GPSout and MixW sharing

[Wildfire563]

Hi Pete,

I'm using FS9.1 and I've got a registered version 3.7.1.0 of FSUIPC, a registered version of WideServer 6.71 and WideClient 6.71. I'm trying to use the virtual com port driver MixW to drive Google Earth (or another GPS reading software) on the same computer as the FS9 installation through GPSout.

I've installed the MixW Com Emulation which it says is running fine and I've set up a pair at COM3 and COM4. The only other com port listed under system hardware is COM1. I also tried setting it to COM4 and COM5. I rebooted after each time I changed the settings of the MixW driver.

My GPSout.ini is:

Sentences=RMC,PGRMZ,GGA,GSA,GSV

Interval=1000

Port=WideFS <== also tried WideFs

Speed=4800

PosTo6Decimal=Yes

WideServer.ini:

[Config]

Port=8002

AdvertiseService=1

AutoRestart=0

AutoUpdateTime=13

MaximumBlock=4096

NoStoppedRestarts=Yes

Port2=9002

RestartTime=10

SendTimeout=15

TCPcoalesce=No

[user]

Log=Errors+

[ClientNames]

1=YOUR-900O6YG0CM

2=VISTANAV

(Note that no ClientName for Bearcat)

WideClient.ini:

[Config]

Port=8002

Window=43,44,886,589

Visible=Yes

[GPSout]

Port=COM3

Speed=4800

[user]

Log=Yes

FSUIPC.log:

******** FSUIPC, Version 3.71 by Pete Dowson *********

Running inside FS2004 (FS9.1 CONTROLS.DLL, FS9.1 WEATHER.DLL)

User Name="Thomas Perry"

User Addr="thomas@flyingscool.com"

FSUIPC Key is provided

WideFS Key is provided

Module base=61000000

ClassOptions: UIPCMAIN=FF7F, FS98MAIN=FF7F, FS2KMAIN=FF5E

WeatherOptions(Orig)=40003605[40003605]

InitDelay: 0 seconds

WeatherReadInterval=4

LogOptions=00000001

DebugStatus=255

2281 System time = 22:12:36

2281 \\BEARCAT\Flight Simulator 9\

2281 System time = 22:12:36, FS2004 time = 12:00:00 (00:00Z)

3156 AppKey="OPYEDKY9O0YL", Module="VTHMB.DLL"

27453 C:\Documents and Settings\Thomas Perry\My Documents\Flight Simulator Files\Boire 14.flt

27516 AIRCRAFT\Flight One PA-28\PA-28-181.air

27703 Aircraft="PIPER PA-28-181 Archer DREAM FLEET - 1 N15802 - 1 Pilot, 0 Passengers"

32594 AppKey="1C0QAHK9SR36", Module="sbmpjoin9.dll"

32625 AppKey="PKNLXYDZEFFJ", Module="sbmod9.dll"

32625 AppKey="D8OZX4N1OARF", Module="sb3gaugebridge.dll"

32625 AppKey="K7I8RIBFRTH6", Module="sbtrans9.dll"

41813 C:\Documents and Settings\Thomas Perry\My Documents\Flight Simulator Files\UI generated flight.flt

42266 Clear All Weather requested: external weather discarded

45813 Advanced Weather Interface Enabled

89750 Traffic File #32 = "scenery\world\scenery\traffic030528"

92953 Traffic File #34 = "scenery\world\scenery\trafficmanchester"

167547 System time = 22:15:21, FS2004 time = 11:43:31 (15:43Z)

167547 *** FSUIPC log file being closed

Memory managed: 2 Allocs, 842 Freed

********* FSUIPC Log file closed ****

WideServer.log:

********* WideServer.DLL Log [version 6.71] *********

Blocksize guide = 4096 (double allowed)

Date (dmy): 03/02/07, Time 22:12:37.609: Server name is BEARCAT

86906 Initialising TCP/IP server

86906 Initialising IPX/SPX server

86906 ServerNode=0.256.4864.61646.47989

86906 Initialising UDP/IP server

88031 Broadcasting service every 1000 mSecs

98187 Restarting service due to total lack of use

166359 Closing down now ...

Memory managed: Offset records: 0 alloc, 0 free

Read buffer usage: 0 alloc, 0 free, max in session: 0

Write buffer usage: 0 alloc, 0 free, max in session: 0

Throughput maximum achieved: 0 frames/sec, 0 bytes/sec

Throughput average achieved for complete session: 0 frames/sec, 0 bytes/sec

********* Log file closed *********

WideClient.log:

No such file

Note that even though WideClient log is set to yes, no information from GPSout was logged.

