[OSM-talk] Which track logging software

[Joerg Ostertag (OSM Munich/Germany)]

On Thursday 10 August 2006 11:33, Lars Aronsson wrote:
> People who use a laptop or a car-mounted computer to collect
> tracklogs, which software do you use?  I'm primarily looking for
> a Linux solution,

Depending on the ammount(precission) of data you want to get I use 3 different 
methods:

 - raw nmea (gpsd -D 9) or (gpsd + netcat)
   this is probably the most usefull and precise logging method
   stored values: lat/lon/alt 
                  time(precision 1/1000 second) 
                  fix(2d/3d) 
                  speed
                  heading
                  pdop/vdop/hdop (very usefull to 
                                  compare against osm-segments)

 - kismet
   wireless scanner which also logs the posiotn pretty good
   stored values: lat/lon/alt 
                  time(precision 1/1000 second) 
                  fix(2d/3d) 
                  speed
                  heading

 - gpxlogger
   simply start it and you have a gpx-file for your tracks you were driving.
   stored values: lat/lon/alt 
                  time(precission 1 second) fix(3d/3d) 

 - gpsdrive
   logs to a simple text file which can be read by osm-filter and used 
   easily too.
   stored values: lat/lon/alt 
                  time(precision 1 second)
   if gpsdrive dies (sigseg, battery empty, ... ) all data is lost

> but I also have Windows XP on my laptop. 

Probably no need to use this, but if you really want.
I know about two:
   - "Der Grosse Reiseatlas"
     Routing Software covering part of Europe (Price 10,- Euro)
     Can log nmea
   - Garmin Mapsource
     can write gpx Files in the newest Version

> I noticed GPSdrive has the ability to save a tracklog, but the
> format was plain text that only contained lat, long and timestamp,
> and no information about altitude or the number of satellites in
> view.

see description above. Gpsdrive is not your favourite data logger ;-)


> On the other hand, the NMEA protocol (available through gpsd)
> provides information not only about the number of satellites, but
> their individual signal strength (or SNR) and position in the sky.
> This could provide information about sky visibility along a road,
> for example parts where one side of the road is more or less
> obscured.  

Thats a perfect format in my opinion. Exactly because of these reasons.

> Can the GPX format represent this information? 

Not really, but we can try using internal expansions to make use of this. But 
anyhow I would really keep the nmea files.


-- 
Jörg (Germany, Munich)

http://www.ostertag.name/
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