DIY Arduino Speedometer: Displaying GPS Speed on an Analog Gauge

This post shows how to make a DIY Arduino speedometer using an analog gauge and a GPS module. The gauge is used to display the current speed, while the GPS module is used to track the speed in real-time. this project combines an Arduino board with a GPS module to display real-time speed on a classic analog gauge.

GPS speedometers are more accurate than traditional speedometers because they can continually track the vehicle’s location and calculate its speed. You may already be familiar with GPS, as it’s commonly used in smartphones. checkout my previous post on How To Use NEO-6M GPS Module with Arduino | Tutorial

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Required materials

0.96″ OLED display
GPS module (such as NEO-6M or NEO-7M)
Jumper wires
Breadboard
USB cable

NEO6M GPS Module

We will be using the NEO-6M GPS module. The NEO-6M is a popular GPS receiver featuring a built-in ceramic antenna, it offers excellent satellite search capabilities. With the ability to track up to 22 satellites, it provides accurate location information of your position in the world.

The onboard signal indicator allows us to monitor the module’s network status, It has a small battery for data backup so that the module can save data when the main power is shut down accidentally.

The NEO-6M GPS module uses the powerful NEO-6M GPS chip from u-blox. This chip has amazing capabilities, allowing it to track up to 22 satellites on 50 channels. It has a very special sensitivity level which is -161 dBm, meaning it can receive even weak signals effectively.

Specifications of NEO6M GPS Module

GPS Chip: u-blox NEO-6M
Satellite Tracking: Up to 22 satellites
Channels: 50 channels for positioning
Sensitivity: -161 dBm
Positioning Engine: u-blox 6
TTFF: Under 1 second
Baud Rate: Supports 4800-230400 bps (default: 9600 bps)
Antenna: Built-in ceramic antenna
Data Backup: Data backup battery
Compatibility: Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and other microcontrollers
Operating Voltage: 3.3V-5V
Power Consumption: Low power consumption
Communication: Serial communication (UART)
Output: NMEA protocol
Applications: Navigation, tracking, robotics, geocaching, and more.

Pinout of NEO6M GPS Module

Pinout for the NEO-6M GPS Module:

VCC: Input voltage pin
GND: Ground pin
RX: Receive pin for UART communication
TX: Transmit pin for UART communication

NEO-6M GPS Module Tutorials

Arduino GPS Speedometer Project Circuit Diagram

Now let us see the circuit diagram of the Arduino GPS Speedometer. The connection diagram is relatively easy as shown in the image below.

Connect the VCC pin of the GPS module to the 3.3V pin of the Arduino.
Connect the GND pin of the GPS module to the GND pin of the Arduino.
Connect the RX pin of the GPS module to digital pin 3 on the Arduino.
Connect the TX pin of the GPS module to digital pin 4 on the Arduino.

Connect the VCC and GND pins of the I2C OLED display to the Arduino’s 5V and GND pins, and connect the SDA and SCL pins to the Arduino’s A4 and A5 pins, respectively.

Source code for Arduino OLED Speedometer

Firstly Import the necessary libraries

Download the TinyGPS++ library and add it to the Arduino library folder.
Download the U8glib library and add it to the Arduino library folder.

Copy the below code and upload it to the Arduino Nano Board.

//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
#include "U8glib.h"
U8GLIB_SSD1306_128X64 u8g(U8G_I2C_OPT_NONE|U8G_I2C_OPT_DEV_0);
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
const int timezone_hours = 5;
const int timezone_minutes = 0;
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
#include <SoftwareSerial.h>
#define rxPin 4
#define txPin 3 
SoftwareSerial neogps(rxPin,txPin);