I have tried to use Goops to send data to Google Earth - Doesn't work

I have tried to use the GPS Diag.exe utility from Ambicom - locks up

I have tried to use PocketFMS - locks up

I set the com port to read in the GPS software to COM4 and WideClient is set to COM3.

Each time I ran the programs, I let it sit looking locked up for at least a minute hoping it would register, and I tried various options.

Any hints on how to diagnose the problem here and/or get it working?

Thanks,

Thomas

[Wildfire563]

A little more information. I downloaded a copy of Serial Port Monitor. And realized that ports 3 and 4 were probably not good choices as port 3 is shared with port 1, so I chose ports 5 and 7 as my pair in MixW.

I set WideClient.ini to:

...

[GPSout]

Port=COM5

Speed=4800

[user]

Log=Yes

Still no WideClient.log appears, just a single WideServer.log, which keeps repeating that nothing is connecting.

Serial Port Monitor reports nothing when FS is running. If I start GPS Diag.exe, If I try to connect on Port 7/4800, SPM reports that the com port has been successfully opened and closed, but no data flows over it.

If I try to connect GPS Diag.exe to Port 5/4800, SPM doesn't report anything.

No matter what, FS reports that it is waiting for clients to connect. The local WideClient never connects no matter what I do.

WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?

Sorry, I'm frustrated.

[Wildfire563]

So, it seems to me that something is not working on the client side. If I start wideclient.exe, it creates a log file no problem. Plus the fact that FS reports that no clients are connecting tells me I am missing something when trying to run wideclient and wideserver on the same machine. But it won't let me start wideclient.exe and FS at the same time, as the program thinks it is running when FS is running.

HELP!

Guess I'm going to have to read some more documentation to see if I've missed something :(

[Wildfire563]

Ok, I found the first noob issue. You'll note I have no Serverxxx command in the WideClient.ini. I tried ServerName=localhost, ServerName=BEARCAT, and ServerIPAddr=127.0.0.1, but so far no luck, WideServer is still saying "waiting for clients", and I'm still not getting a WideClient.log file that I can find. I still have MixW set to create com ports 5 and 7, and GPSout port=WideFS, and I keep attempting to connect to both ports 5 and 7 with my client programs listed above.

[Config]

Port=8002

Window=43,44,886,589

Visible=Yes

ButtonScanInterval=20

ClassInstance=0

NetworkTiming=5,1

MailslotTiming=2000,1000

PollInterval=2000

Port2=9002

ResponseTime=18

ApplicationDelay=0

TCPcoalesce=No

WaitForNewData=500

MaxSendQ=100

OnMaxSendQ=Log

NewSendScanTime=50

Priority=3,1,2

ServerIPAddr=127.0.0.1

[GPSout]

Port=COM5

Speed=4800

; -----------------------------------------------

[user]

;Log=Errors+

Log=DebugAll

[Frank.O]

Hi,

Plus the fact that FS reports that no clients are connecting tells me I am missing something when trying to run wideclient and wideserver on the same machine. But it won't let me start wideclient.exe and FS at the same time, as the program thinks it is running when FS is running.

I don't think you can run FS and Wideclient together. The purpose of Wideclient is to run on a non FS computer yet trick add on programs into "thinking" they are running alongside FS with FSUIPC. It substitutes FS. So running it together with FS means roughly the same as running two FS's.

It might be possible using a different Class Name but I don't know how to do that. May be the documentation can tell you.

But I don't see where WideFS comes into play here if you want to run an application on the same machine as FS. Do I understand it right in that the virtual com port driver links the two ports (5 and 7)?

Wouldn't it be sufficient then to direct the GPSOUT output to com 5 and make GoogleEarth listen on com 7?

Sorry that I can't ber of more help but this all isn't really my cup of tea.

Regards,

Frank

[Wildfire563]

Ahh, maybe that's the trick! Pete's directions keep talking about MixW in the context of setting port=WideFS, but perhaps they are different concepts, use Port=WideFS when running WideClient on a different computer, and use MixW when using GPSout on the same computer.

That's Brilliant! (to steal a phrase from a commercial)

Sometimes I'm kinda thick.

Thank you

[Pete Dowson]

Ahh, maybe that's the trick! Pete's directions keep talking about MixW in the context of setting port=WideFS, but perhaps they are different concepts, use Port=WideFS when running WideClient on a different computer, and use MixW when using GPSout on the same computer.

Wideclient is only for a separate Client PC.

MixW is to link two virtual serial ports. It can be used on any PC, client or otherwise.

The GPSout facility to send to WideFS is used send the data to another PC. For the same PC GPSOut needs the Serial Port number as usual.

