NTP / PPS UBlox status_ntpd - GPS Information not working

stephenw10

So you are seeing NMEA data and it's correct.

What sentences do you have selected?

Are you seeing a PPS signal?

Can you see the correct output from ntpq directly?

Steve

pete

So you are seeing NMEA data and it's correct.

Yes

What sentences do you have selected?

Tried using all of them then only GGA. Both ways work fine with the SureGPS on the main :PFSense box. The U-Blox configuration with PPS has never displayed GPS information in House #2. Now working on two more PFSense installations in Houston TX pro bono and everything works fine except for the GPS information using U-Blox. Been testing here with hot spare PFSense box.

Are you seeing a PPS signal?
Tested for PPS signal similiar to the way I tested for the Sure GPS as described here:
https://www.satsignal.eu/ntp/Sure-GPS.htm using Windows.

See this though:

ntpq -c pe
     remote           refid      st t when poll reach   delay   offset  jitter
==============================================================================
xGPS_NMEA(0)     .GPS.            0 l   76  128  377    0.000  -188.24   1.072
 time-d-g.nist.g .POOL.          16 p    -   64    0    0.000   +0.000   0.000
 0.pool.ntp.org  .POOL.          16 p    -   64    0    0.000   +0.000   0.000
*time-d-g.nist.g .NIST.           1 u  534  512  377   36.009   -0.357   1.774
+time-d-g.nist.g .NIST.           1 u  485  512  377   35.340   +0.286   0.288
-206.81.5.45     192.5.41.41      2 u  278  512  377   36.582   -1.020   1.278
+time.cloudflare 10.27.8.152      3 u  271  512  377   29.627   -0.590   0.318

Shouldn't I see PPS above??

PPS LED is blinking on U-Blox module and the PPS pin is wired to Pin #1 on RS-232 TTL to RS-232 interface. Same as SureGPS configuration.

Can you see the correct output from ntpq directly?
Yes this is house #2 using current version of PFSense with U-Blox GPS/PPS - years now.

VPN'd over to house #2

ntpq -c clockvar
associd=0 status=0000 no events, clk_unspec,
device="NMEA GPS Clock",
timecode="$GNRMC,173536.00,A,4132.30937,N,08752.22353,W,0.050,,271221,,,A*7E",
poll=137, noreply=0, badformat=0, baddata=0, stratum=0, refid=GPS,
flags=0

stephenw10

The PPS may be inverted. It usually is for TTL level, your converter may not be switching that.

It clearly is seeing time data from the GPS. There's a huge offset so it will show as invalid.

What is actually not working here? Just the gui display of the lat. long. and sat data?

pete

***What is actually not working here?

Just the gui display of the lat. long. and sat data?***

Yes as mentioned in the OP.

GPS Information php file status_ntpd does not show GPS information. IE: longitude, latitude and number of satellites seen.

I see this fine with main house using Sure GPS.

Aux house and 2 other PFSense boxes (in Houston) using UBlox do not show GPS Information.

Rest of display is fine.

pete

Should I open a bug report relating to:

GPS Information not working with U-Blox GPS/PPS.

stephenw10

You can do if everything else is working. It's going to be difficult for anyone else to fix though without access to the data coming from the device.

Is the number of decimal places the only difference between the GGA lines on the Sure and UBlox?

Steve

pete

@stephenw10

Thank you for assistance with said matter.

I did post same said issues in 2019. The GPS Information did work at one time. Then later it did not work with the U-Blox GPS. Didn't much pay attention until I did another write up / Blog on how to do this on another forum.

https://forum.netgate.com/category/2/off-topic-non-support-discussion

Is the number of decimal places the only difference between the GGA lines on the Sure and UBlox?

Yes doing a side by side comparison in vivo (via VPN) and using a new back up PFSense box and a VM which all display same said issue with the same U-Blox GPS of the GPS Information not working.

stephenw10

Are you able to post some sample working and not working data?

bingo600

@pete said in NTP / PPS UBlox status_ntpd - GPS Information not working:

GNRMC

If you see GN messages , it seems that your receiver is configures for Multi GNSS (aka multiple GPS systems , GPS, GLONAS , Beidu , Galileo).

Try to switch it to GPS "Only" ,and you should see GP messages

Ref:
https://github.com/SlashDevin/NeoGPS

Edit:
Note !
Lot's of those cheap "Chinese Ublox" aren't UBLOX at all

For a true standalone system you might want to send the ZDA message too.
Contains the date.

