GPS
GPS
(Global Positioning System) receivers use satellite data to calculate
their
location. Logger Pro can collect latitudes,
longitudes, and altitudes from a GPS receiver in two ways (see www.vernier.com for a list of
supported
models):
- Live
data collection: The GPS is connected to the computer and Logger Pro is
collecting data in real time.
- Remote
data collection: Data are collected by the GPS in the field, and later
imported into Logger Pro.
Collecting live data with Logger Pro
You
can take a laptop computer outside with a GPS attached and collect data
in real
time.
- Power up your GPS receiver and
establish a satellite connection.
- Connect the GPS to the computer.
- Select Connect Interface → GPS
from the Experiment menu. The GPS
icon
will appear on the
toolbar. Live
latitude, longitude, and altitude data will be displayed on the
computer screen.
- Data collection is set to a rate
of 1 sample per second for
10
seconds by default.
- If you
would like to change the sampling rate or duration, you can do so by
choosing Data Collection from the Experiment menu. Note that the GPS
cannot collect data faster than 1 sample per second.
- You
could also change the data collection mode to Events with Entry
or Selected Events by
choosing Data Collection from the
Experiment menu
- Click Collect to begin
collecting data.
Remote Data Collection
You
may want to collect data with your GPS receiver and import the data
into Logger
Pro at a later time.
- Collect
a Waypoint, Track, or Route on your GPS receiver. See the User’s Manual
for your GPS for detailed instructions.
Note: Logger Pro will not import names
assigned to waypoints, rather, it will import its default number.
Note: If you wish to retrieve a Track with
its associated
times, do not save it. Times can be retrieved only from the Active Log.
- Turn on
your GPS and connect it to your computer.
- Select
Connect Interface → GPS from the Experiment menu. If the GPS
device contains data, the following dialog will appear.
You can
choose
any of the following options:
Cancel
- The connection
will be terminated
No - Select this option if you wish to proceed to data
collection.
If you
choose Yes,
the following window will appear:

- Select
one of the following options:
OK -
Retrieve
Remote Data into the Current Document... The data will be retrieved in a
default file.
OK -
Retrieve
Remote Data into a Chosen File... Import the data
into a previously customized and saved file.
Logger Pro cannot
clear the GPS of data, so Make Data Available
for
Multiple Retrievals is not needed and therefore greyed out.
- The
following dialog will appear
- Select
the type of data you wish to retrieve, then choose the specific data
set. You may select multiple Waypoints, but only one Track or Route at
a time.
- Click
OK and the data will be retrieved.
Exporting
GPS Data
After
collecting or importing GPS data, you can export the data in two ways:
- GIS
Format: Choosing this option saves the data as a tab delimited text
file specially tailored for GIS software such as ArcGIS by ESRI. The
file can then be imported into the GIS application as a table. Note:
Some GIS applications have file name limitations. To avoid this
problem, keep the file name to fewer than ten characters with no spaces.
- Google
Map: Choose this option only if connected to the internet. The
following dialog will launch, allowing you to choose which columns to
map and to make any annotations on individual data points.
- Click OK. Your browser will automatically launch
Google and the points will be plotted.