#include <TinyGPS++.h> //1.0.3
TinyGPSPlus gps;
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
int x_max    = 128;       //OLED display width, in pixels
int y_max    = 62;        //OLED display width, in pixels
int x_center = x_max/2;
int y_center = y_max/2+10;
int arc      = y_max/2;
int angle    = 0;
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
int needle_pos = 0;
u8g_uint_t xx  = 0;
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------
//satellite logo
#define sat_logo_width 20
#define sat_logo_height 20

const unsigned char sat_logo[] = {
  0x00, 0x01, 0x00, 0x80, 0x07, 0x00, 0xc0, 0x06, 0x00, 0x60, 0x30, 0x00,
  0x60, 0x78, 0x00, 0xc0, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x00, 0xfe, 0x01, 0x00, 0xff, 0x01,
  0x80, 0xff, 0x00, 0xc0, 0x7f, 0x06, 0xc0, 0x3f, 0x06, 0x80, 0x1f, 0x0c,
  0x80, 0x4f, 0x06, 0x19, 0xc6, 0x03, 0x1b, 0x80, 0x01, 0x73, 0x00, 0x00,
  0x66, 0x00, 0x00, 0x0e, 0x00, 0x00, 0x3c, 0x00, 0x00, 0x70, 0x00, 0x00
};
//---------------------------------------------------------------------------

//Program variables
double lat;
double lng;
//int day, month, year;
String hours, minutes;
int second;

int num_sat, speed;
String heading;


/*******************************************************************************************
 * gauge function
 * dispay gauge and other gps data on oled
*******************************************************************************************/
void gauge(uint8_t angle) {
  //fonts: u8g_font_chikita - u8g_font_04b_03br
  // u8g_font_orgv01 - u8g_font_freedoomr10r
  u8g.setFont(u8g_font_chikita);
  //---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  // draw border of the gauge
  u8g.drawCircle(x_center,y_center,arc+6, U8G_DRAW_UPPER_RIGHT);
  u8g.drawCircle(x_center,y_center,arc+4, U8G_DRAW_UPPER_RIGHT);
  u8g.drawCircle(x_center,y_center,arc+6, U8G_DRAW_UPPER_LEFT);
  u8g.drawCircle(x_center,y_center,arc+4, U8G_DRAW_UPPER_LEFT);
  //---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  // show gauge values
  u8g.drawStr(20,  42, "0");   
  u8g.drawStr(18,  29, "25");
  u8g.drawStr(28,  14, "50");
  u8g.drawStr(60,  14, "100");
  u8g.drawStr(91,  14, "150");
  u8g.drawStr(101, 29, "175");
  u8g.drawStr(105, 42, "200"); 
  //---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  // show gauge label
  u8g.setPrintPos(54,25);
  u8g.print("km/h");
  u8g.setPrintPos(50,32);
  u8g.print("SPEED");
  //---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  // draw the needle
  float x1=sin(2*angle*2*3.14/360);           
  float y1=cos(2*angle*2*3.14/360); 
  u8g.drawLine(x_center, y_center, x_center+arc*x1, y_center-arc*y1);
  u8g.drawDisc(x_center, y_center, 5, U8G_DRAW_UPPER_LEFT);
  u8g.drawDisc(x_center, y_center, 5, U8G_DRAW_UPPER_RIGHT);
  //---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  //TOP LEFT: draw satellite logo and number of satellites
  u8g.drawXBM(0, 0, sat_logo_width, sat_logo_height, sat_logo);
  u8g.setPrintPos(18, 5);
  u8g.print(num_sat, 5);
  //---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  //TOP RIGHT: Display direction
  u8g.setPrintPos(110, 5);
  u8g.print(heading);
  //---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  //Display latitude and longitude
  u8g.setPrintPos(0, 55);
  u8g.print(lat, 4);
  u8g.setPrintPos(0, 62);
  u8g.print(lng, 4);
  //---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  //Display time
  u8g.setFont(u8g_font_freedoomr10r);
  u8g.setPrintPos(90, 65);
  u8g.print(hours);
  
  if(second%2 == 0) 
    {u8g.drawStr(104, 65, ":");}
  else
    {u8g.drawStr(104, 65, " ");}
    
  u8g.setPrintPos(111, 65);
  u8g.print(minutes);
  
  //u8g.drawStr(90, 65, "00:00");
  //---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  // Show Speed and align its position
  u8g.setFont(u8g_font_profont22);
  u8g.setPrintPos(54,60);
  if (speed<10){                              
    u8g.print("0");
  }
  if (speed>99) {                                  
    u8g.setPrintPos(47,60);
  }
  u8g.print(speed);
  //---------------------------------------------------------------------------
}