/Bingo

pete

Are you able to post some sample working and not working data?

I just configured a new PFSense VM with the U-Blox GPS.

I can post the SureGPS data and the U-Blox data.

Would that work?

pete

***If you see GN messages , it seems that your receiver is configures for Multi GNSS (aka multiple GPS systems , GPS, GLONAS , Beidu , Galileo).

Try to switch it to GPS "Only" ,and you should see GP messages***

Yes only see GN messages. Where in the config do I change it to GPS only?

bingo600

@pete

uCenter

Will prob. also reveal if it's a true Ublox or a clone

pete

@bingo600

Thank you very much. Messages now have changed.

Will change this to be same as yours.

Output info:
17:27:00 $GPTXT,01,01,02,u-blox AG - www.u-blox.com50
17:27:00 $GPTXT,01,01,02,HW UBX-M8030 000800007E
17:27:00 $GPTXT,01,01,02,EXT CORE 3.01 (107900)2D
17:27:00 $GPTXT,01,01,02,ROM BASE 2.01 (75331)07
17:27:00 $GPTXT,01,01,02,FWVER=SPG 3.0158
17:27:00 $GPTXT,01,01,02,PROTVER=18.000F
17:27:00 $GPTXT,01,01,02,MOD=NEO-M8N-079
17:27:00 $GPTXT,01,01,02,FIS=0xEF4015 (100111)46
17:27:00 $GPTXT,01,01,02,GPS;GLO;GAL;BDS69
17:27:00 $GPTXT,01,01,02,SBAS;IMES;QZSS57
17:27:00 $GPTXT,01,01,02,GNSS OTP=GPS;GLO29
17:27:00 $GPTXT,01,01,02,LLC=FFFFFFFF-FFFFFFED-FFFFFFFF-FFFFFFFF-FFFFFF693D
17:27:00 $GPTXT,01,01,02,ANTSUPERV=AC SD PDoS SR20
17:27:00 $GPTXT,01,01,02,ANTSTATUS=INIT25
17:27:00 $GPTXT,01,01,02,PF=3FF*55

bingo600

@pete

That answer actually looks like it could be a real Ublox

Only configure/enable GPS

It's NOT advisable anyway to have multi GNSS in a timing oriented setup.

/Bingo

pete

@bingo600

Thank you for helping me today with this endeavor!!!

bingo600

@pete
Does that mean you got it to work ?

/Bingo

pete

@bingo600

Yes all of the U-Blox GPS modules working except for one.

One U-Blox GPS module doesn't save the settings after powering it off. Thinking it is that little button battery on it. It is about 5 years old now. Maybe a touch of my soldering gun will remove it?

pete

@bingo600

Unrelated to OP ....here using a 8 drive NAS SAS ZFS pool (Xigmanas) and running out of space.

Wanting to upgrade (doubling size) one drive at a time.

Can I shut down one drive, have it resilver and then replace and expand the drive?

bingo600

@pete
I have no experience with NAS , sorry

/Bingo

pete

Now seeing the following in the NTP logs on both boxes. One with the SureGPS (new box) and the other with the UBlox GPS...

Dec 31 10:51:34	ntpd	19356	kernel reports TIME_ERROR: 0x2307: PPS Time Sync wanted but PPS Jitter exceeded
Dec 31 10:47:34	ntpd	19356	kernel reports TIME_ERROR: 0x2307: PPS Time Sync wanted but PPS Jitter exceeded
Dec 31 10:36:22	ntpd	19356	kernel reports TIME_ERROR: 0x2307: PPS Time Sync wanted but PPS Jitter exceeded
Dec 31 10:31:50	ntpd	19356	kernel reports TIME_ERROR: 0x2307: PPS Time Sync wanted but PPS Jitter exceeded
Dec 31 10:06:14	ntpd	19356	kernel reports TIME_ERROR: 0x2307: PPS Time Sync wanted but PPS Jitter exceeded
Dec 31 09:57:58	ntpd	19356	kernel reports TIME_ERROR: 0x2307: PPS Time Sync wanted but PPS Jitter exceeded
Dec 31 09:40:06	ntpd	19356	kernel reports TIME_ERROR: 0x2307: PPS Time Sync wanted but PPS Jitter exceeded
Dec 31 09:35:02	ntpd	19356	kernel reports TIME_ERROR: 0x2307: PPS Time Sync wanted but PPS Jitter exceeded
Dec 31 09:32:38	ntpd	19356	kernel reports TIME_ERROR: 0x2307: PPS Time Sync wanted but PPS Jitter exceeded
Dec 31 09:27:50	ntpd	19356	kernel reports TIME_ERROR: 0x2307: PPS Time Sync wanted but PPS Jitter exceeded

On the NTP status page looks good...