Pete

[Wildfire563]

Hi Pete,

Being a noob, I didn't understand your instructions. I linked using the MixW drivers with using Wideclient, when no such link existed. I get it now.

I never did get the MixW drivers working with Goops. It's possible the problem had to do with it appears to me the MixW drivers fix the speed of the port to 1200, and the minimum speed Goops supports is 2400. David Hite of Goops said he would add a 1200 speed, too. On the other hand, some documentation I read said the speed of the port is immaterial. Not understanding these things, I don't know what the real problem is. I ended up purchasing a serial port bridge driver from Eltima to get the job done and it works great. I have an email in to the MixW folks, but have not heard back from them (as far as I know, anyway, this spam stuff sucks).

Thanks!

[Pete Dowson]

I never did get the MixW drivers working with Goops. It's possible the problem had to do with it appears to me the MixW drivers fix the speed of the port to 1200, and the minimum speed Goops supports is 2400.

I use MixW at speeds up to 19,200, so I don't believe that can be the case.

Regards

Pete

[jordanal]

Hi Pete & Thomas,

EDIT: Oh, I think I just found the answer to my question below. I think I need to add something similar to the following to my WideClient.ini file:

[GPSout]

Port=COM3

Speed=4800

Original Post:

I've been thinking of using MS Street & Trips 2007 (U.S. equivilent to AutoRoute) on my WideClient PC for sometime now. Having come across this thread, I now think I'll give it shot after work tonight. I breifely looked through the readme.txt files for GPSout and MixW but I need some clarification. My setup is FS2004/WideServer PC and a WindowsXP WideClient PC which has been working flawlessly for some time now. I understand that the GPSOut.dll and .ini file will go in the FS9\modules and that I set the port= paramenter to "WideFS". I also understand that on the WideClient PC, I would install MS Steets & Trips and the MixW driver, but my question is, how do I tell the data to flow from the WideClient process into a set COM port for MixW to see? Do I need to add a GPSOut config-section in my WideCient.ini file or something to tell it to also output data on a virtual COM port for MixW?

From there I undestand the MixW driver will translate the data onto another COM port for input to the GPS portion of MS Streets & Trips; or at least in theory at this point. :)

I think the only piece I don't understand yet, is how to get the data out of WideClient to MixW. Thanks for any front-end help you have to get me started.

v/r,

AL

[Pete Dowson]

I understand that the GPSOut.dll and .ini file will go in the FS9\modules and that I set the port= paramenter to "WideFS".

Yes, and select the NMEA sentences to suit the map program.

I also understand that on the WideClient PC, I would install MS Steets & Trips and the MixW driver, but my question is, how do I tell the data to flow from the WideClient process into a set COM port for MixW to see? Do I need to add a GPSOut config-section in my WideCient.ini file

Yes, exactly. This is the relevant section in the current WideFS user documentation:

GPSout relay facility

WideClient will now receive GPS data from my GPSout module installed in the Server’s FS (or, for FSX, from the GPSout option in a Registered FSUIPC4 installation). This data will simply be relayed to a local COM port. To do this you need set the serial port in GPSout to “WideFS”. Then, in the appropriate client’s WideClient INI file add this section:

[GPSout]

Port=COMn

Speed=n

... with, of course, the correct Port and Speed for the local connection.

Note that you can use the freeware Virtual Serial Port program “MixW ComEmul” (provided in the GPSout package for FS2004 or before, or downloadable from the Support Forum). This way you do not actually need any real COM ports to support a moving map program on the Client PC. If fact you can now use them on a Network with no actual serial cables involved.

You can have the same GPSout data being used on any of your client PCs. It is not restricted to one recipient.

For more details about GPSout please see the GPSout package or FSUIPC4 documentation.

Regards

Pete

[jordanal]

He he he, works like a champ! :D I don't know why I didn't try GPSOut sooner!

With MS Streets & Trips 2007 on the WideClient PC, "Sentences=RMC,GGA,GSA" @ 19200/COM7 seems to work fine. All GPS sensor fields (Spd, Alt, Brg, Lat/Long, etc) are filed in with the exception of one, "Num Stats:", whatever that is; doesn't seem important.

Thanks Pete, this is cooool...

v/r,

AL

[Pete Dowson]

... with the exception of one, "Num Stats:", whatever that is; doesn't seem important.

I couldn't even guess what that is. Doesn't the program's documentation or Help explain it?

Regards

Pete

[jordanal]

I'm sure the docs do explain it but I'm lacking the time this evening. I"ll figure it out in the coming days. No big deal at the moment, and like I said, everything else seems to work well.

AL :)