/*******************************************************************************************
 * gauge function
 * dispay gauge and other gps data on oled
*******************************************************************************************/
int i = 200;
void setup(void) {
  Serial.begin(9600);

  neogps.begin(9600);
  
  u8g.setFont(u8g_font_chikita);
  u8g.setColorIndex(1);
}

/*******************************************************************************************
 * gauge function
 * dispay gauge and other gps data on oled
*******************************************************************************************/
void loop(void){
  //----------------------------------------------------------
  Read_GPS();
  //----------------------------------------------------------
  needle_pos = map(speed,0,200,0,90); //SET NEEDLE
  // show needle and dial
  xx = needle_pos;                                    
  if (xx<45)
    {xx=xx+135;}
  else
    {xx=xx-45;} 
  //----------------------------------------------------------
  //Display Data on Oled
  {
    u8g.firstPage(); 
    do {             
      gauge(xx);
    }
    while( u8g.nextPage() );
  }
  //----------------------------------------------------------
}




void Read_GPS(){
  //------------------------------------------------------------------
  boolean newData = false;
  for (unsigned long start = millis(); millis() - start < 1000;)
  {
    while (neogps.available())
    {
      if (gps.encode(neogps.read()))
      {
        newData = true;
        break;
      }
    }
  }
  //------------------------------------------------------------------
  //If newData is true
  if(newData == true){
    newData = false;
    Get_GPS();
  }
  else { 
    //no data
  }
}


void Get_GPS(){
  num_sat = gps.satellites.value();

  if (gps.location.isValid() == 1) {
    speed = gps.speed.kmph();
    //Serial.print("Speed: ");Serial.println(gps_speed);
    lat = gps.location.lat();
    //Serial.print("lat: ");Serial.println(lat);
    lng = gps.location.lng();
    //Serial.print("lng: ");Serial.println(lng);
    heading = gps.cardinal(gps.course.value());
    //Serial.print("heading: ");Serial.println(heading);
  }
  
  if (gps.time.isValid()){
    int hour = gps.time.hour();
    int minute = gps.time.minute();
    second = gps.time.second();

    abc(hour, minute);
    
    hours   = String(hour);
    minutes = String(minute);
    hours = (hours.length() == 1) ? "0"+hours : hours;
    minutes = (minutes.length() == 1) ? "0"+minutes : minutes;
  }
}

void abc(int &hour, int &minute){
    Serial.println("UTC =  "+String(hour)+":"+String(minute)+":"+String(second));
    minute = minute + timezone_minutes;
    if(minute >= 60){
      minute = minute - 60;
      hour = hour + 1;
    }
    if(minute < 0){
      minute = minute + 60;
      hour = hour - 1;
    }
    hour = hour + timezone_hours;
    if(hour >= 24){
      hour = hour - 24;
    }
    else if(hour < 0){
      hour = hour + 24;
    }
    if(hour >12){
      hour = hour - 12;
    }
    Serial.println("Time=  "+String(hour)+":"+String(minute)+":"+String(second));
}

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//---------------------------------------------------------------------------

#include "U8glib.h"

U8GLIB_SSD1306_128X64 u8g(U8G_I2C_OPT_NONE|U8G_I2C_OPT_DEV_0);

//---------------------------------------------------------------------------

const int timezone_hours = 5;

const int timezone_minutes = 0;

//---------------------------------------------------------------------------

#include <SoftwareSerial.h>

#define rxPin 4

#define txPin 3

SoftwareSerial neogps(rxPin,txPin);

#include <TinyGPS++.h> //1.0.3

TinyGPSPlus gps;

//---------------------------------------------------------------------------

int x_max = 128; //OLED display width, in pixels

int y_max = 62; //OLED display width, in pixels

int x_center = x_max/2;

int y_center = y_max/2+10;

int arc = y_max/2;

int angle = 0;

//---------------------------------------------------------------------------

int needle_pos = 0;

u8g_uint_t xx = 0;