Computer with Sure GPS

PPS Peer	127.127.20.0	.GPS.	0	l	8	16	377	0.000	-0.006	0.003

ntpq -p
     remote           refid      st t when poll reach   delay   offset  jitter
==============================================================================
oGPS_NMEA(0)     .GPS.            0 l   15   16  377    0.000   -0.012   0.001
 time-d-g.nist.g .POOL.          16 p    -   64    0    0.000   +0.000   0.000
 0.pool.ntp.org  .POOL.          16 p    -   64    0    0.000   +0.000   0.000
 2610:20:6f15:15 .POOL.          16 p    -   64    0    0.000   +0.000   0.000
 0.ubuntu.pool.n .POOL.          16 p    -   64    0    0.000   +0.000   0.000
 0.pfsense.pool. .POOL.          16 p    -   64    0    0.000   +0.000   0.000
+time-d-g.nist.g .NIST.           1 u   31   64  377   34.472   +3.546   1.306
*ntp2.wiktel.com .GPS.            1 u   26   64  377   29.702   +3.131   1.278
+time-d-g.nist.g .NIST.           1 u   53   64  377   34.859   +2.847   1.668

ntpq -c rv
associd=0 status=043d leap_none, sync_uhf_radio, 3 events, kern,
version="ntpd 4.2.8p15@1.3728-o Fri Feb  5 22:07:56 UTC 2021 (1)",
processor="amd64", system="FreeBSD/12.2-STABLE", leap=00, stratum=1,
precision=-24, rootdelay=0.000, rootdisp=1.015, refid=GPS,
reftime=e579b796.df8aca69  Fri, Dec 31 2021 11:08:38.873,
clock=e579b798.9b3b4c7a  Fri, Dec 31 2021 11:08:40.606, peer=1700, tc=4,
mintc=3, offset=-0.002700, frequency=-6.038, sys_jitter=0.003059,
clk_jitter=0.001, clk_wander=0.003

Computer with U-Blox GPS

PPS Peer	127.127.20.0	.gps.	0	l	6	16	377	0.000	-0.001	0.000

ntpq -p
     remote           refid      st t when poll reach   delay   offset  jitter
==============================================================================
oGPS_NMEA(0)     .gps.            0 l    3   16  377    0.000   +0.000   0.001
 time-d-g.nist.g .POOL.          16 p    -   64    0    0.000   +0.000   0.000
 0.pool.ntp.org  .POOL.          16 p    -   64    0    0.000   +0.000   0.000
 0.ubuntu.pool.n .POOL.          16 p    -   64    0    0.000   +0.000   0.000
 0.pfsense.pool. .POOL.          16 p    -   64    0    0.000   +0.000   0.000
*time-d-g.nist.g .NIST.           1 u   40   64  377   35.688   +3.124   1.447
+time-d-g.nist.g .NIST.           1 u    9   64  377   35.765   +2.721   1.666
+time.nullrouten 132.163.97.1     2 u   54   64  377   59.810   +3.261   0.899

ntpq -c rv
associd=0 status=041d leap_none, sync_uhf_radio, 1 event, kern,
version="ntpd 4.2.8p15@1.3728-o Wed Mar 10 18:50:10 UTC 2021 (1)",
processor="amd64", system="FreeBSD/12.2-STABLE", leap=00, stratum=1,
precision=-21, rootdelay=0.000, rootdisp=1.120, refid=gps,
reftime=e579b6c4.00030c50  Fri, Dec 31 2021 11:05:08.000,
clock=e579b6cc.a1a5c47b  Fri, Dec 31 2021 11:05:16.631, peer=41531, tc=4,
mintc=3, offset=+0.001608, frequency=-43.364, sys_jitter=0.000807,
clk_jitter=0.002, clk_wander=0.001