GPSout

[chrisy]

I have been running GPSout on my FS PC and it performs superbly with digital Ordnance Survey maps of the UK. However, I just have a new PC (Dell) and there is no longer a COM port. I am a computer dummy so not sure if there is a solution. Is it possible to use a USB to DB9 adapter cable with my null modem cable to connect my two PCs to get the map displayed on the second PC. Any not too tech help appreciated.

Thanks

Chris

[Pete Dowson]

However, I just have a new PC (Dell) and there is no longer a COM port. I am a computer dummy so not sure if there is a solution. Is it possible to use a USB to DB9 adapter cable with my null modem cable to connect my two PCs to get the map displayed on the second PC. Any not too tech help appreciated.

There are two possible ways:

1. Yes, a USB serial port adapter works very well. In fact these are more reliable and better performing (with Windows XP at least) than real COM ports are! And you can get them very cheaply if you shop around.

2. If your PCs are Networked together already, or can be for the price of a simply Cat 5 cable connection, then you could use WideFS instead. The current version provides facilities to send GPSout data over the Network, and the serial connection in the target PC is handled by a freebie driver bundled in the GPSout package. for this you need the latest versions of GPSout and WideFS -- see http://www.schiratti.com/dowson, or the top announcement above for even later versions of WideFS.

Regards,

Pete

[chrisy]

Thanks very much Pete for the rapid response. My PC's will be networked as from tomorrow and I intended to use Widefs anyway so will go that route. Thanks so much for GPSout which has added so much to the joy of flying the UK and Europe with photographic scenery. Being able to pinpoint everything to street level on the map is fantastic.

Chris

[chrisy]

Pete

Further to my 17 Nov post due to a corruption of my old desktop windows registry I cannot network using my old desktop until I do a windows reinstall (network connections and device manager have mysteriously disappeared). I am therefore, temporarily having to go down the usb to serial adapter plus null modem cable route to connect my new computer (no com port) to my laptop. Windows recognises the adapter but there is no info reaching the laptop it says 'Communication timeout.' Any ideas please?

Thanks

Chris

[Pete Dowson]

Windows recognises the adapter but there is no info reaching the laptop it says 'Communication timeout.' Any ideas please?

This could be due to:

1. FS is not running or GPSout is not installed OR

2. The incorrect COM port is specified in the GPSout.INI file OR

3. The incorrect speed is specified in the GPSout.INI file OR

4. The cable is incorrect OR

5. The receiving software has been given the incorrect COM port OR

6. The receiving software has been set to the wrong speed OR

7. the NMEA sentences specified for GPSout are not those required by the software which is supposed to receive them.

All these or any combination of these are possible answers to your question. You need to deal with each one to determine what is wrong.

To check the data on any COM port you can download the Freeware program "PortMon" from http://www.systeminternals.com. You can use that in the FS PC to see what is being sent where by GPSout, and on the other PC to see if anything is arriving.

Regards,

Pete

[CAVUJIM]

I have newest version of FS9 update, GPSout, PFC and fsuipc installed. I have LS800 pen tablet with moving map and only USB connectors. So i hooked up serial to USB adapter with null modem . Portmon on FS machine show plenty of activity to com2. INI set to Com2 and 4800. Portmon on pen tablet shows no activity. Should I see activity on the port using portmon on the receiving PC.

USB shows as com5 on pen tablet. Installed with manufacturers CD.

I also tried changing port speeds and changing com2 to \\\WCEUSBSH001

I also tested cable and that seems OK though the #9 pin is removed on the null modem adapter.

Any ideas.

[Pete Dowson]

Portmon on FS machine show plenty of activity to com2. INI set to Com2 and 4800. Portmon on pen tablet shows no activity. Should I see activity on the port using portmon on the receiving PC.

Only if COM2 is indeed the port to which the cable is connected, and it is indeed the correct cable, and you have the right port the other end.

As it is a USB port I don't see how it could be, unless it has a Serial Port adapter on it and you are using a driver for it which makes it look like COM2. How did you arrive at COM2 in any case?

I also tried changing port speeds and changing com2 to \\\WCEUSBSH001

How would you know if the latter should be WCEUSBSH001 or something else? Maybe there are several USB ports and they all have different names?

I'm sorry, I really know nothing at all about USB. I gave up trying to link to my iPAQ long ago. I hope someone else will be able to help you.

Regards,

Pete

[CAVUJIM]

There are 2 reported com ports and com1 is used for PFC sio I assume the other 9 pin port on the pc is com2. Could be the port doesn't work.

Yes, I have a serial to usb adapter.

Jim

[Pete Dowson]

There are 2 reported com ports and com1 is used for PFC sio I assume the other 9 pin port on the pc is com2. Could be the port doesn't work.

Yes, I have a serial to usb adapter.

Ah, I misunderstood, then -- you are using a REAL COM port on the FS PC, so that doesn't need an adapter? Then you have a serial port adaptor on the other computer?

If PortMon is showing activity on COM2 then it would appear to be working, at least from the internal view. So where and why were you trying that USB-type name if USB isn't being used on the main PC?

When you installed the USB serial port driver on othe other PC, did it assign that COM5 name?

I'm confused now as to how you have these thnigs hooked up.

Regards,

Pete

[CAVUJIM]

The description of the \\\USB... settings wasn't totally clear so I gave it a shot to see if it would work. Apparently it only works with a USB to USB connection.

FS9 PC has the regualr serial com port (I assume COM2 because COM1 is the PFC). The pen tablet has the USB port.

When I installed the USB driver on the pen tablet, it assigned COM5.

I see no activity (using PortMon) on the Pen Tablet.

[Pete Dowson]

FS9 PC has the regualr serial com port (I assume COM2 because COM1 is the PFC). The pen tablet has the USB port.

When I installed the USB driver on the pen tablet, it assigned COM5.

I see no activity (using PortMon) on the Pen Tablet.

Hmm. Then either the USB serial adapter isn't working, or the so-called "null modem" cable you have isn't right. See if you can verify it some other way.

Regards,

Pete

[CAVUJIM]

That was my thinking. The # 9 pin is pulled from the null modem adapter but I think #9 is input and they don't want input to input. I'll try to find a RS232 tester.

I also have a USB Bluetooth adapter. I'll give that a try too. It would be nice not to have any wires.

[Pete Dowson]

That was my thinking. The # 9 pin is pulled from the null modem adapter but I think #9 is input and they don't want input to input. I'll try to find a RS232 tester.

Pin 9 on the 9-pin D shaped plug/socket is the "Ring Indicator". You don't need that. In fact GPSout only needs two wires -- the TXD data out from the FS PC (pin 3) connected to RXD data in to the receiving PC (pin 2), and a common earth or return line -- pin 5 to pin 5.

Maybe the serial port on the receiving PC is configured not to accept input unless some of the control lines are valid too. The usual way to do that is by connecting DCD, DTR and DSR together at the receiving end (pins 1, 4 and 6) and also RTS and CTS at the same end (pins 7 and 8). A serial printer cable would do that (though serial-connecting printers are now very rare if they exist at all).

The FS PC end needs no such fiddles as GPSout configures the COM port to do without all that stuff.

Regards,

Pete