//---------------------------------------------------------------------------

//satellite logo

#define sat_logo_width 20

#define sat_logo_height 20

const unsigned char sat_logo[] = {

0x00, 0x01, 0x00, 0x80, 0x07, 0x00, 0xc0, 0x06, 0x00, 0x60, 0x30, 0x00,

0x60, 0x78, 0x00, 0xc0, 0xfc, 0x00, 0x00, 0xfe, 0x01, 0x00, 0xff, 0x01,

0x80, 0xff, 0x00, 0xc0, 0x7f, 0x06, 0xc0, 0x3f, 0x06, 0x80, 0x1f, 0x0c,

0x80, 0x4f, 0x06, 0x19, 0xc6, 0x03, 0x1b, 0x80, 0x01, 0x73, 0x00, 0x00,

0x66, 0x00, 0x00, 0x0e, 0x00, 0x00, 0x3c, 0x00, 0x00, 0x70, 0x00, 0x00

};

//---------------------------------------------------------------------------

//Program variables

double lat;

double lng;

//int day, month, year;

String hours, minutes;

int second;

int num_sat, speed;

String heading;

/*******************************************************************************************

* gauge function

* dispay gauge and other gps data on oled

*******************************************************************************************/

void gauge(uint8_t angle) {

//fonts: u8g_font_chikita - u8g_font_04b_03br

// u8g_font_orgv01 - u8g_font_freedoomr10r

u8g.setFont(u8g_font_chikita);

//---------------------------------------------------------------------------

// draw border of the gauge

u8g.drawCircle(x_center,y_center,arc+6, U8G_DRAW_UPPER_RIGHT);

u8g.drawCircle(x_center,y_center,arc+4, U8G_DRAW_UPPER_RIGHT);

u8g.drawCircle(x_center,y_center,arc+6, U8G_DRAW_UPPER_LEFT);

u8g.drawCircle(x_center,y_center,arc+4, U8G_DRAW_UPPER_LEFT);

//---------------------------------------------------------------------------

// show gauge values

u8g.drawStr(20, 42, "0");

u8g.drawStr(18, 29, "25");

u8g.drawStr(28, 14, "50");

u8g.drawStr(60, 14, "100");

u8g.drawStr(91, 14, "150");

u8g.drawStr(101, 29, "175");

u8g.drawStr(105, 42, "200");

//---------------------------------------------------------------------------

// show gauge label

u8g.setPrintPos(54,25);

u8g.print("km/h");

u8g.setPrintPos(50,32);

u8g.print("SPEED");

//---------------------------------------------------------------------------

// draw the needle

float x1=sin(2*angle*2*3.14/360);

float y1=cos(2*angle*2*3.14/360);

u8g.drawLine(x_center, y_center, x_center+arc*x1, y_center-arc*y1);

u8g.drawDisc(x_center, y_center, 5, U8G_DRAW_UPPER_LEFT);

u8g.drawDisc(x_center, y_center, 5, U8G_DRAW_UPPER_RIGHT);

//---------------------------------------------------------------------------

//TOP LEFT: draw satellite logo and number of satellites

u8g.drawXBM(0, 0, sat_logo_width, sat_logo_height, sat_logo);

u8g.setPrintPos(18, 5);

u8g.print(num_sat, 5);

//---------------------------------------------------------------------------

//TOP RIGHT: Display direction

u8g.setPrintPos(110, 5);

u8g.print(heading);

//---------------------------------------------------------------------------

//Display latitude and longitude

u8g.setPrintPos(0, 55);

u8g.print(lat, 4);

u8g.setPrintPos(0, 62);

u8g.print(lng, 4);

//---------------------------------------------------------------------------

//Display time

u8g.setFont(u8g_font_freedoomr10r);

u8g.setPrintPos(90, 65);

u8g.print(hours);

if(second%2 == 0)

{u8g.drawStr(104, 65, ":");}

else

{u8g.drawStr(104, 65, " ");}

u8g.setPrintPos(111, 65);

u8g.print(minutes);

//u8g.drawStr(90, 65, "00:00");

//---------------------------------------------------------------------------

// Show Speed and align its position

u8g.setFont(u8g_font_profont22);

u8g.setPrintPos(54,60);

if (speed<10){

u8g.print("0");

