Basic electronics question - GPS enable

[jaybeetoo]

I know this is probably a very simple question to most of you on this forum but I'm new to electronics and we all have to start somewhere!

I want to use a Picaxe pin (e.g C.5 on a 28X2) to switch a GPS module on and off. The instructions for the GPS module says there is an enable pin specifically for this and it is pulled high with a 10K resistor. When this pin is pulled to ground, it will turn off the GPS module.

Could somebody explain (in very simple terms, ideally with a diagram), how I wire the Picaxe pin to the GPS enable pin please?

Thank you!

 

[Jeremy Harris]

First off, are both the Picaxe and the GPS using the same power supply voltage? If so, then just wire the picaxe pin directly to the GPS enable pin. Setting the picaxe pin low will then turn the GPS off, setting it high will turn it on.

 

[hippy]

A variation on what Jeremy suggests is to use LOW to pull the enable pin low ( 'to ground' ) and INPUT to let the enable pin float high. This can be a bit safer as the PICAXE will never provide current into the device it is connected to and can also help if the device controlled isn't using the same power supply.

You can usually achieve the same by putting a diode between the PICAXE output pin and enable pin ( pointy-end cathode towards the PICAXE ) and this is useful if you have a pin which cannot be made input.

 

[jaybeetoo]

First off, are both the Picaxe and the GPS using the same power supply voltage? If so, then just wire the picaxe pin directly to the GPS enable pin. Setting the picaxe pin low will then turn the GPS off, setting it high will turn it on.

Yes, they are using the same power supply.

 

[jaybeetoo]

Thanks for all your help. I've wired the PICAXE pin direct to the enable pin and I'm using INPUT and LOW as suggested. It all works fine.