

So $28 plus some solder and a box and you have something to feed position info into a gp2x...

Even though I have a handheld garmin, I may buy one of these for fun...

 

[hogboy]

http://gpsdrive.kraftvoll.at/index.shtml
Have a look and see what you think, not sure if it helps but it would be fantastic to have something like this on the 2x

 

[dwelch]

http://gpsdrive.kraftvoll.at/index.shtml
Have a look and see what you think, not sure if it helps but it would be fantastic to have something like this on the 2x

Wow, that certainly blew the wind out of my sails! I dont think I am going to give up though.

I was excited (before seeing the above) because I have logged NMEA data, written a module to parse the data and extract so far just position and time. Wrote a parser for the free tiger data and extrated a few nearby roads. Wrote software to take the position commands, figure out what segment of what road is closest (brute force, needs a lot of help here for real world). Draws the roads, relative to the current position which is in the middle of the screen and has breadcrumbs following the current position. Looks like the gp2x can keep up with what I have so far (so it should be able to keep up real-time). Last thing is talk to the uart, get live data, parse it with the parser and feed it to the drawing routines, then go for a drive. THEN solicit help in figuring a good way to manage the large amount of road data, come up with a good way to figure out what roads to draw and what roads not to draw, etc. How to draw pretty roads and label them instead of just single lines.

I did end up ordering the gps module (mentioned above) and an antenna, both from the same person on ebay, saved on shipping. I think both parts with shipping was right around $30. Then it needs some wires, a box, and probably power from the car through a regulator. Currently just using a garmin handheld.

If someone wants to take on the above post, it runs on GTK2, so someone has to get X and or GTK2 running on the gp2x, or replace the gtk2 calls with a wrapper to sdl or HH. Anyone know what kind of horsepower those PDAs are running, are they running gtk on those pdas?

All of my work is done on the 940 talking directly to the hardware, no OS in the way.

 

[dwelch]

Update: I have closed the loop. Hand held gps feeding NMEA data to the gp2x, the gp2x parses it and draws a bread crumb trail as you drive around. I have maybe 5 roads in the database just to try it out, and when you are on/near those roads you can see them. I have the X axis backward right now so when you go left the breadcrumbs go right.
http://www.dwelch.com/temp/frame00130.bmp

Right now it has up is north, which I dont really like, I prefer the up is the way you are pointed mode. Up is north was easier of course as I am trying to do all of this fixed point. The rotations can be done with fixed point and tables, but I will get to that some day.

For the few roads I have pulled in it appears to do a good job determining the nearest road (segment), using a brute force method. Add the sum of the squares between the current position and the end points for each of the line segments. Whichever one has the smallest result is the closest. So it should be easy to at least display what road you are on. I already have the road segments connected in the (small) database, so it is "possible" to figure out what roads are coming up.

Source available if anyone is interested...

 

[nem]

Hardly TomTom and a bit OT, but there was a fairly nice GPS program done for the GBA. It used plain old raster maps that were calibrated and saved as ROMs for use on the GBA.

Check it out here.

 

[dwelch]

Hardly TomTom and a bit OT, but there was a fairly nice GPS program done for the GBA. It used plain old raster maps that were calibrated and saved as ROMs for use on the GBA.

Check it out here.

That is pretty cool. I may have to look into that. I wanted to do it that way but if you ever want to get from simply displaying the position on a map to being able to say this is the next street and then someday this is the next turn, you have to have a vector data not raster. Not that I am ever going to get there without help.

I have been wondering if the GBA was powerful enough for this...

I received my Axiom sandpiper II module I bought on ebay with the antenna today. I thought it had through holes for wiring up to but there is a header in there. A web search found a discussion board that included mouser part numbers for the connector. So I have to wait a few days for those to arrive and hook it up and try it out. So the total cost is a touch over $30 instead of a touch under. I still have to box it and supply 5V power (another $1.50 at radio shack ), so it may get up to $0 or $50 before this is all done, still much less than a turnkey handheld or module (although I have not priced used handhelds on ebay, perhaps they are cheap).

 

[crusty]

I received my Axiom sandpiper II module I bought on ebay with the antenna today. I thought it had through holes for wiring up to but there is a header in there. A web search found a discussion board that included mouser part numbers for the connector. So I have to wait a few days for those to arrive and hook it up and try it out. So the total cost is a touch over $30 instead of a touch under. I still have to box it and supply 5V power (another $1.50 at radio shack ), so it may get up to $0 or $50 before this is all done, still much less than a turnkey handheld or module (although I have not priced used handhelds on ebay, perhaps they are cheap).

Rikaline (www.rikaline.com.tw) makes a gps module that fits all inside the antenna.
Cost is around US $ 40. It outputs both RS232 and TTL level signals.

Have a look at sqlite (www.sqlite.org) as your database engine.
It is public domain, written in C and is very fast.

I have plans to do something similar for the small island I live on.
There is no public domain map data so I had to record it myself using
a gps and a laptop.