}

if (speed>99) {

u8g.setPrintPos(47,60);

}

u8g.print(speed);

//---------------------------------------------------------------------------

}

/*******************************************************************************************

* gauge function

* dispay gauge and other gps data on oled

*******************************************************************************************/

int i = 200;

void setup(void) {

Serial.begin(9600);

neogps.begin(9600);

u8g.setFont(u8g_font_chikita);

u8g.setColorIndex(1);

}

/*******************************************************************************************

* gauge function

* dispay gauge and other gps data on oled

*******************************************************************************************/

void loop(void){

//----------------------------------------------------------

Read_GPS();

//----------------------------------------------------------

needle_pos = map(speed,0,200,0,90); //SET NEEDLE

// show needle and dial

xx = needle_pos;

if (xx<45)

{xx=xx+135;}

else

{xx=xx-45;}

//----------------------------------------------------------

//Display Data on Oled

{

u8g.firstPage();

do {

gauge(xx);

}

while( u8g.nextPage() );

}

//----------------------------------------------------------

}

void Read_GPS(){

//------------------------------------------------------------------

boolean newData = false;

for (unsigned long start = millis(); millis() - start < 1000;)

{

while (neogps.available())

{

if (gps.encode(neogps.read()))

{

newData = true;

break;

}

//------------------------------------------------------------------

//If newData is true

if(newData == true){

newData = false;

Get_GPS();

}

else {

//no data

}

void Get_GPS(){

num_sat = gps.satellites.value();

if (gps.location.isValid() == 1) {

speed = gps.speed.kmph();

//Serial.print("Speed: ");Serial.println(gps_speed);

lat = gps.location.lat();

//Serial.print("lat: ");Serial.println(lat);

lng = gps.location.lng();

//Serial.print("lng: ");Serial.println(lng);

heading = gps.cardinal(gps.course.value());

//Serial.print("heading: ");Serial.println(heading);

}

if (gps.time.isValid()){

int hour = gps.time.hour();

int minute = gps.time.minute();

second = gps.time.second();

abc(hour, minute);

hours = String(hour);

minutes = String(minute);

hours = (hours.length() == 1) ? "0"+hours : hours;

minutes = (minutes.length() == 1) ? "0"+minutes : minutes;

}

void abc(int &hour, int &minute){

Serial.println("UTC = "+String(hour)+":"+String(minute)+":"+String(second));

minute = minute + timezone_minutes;

if(minute >= 60){

minute = minute - 60;

hour = hour + 1;

}

if(minute < 0){

minute = minute + 60;

hour = hour - 1;

}

hour = hour + timezone_hours;

if(hour >= 24){

hour = hour - 24;

}

else if(hour < 0){

hour = hour + 24;

}

if(hour >12){

hour = hour - 12;

}

Serial.println("Time= "+String(hour)+":"+String(minute)+":"+String(second));

}

Working the Arduino GPS Speedometer

The ability of the GPS module to synchronize signals with satellites is affected by the device’s environmental conditions, especially whether the module is inside or outside during use.

Once the GPS module is able to connect to a satellite, the OLED screen will display the speed in kilometers per hour (or mph) using an Analog Gauge format.

When the device is stationary or not in motion, the gauge may show zero speed. It is important to note that the accuracy of the speed readings can be influenced by factors such as signal strength, satellite visibility, and environmental conditions.

1 Comment

Domenique on 12/10/2024 2:38 pm

Hi,

Great prjoect,
I want to build this for myself, but i need extra info on the screen: Max Speed.
So i want to see the max speed, let say i put the gps in a RC car, and i run it for 2 minutes, bring the car back to me, then i want to see on the little screen what the max speed was.
Is this possible?

DIY Arduino Speedometer: Displaying GPS Speed on an Analog Gauge

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DIY Arduino Speedometer: Displaying GPS Speed on an Analog Gauge

Required materials

NEO6M GPS Module

Specifications of NEO6M GPS Module

Pinout of NEO6M GPS Module

NEO-6M GPS Module Tutorials

Arduino GPS Speedometer Project Circuit Diagram

Source code for Arduino OLED Speedometer

Working the Arduino GPS Speedometer

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