Get location via GSM

Wireless & IoT
1

Is there a way to get a GSM/GPRS (not GPS) module report its position geographically? Some cell phones can do this and what I’m wondering is how…

thanks :slight_smile:

2

galed:
Some cell phones can do this and what I’m wondering is how…

Some phones have built-in GPS receivers. You can also get an approximate location by triangulating the distance between cell towers, or just reporting the location of the tower the phone is connected to.

3

Is there an AT command for that? Probably just getting the tower it’s talking to would be great

4

I don’t think it’s as simple as that, you need to speak to your service provider.

Leon

5

galed:
Is there an AT command for that? Probably just getting the tower it’s talking to would be great

You can use the “AT+CREG” command to the the Location Area Code (LAC) and Cell ID (CID). With this infomation plus your country and netork IDs you may be able to find the tower’s location using a public database. Here’s a link to one: http://client338.lab.telin.nl:8002/cellid/Request.aspx

6

Probably (I’m not at all sure) it works in the Ipod and such phones that the service provider triangulates and then information is then sent to you through a data connection.

7

leon_heller:
I don’t think it’s as simple as that, you need to speak to your service provider.

Leon

I figured as much. Unfortunately, this is for a system going into place in Rwanda, and I have absolutely no idea who the provider is.

Gsm Man:
You can use the “AT+CREG” command to the the Location Area Code (LAC) and Cell ID (CID). With this infomation plus your country and netork IDs you may be able to find the tower’s location using a public database. Here’s a link to one: http://client338.lab.telin.nl:8002/cellid/Request.aspx

awesome. thank you

8

Gsm Man:

galed:
Is there an AT command for that? Probably just getting the tower it’s talking to would be great

You can use the “AT+CREG” command to the the Location Area Code (LAC) and Cell ID (CID). With this infomation plus your country and netork IDs you may be able to find the tower’s location using a public database. Here’s a link to one: http://client338.lab.telin.nl:8002/cellid/Request.aspx

With all the privacy hysteria in the US, would the carriers actually share this info (it looks like a open VLR (visitor location registry))

9

stevech:
With all the privacy hysteria in the US, would the carriers actually share this info (it looks like a open VLR (visitor location registry))

It’s not information that most service providers will give out to just anyone. As you indicate, the public databases are created from visitor submitted data. Of course, this means that some of the data is suspect as most of these services don’t have the means to validate all of the data.

Here’s a link to a Google App page that shows how they are doing this on web-enabled devices: http://www.google.com/mobile/gmm/mylocation/index.html

Here are links to 2 projects using public databases:

http://www.opencellid.org/

http://www.location-api.com/

http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/OpenBmap - this one includes a web interface you can test your data with

10

Asslamo 3alikom

As you don’t have specific requirements, so any combination will be Ok for you.

for understanding what to do

there were a very good article on circuit celler it can be a good start.

you need to understand

-your micro controller

-AT commands for GSM modem you are using

-NMEA or SIRF format to understand the how to parse the data you get from GPS.

do you need this info for graduation project or business project?

you should know that online tracking using GPS and GSM is not allowed in Egypt without permission from NTRA

11

You can try the AT#MONI command, it should return the current cell tower along with other cell towers around it, you can probably use the SNR on each tower to approximate position if you know the location of the towers