GPS - computer communication.

On Sat, 28 Aug 2004 17:11:41 GMT, [email hidden] (RJ

Webb) said:

A while ago I finally gave up trying to get my computer to link with
the GPS.. The ruddy XP menus were just too restrictive, and I could
make no progress.

Now I have Anquet, I would like to do so again, but once more I am
thwarted....

After a lot of fiddling I have yet to get past this:

"Communication timed out while trying to connect to your GPS.

Please make sure your GPS is connected to COM port "COM3", turned on
and set to communicate using the correct protocol (click 'Options' to
see the selected protocol)."

COM3 is flagged as available, but no matter howmuch I search the
Control panel, I can find no reference to COM3 bar one or any abilty
to touch it. Its there somewhere, there is a modem attached to it -
disconnecting the modem does not help.

Any ideas, tips. I would love to get my GPS working properly but have
just got nowhere.

Richard Webb

Under GPS/view information select automatically detect model and then
try selecting a different COM port from within Anquet. I have no
difficulty getting my Garmin 12XL set to GRMN/GRMN protocol
communicating with Anquet via COM 2. Usually COM1&3 and COM2&4 are
paired and maybe you are connected to the 2/4 port.

BrianP

Quoted message said:

Under GPS/view information select automatically detect model and then
try selecting a different COM port from within Anquet. I have no
difficulty getting my Garmin 12XL set to GRMN/GRMN protocol
communicating with Anquet via COM 2. Usually COM1&3 and COM2&4 are
paired and maybe you are connected to the 2/4 port.

BrianP

Anquet only allows a choice between COM1 and COM3
COM1 is taken, COM3 is free......

Sounds very plausible...

Thanks

Richard

Quoted message said:

RJ Webb said:

Quoted message said:

Under GPS/view information select automatically detect model and then
try selecting a different COM port from within Anquet. I have no
difficulty getting my Garmin 12XL set to GRMN/GRMN protocol
communicating with Anquet via COM 2. Usually COM1&3 and COM2&4 are
paired and maybe you are connected to the 2/4 port.

BrianP

Anquet only allows a choice between COM1 and COM3
COM1 is taken

What with?

I had a situation a while back where COM2 disappeared (it was there
but windows wasn't talking to it) and normally my PDA sync program
hogs COM1 so when I wanted to talk to the GPS I'd turn it off and run
Ozi through COM1.

Quoted message said:

, COM3 is free......

AIUI COM3 or COM4 are internal ports. 1 and 2 are the ones that come
out the back on the 9-pin serial connectors.
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

In article said:

Anquet only allows a choice between COM1 and COM3
COM1 is taken, COM3 is free......

Am I correct in thinking you have a PC with a single serial port and a built-in
modem? Usually with that configuration COM1 is the serial port and COM3 is the
modem, so I'm surprised that COM1 is not available. My Dell has this configuration
and Anquet will quite happily try to find a GPS receiver on my modem (COM3) if I
tell it to. I think maybe need to look again at COM1 as that should be the external
port.

To find more about COM ports look Control Panel, System. Then select the hardware
tab. Then 'Device Manager'. If you have an internal modem you can confirm what COM
port it uses under 'Modems'. Right-click your modem and examine properties/Modem.

To find what external ports you have look under Ports (COM & LPT). I expect you
will find COM1 under here so that is what you should be connecting the GPS to in
Anquet. If there are any problems with the port then 'Device Manager' will be
indicating this with a yellow exclamation sign. If the port is okay then maybe you
have another program running that is using the port? For example a PDA interface
such as ActiveSync?

Sorry I'm rambling here - but hopefully some of the above might help.
Regards,
David
--
David Biggins
Cambridge, UK

RJ Webb <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Under GPS/view information select automatically detect model and then
try selecting a different COM port from within Anquet. I have no
difficulty getting my Garmin 12XL set to GRMN/GRMN protocol
communicating with Anquet via COM 2. Usually COM1&3 and COM2&4 are
paired and maybe you are connected to the 2/4 port.

BrianP

Anquet only allows a choice between COM1 and COM3
COM1 is taken, COM3 is free......

FWIW, Tracklogs just found my GPS. I can't remember which COM it's on
at the moment. 🙂
--
Gordon

Thanks...

It was a great help finding out where XP had hidden the Device
manager.

I had two Port1 s so I took a deep breath and uninstalled one.

Then reinstalled port 1 which became available.....

