First attempt to Data log using an Arduino

I started my journey down the Aerobatic Data Logging adventure by following a web article publish in 2010 by Joe Havelick.  (see http://architeched.net/post/2010/11/13/Aerobatic-Flight-Data-Recorder.aspx )

He created a simple GPS logging device using an Arduino and a GPS module.

I built a similar device using currently available components and found that there was a lot to learn.

My first project used the following components:

• Arduino Uno
• Venus GPS module  ( from Sparkfun. https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11058 )

My initial results were a little disappointing in that I believe that the Arduino was too slow.  It runs at 16mhz.  I found that at the default settings of 1 HZ and 9600 Baud, the Arduino Uno could just barely keep up.   As I added code and logic, I found that the GPS could overrun the Arduino's buffers and crash the system. 

I wanted to program the GPS to report it's position more frequently than the 1 HZ (Once per second). 
I also struggled with the Arduino UNO, which only has one UART and uses SoftwareSerial for its secondary Serial connections did not allow me to talk to the device and program it.

I found that I needed to purchase an improved device called a Teensy, which has additional UART serial ports. 

This worked like a charm and I was able to load a simple shield to echo between the 2 serial ports (the console and the GPS module) and use the program GPS Viewer to graphically view the data and to program the device.

At the time, the currently available Teensy was version 3.1, which runs at 36mhz.

Diagram and Code to follow...