Best way of storing extra data for Arduino project

Question

I am an arduino beginner and I am trying to make a speed camera alert system, it would start beeping if I am above the speed limit and getting close to the speed camera. There is this website where I can get all the data I need, coordinates, direction and speed limit of every 36000 speed cams in my country.

I would need some extra memory space to be able to store all this data, would an eeprom chip do the job? and would it be able to keep up with a for loop going through all those 36000 speed cam locations to check if i am close to it and above the speed limit?

Edit: since going through all those locations on a loop would be a lot for the processor to handle, someone recommended the creation of a temp file that would narrow that list down by direction, and when that direction changed it would recalculate that temp file. This is what I came up with:

void setup() {
  int tempDirection = gpsDirection;
  writeTempFile();
}

void loop() {
  //this will recalculate the temp file when the gpsDirection changes
  if(gpsDirection > tempDirection +5 || gpsDirection < tempDirection -5){
    tempDirection = gpsDirection;
    writeTempFile();
  }

  for(temp file){
    if(distance <= 100 && speed > speedlimit){
      //start beeping
    }
  }
}

void writeTempFile(){
  //this will write a temp file with every cam with a direction that's similar the gps direction
  for(each line of the file){
    if(gpsDirection + 10 > camDirection || gpsDirection - 10 < camDirection ){
      add cam to temp file;
    }
  }
}

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 01 '19 at 10:20

EEPROM writes are limited to about 100k cycles. They are for permanent or semi-permanent data (like your absolute speed threshhold - 120kmh, for example).

You should not store your speed camera base here.

Get a MicroSD adapter and save your data there. Looping thru 36000 speed trap locations is going to put a toll on your processor and memory. I recommend that you determine a binding box (+/- 2 degrees, for example) and save a temp file with only those traps inside the box. recheck every time your position changes a full degree (N/S or E/W).

Notice: in some countries, Brazil for example, distributing information regarding speed trap locations is illegal (obstruction of justice).

Best way of storing extra data for Arduino project

1 Answers1