Unfortunately now stuck at:

Communication timed out while trying to connect to your GPS.

Please make sure your GPS is connected to COM port "COM1", turned on
and set to communicate using the correct protocol (click 'Options' to
see the selected protocol).

There are not a lot of options here. Set to Garmin, 9600 is fixed
Cleaned the terminals and tried again.. still no go.

But its a start getting the port up and running at last. I wonder if
there is a physical connection problem now - knackered cable/old GPS?

Many thanks to everyone for their help

Richard Webb

On Sat, 28 Aug 2004 23:33:25 GMT, [email hidden] (RJ

Webb) said:

Anquet only allows a choice between COM1 and COM3
COM1 is taken, COM3 is free......

As seems to be the gist of the replies you've already received it
sounds like a communication problem with your COM ports. You say COM1
is taken, for the purposes of this exercise you could free it up and
try again (unplug whatever's in there and reboot). I'd also consider
deleting your serial port drivers; they'll be re-installed
immeditately on a reboot.

You might also have a weird "conflict" (eg if I have cause to jiggle
with my USB camera connection it buggers up my drawing tablet which is
on a serial port, no idea why, or even how, it just does :-( )

SteveO

NE Climbers & walkers chat forum;
http://www.thenmc.org.uk/phpBB2/index.php

NMC website: http://www.thenmc.org.uk

Quoted message said:

But its a start getting the port up and running at last. I wonder if
there is a physical connection problem now - knackered cable/old GPS?

To check the cable you can put GPS into NMEA mode (under setup,
interface) and it will output various text strings. You can see those by
opening Hyperterminal (Start, Programs, Accessories, Communications)
with a connection direct to COM1.

If you see the text getting through then at least the GPS transmit / PC
receive line and the ground line are OK in the cable. There could still
be a problem with the PC transmit / GPS receive line but I think that is
unlikely if it is a purchased cable and there are no external signs of
damage.

If you could borrow another GPS / cable from somebody that might help
you to narrow down the cause.

--

Dominic Sexton
http://www.dscs.demon.co.uk/

On a PC COM port 1 &3 share the same interrupt, as do 2 & 4, so if COM1 is
in use COM3 can't be used.

To simple check is the cable is working you need a loop back connector, i.e.
a paper click across pins 2 & 3, using HyperTerminal type a few keys they
will be echoed back on the screen.

This way you know the cable and port is OK then hook up the GPS as has been
suggested using HyperTerminal but set the correct baud rate, if you don't
you will still see some data but it will not be man readable.

If it fails make sure the handshaking is correct, I assume you will need
hardware handshaking.

--

Ted Ferenc. (http://www.ndrw.co.uk)
This message, and any attachment, is private and confidential.
It is intended only for the named addressee(s).
"RJ Webb" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

A while ago I finally gave up trying to get my computer to link with
the GPS.. The ruddy XP menus were just too restrictive, and I could
make no progress.

Now I have Anquet, I would like to do so again, but once more I am
thwarted....

After a lot of fiddling I have yet to get past this:

"Communication timed out while trying to connect to your GPS.

Please make sure your GPS is connected to COM port "COM3", turned on
and set to communicate using the correct protocol (click 'Options' to
see the selected protocol)."

COM3 is flagged as available, but no matter howmuch I search the
Control panel, I can find no reference to COM3 bar one or any abilty
to touch it. Its there somewhere, there is a modem attached to it -
disconnecting the modem does not help.

Any ideas, tips. I would love to get my GPS working properly but have
just got nowhere.

Richard Webb

"David Biggins" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article said:

On a PC COM port 1 &3 share the same interrupt, as do 2 & 4, so if COM1

is

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

in use COM3 can't be used.

This is no longer necessarily true on modern hardware. For example on my
laptop PC COM1 is on IRQ4 and COM3 on IRQ5. In addition Windows XP can
support multiple COM ports on the same interrupt all being used
simultaneously if necessary.

David
--
David Biggins
Cambridge, UK

This is getting OT, I was not aware of that, this page contradicts that
statement
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/Windows/XP/all/reskit/en-us/prcg_cnd_bpdh.asp

It does depend on the serial card installed though, but these days not many
devices use the serial port.

I also should have said turn handshaking,off , instead of use hardware
handshaking whilst testing.

--

Ted Ferenc. (http://www.ndrw.co.uk)
This message, and any attachment, is private and confidential.
It is intended only for the named addressee(s).