# GPS

> This page documents GPS configuration and monitoring in MikroTik RouterOS, covering properties like channel selection, coordinate formats, GPS initialization strings, and monitoring commands with parameters such as...

# GPS

This section covers GPS tracking examples. Use it to send RouterOS GPS data to HTTP endpoints, MQTT brokers, and IoT platforms.

<DocCardList />

### Summary

**Package requirement:** `gps`
**Sub-menu:** `/system/gps`
**Standards:** `GPS, NMEA 0183, Simple Text Output Protocol`

Global Positioning System (GPS) is used for determining the precise location of a GPS receiver.

### Configuration Properties

| Property | Description |
| :-- | :-- |
| **channel** (*integer [0..4294967295]*; Default: **0**) | Port channel used by the device |
| **coordinate-format** (*dd \| dms \| ddmm*; Default: **dms**) | Which coordinate format to use, "Decimal Degrees", "Degrees Minutes Seconds" or "NMEA format DDDMM.MM[MM]" |
| **enabled** (*yes \| no*; Default: **no**) | Whether GPS is enabled |
| **gps-antenna-select** (*external \| internal*; Default: **internal**) | Depending on the model. The internal antenna can be selected, if the device has one installed. |
| **init-channel** (*integer [0..4294967295]*; Default: ) | Channel for init-string execution |
| **init-string** (*string*; Default: ) | AT init string for GPS initialization |
| **port** (*string*; Default: ) | Name of the USB/Serial port where the GPS receiver is connected |
| **set-system-time** (*yes \| no*; Default: **no**) | Whether to set the router's date and time to the one received from GPS. |

### Monitoring Status

**Command:** `/system/gps/monitor`

This command is used for monitoring the data received from a GPS receiver.

**Parameters:**

:::warning
Starting with the 7.1rc3 firmware release, a new parameter was added, called "data-age" (measured in seconds). This parameter displays the time that has passed since the device received the last NMEA message.
:::

| Property | Description |
| :-- | :-- |
| **date-and-time** (*date*) | Date and time received from GPS |
| **latitude** (*none \| string*) | Latitude in DM (Degrees Minutes decimal) format |
| **longitude** (*none \| string*) | Longitude in DM (Degrees Minutes decimal) format |
| **altitude** (*none \| string*) | Altitude based on GPS data |
| **speed** (*none \| string*) | The current moving speed of the GPS unit |
| **destination-bearing** (*none \| string*) | The bearing from the current position toward a configured destination waypoint |
| **true-bearing** (*none \| string*) | Current heading relative to true north |
| **magnetic-bearing** (*none \| string*) | Current heading relative to magnetic north |
| **valid** (*yes \| no*) |  |
| **satellites** (*integer*) | Number of satellites seen by the device. |
| **fix-quality** (*integer*) | Quality of the signal |
| **horizontal-dilution** (*decimal*) | Horizontal dilution of precision (HDOP); |
| **data-age** (integer) | The time that has passed since the device received the last NMEA message |

### Basic examples

Check port usage, as only one instance can use the serial port simultaneously:

```ros
[admin@MikroTik] /port/print
Flags: I - inactive 
 #   DEVICE NAME                     CHANNELS USED-BY                   BAUD-RATE
 0          serial0                         1 Serial Console            auto    
```

In case there is one port and it is used by the console, release it from the console menu:

```ros
[admin@MikroTik] > /system/console/print 
Flags: X - disabled, U - used, F - free
 #   PORT                                                                       TERM                                                                     
 0 U serial0                                                                    vt102 

[admin@MikroTik] > /system/console/disable 0   
```

Adjust port settings specifically for your device (leave "auto" for LtAP mini):

```ros
[admin@MikroTik] /port> set 0 baud-rate=4800 parity=odd
[admin@MikroTik] /port> print detail 
Flags: I - inactive 
 0   name="usb1" used-by="" channels=1 baud-rate=4800 data-bits=8 parity=odd stop-bits=1 flow-control=none
```

Enable GPS:

```ros
[admin@MikroTik] /system/gps> set enabled=yes port=usb1
[admin@MikroTik] /system/gps> print 
          enabled: yes
             port: usb1
          channel: 0
     init-channel: 0
      init-string:
  set-system-time: no
```

Monitor status:

```ros
[admin@MikroTik] /system/gps> monitor  
        date-and-time: 2021-09-07 08:26:26
             latitude: 56.969689
            longitude: 24.162471
              altitude: 25.799999 m
                speed: 0.759320 km/h
  destination-bearing: none
         true-bearing: 185.500000 deg. True
     magnetic-bearing: 0.000000 deg. Mag
                valid: yes
           satellites: 6
          fix-quality: 1
  horizontal-dilution: 1.3
```

## Port and GPS settings for **LtAP**

```ros
/port/set serial1 baud-rate=115200
```

```ros
/system/gps/set port=serial1 channel=0 enabled=yes
```

We have also created an in-depth article about live GPS tracking, using scripting and a web server: [GPS-tracking](./gps-tracking-using-http-post.md).

### Troubleshooting

Note that sometimes to make the GPS module recognized in RouterOS you need to change the baud-rate setting in the `/port` menu.

[LtAP mini](https://mikrotik.com/product/ltap_mini) has a low-gain GPS antenna built-in, and for a better experience, we suggest using an additional [external antenna](https://mikrotik.com/product/acgpsa).

Switch between internal and external antennas under the GPS menu:

```ros
[admin@MikroTik] > /system/gps/set gps-antenna-select=external
```

On some modems with GPS support, you need to send multiple init commands for continuous GPS monitoring, for example, for Huawei cards you need to send the "AT^WPDST=1,AT^WPDGP" init string to get continuous monitoring.