GPS Location Mapper

This MATLAB script reads GPS data from a serial port connected to a GPS dongle, retrieves the nearest address using the OpenStreetMap Nominatim API, and creates a map centered on the GPS coordinates with the nearest address as the title.

Requirements

• MATLAB (version R2016a or later)
• Mapping Toolbox
• Active internet connection

Setup

1. Connect your GPS dongle to your computer's serial port.

2. Open the script in MATLAB.

3. Modify the following variables in the script according to your setup:

   • serialPortName: Set it to the name of the serial port connected to your GPS dongle (e.g., "/dev/tty.usbmodem1101").
   • baudRate: Set it to the baud rate of your GPS dongle (default is 9600).

4. Save the script.

Usage

1. Run the script in MATLAB.

2. The script will start reading GPS data from the specified serial port.

3. Once a valid $GPRMC sentence is received, the script will:

   • Parse the GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude) from the sentence.
   • Make a request to the OpenStreetMap Nominatim API to reverse geocode the coordinates and obtain the nearest address.
   • Create a new figure window and display a map centered on the GPS coordinates.
   • Plot the GPS coordinates as a red filled marker on the map.
   • Set the title of the map to the nearest address.

4. After creating the map, the script will close the serial port and end.

Notes

• The script requires an active internet connection to make requests to the OpenStreetMap Nominatim API.

• The script uses the Mapping Toolbox to create the map. Make sure you have the Mapping Toolbox installed in your MATLAB environment.

• The script is set to read GPS data until it receives a valid $GPRMC sentence. If you want to continuously update the map with new GPS coordinates, you can modify the script accordingly.

• The script assumes that the GPS dongle sends data in the NMEA format. If your GPS dongle uses a different format, you may need to modify the parsing logic in the script.

Troubleshooting

• If the script fails to read data from the serial port, check the following:

  • Make sure the GPS dongle is properly connected to the specified serial port.
  • Verify that the baud rate in the script matches the baud rate of your GPS dongle.
  • Ensure that the GPS dongle is powered on and receiving a valid GPS signal.

• If the script encounters an error while making a request to the OpenStreetMap Nominatim API, check your internet connection and make sure you have access to the API.

• If the map is not displayed correctly, ensure that you have the Mapping Toolbox installed and properly configured in your MATLAB environment.

License

This script is provided under the MIT License.

Feel free to modify and adapt the script according to your needs.