Thread: GPS device diagnostic

You installed a driver with the USB-serial adaptor, right? Right click "My computer", select properties and go to device manager. Look at the COM ports. Your USB-serial adaptor ought to show up there and you should be able to see what com port it is on. (Sorry, rereading your post it looks like you may have done that but I'm not sure so I'll leave the instructions in).

Beyond that, XBrady's earlier version of GPSsecure had a little window that you could see the NMEA strings streaming by and it shows the satellite locks. Maybe PM him for a version 1.0 of it.

Originally Posted by Bugbyte

You installed a driver with the USB-serial adaptor, right? Right click "My computer", select properties and go to device manager. Look at the COM ports. Your USB-serial adaptor ought to show up there and you should be able to see what com port it is on. (Sorry, rereading your post it looks like you may have done that but I'm not sure so I'll leave the instructions in).

Beyond that, XBrady's earlier version of GPSsecure had a little window that you could see the NMEA strings streaming by and it shows the satellite locks. Maybe PM him for a version 1.0 of it.

I found it - the thing was sending data in SiRF binary format at 38400 baud rate. Still does SiRFDemo did a good job detecting the protocol, but cannot switch it to NMEA.

Hmm, I read your other post where you mentioned MS Streets & Trips. S&T will have hard time with 38400 baud rate. Try GPS Gate GPS Gate might just be able to read the signal coming from your receiver, and it may output signal understandable by your S&T.

It will not cost you anything to try, and it may just work. If it does, the added benefit of GPS Gate is that you will be able to use even several GPS software applications with your one receiver.

MR-350 is advertised as supporting NMEA. I'm not sure why it would be outputting SiRF. I'm assuming you do have the correct cable and driver software installed. You mentioned you couldn't switch from SiRF to NMEA in SiRFdemo. If just clicking on "Switch to NMEA protocol" doesn't work, I would try clicking on "Synchronize protocol & baud rate".

Originally Posted by Marvin Hlavac

Hmm, I read your other post where you mentioned MS Streets & Trips. S&T will have hard time with 38400 baud rate. Try GPS Gate http://franson.com/gpsgate/ GPS Gate might just be able to read the signal coming from your receiver, and it may output signal understandable by your S&T.

It will not cost you anything to try, and it may just work. If it does, the added benefit of GPS Gate is that you will be able to use even several GPS software applications with your one receiver.

Yes, it looks like a very nice piece of software I didn't find however any mentioning of the SiRF binary support.

Originally Posted by Marvin Hlavac

MR-350 is advertised as supporting NMEA. I'm not sure why it would be outputting SiRF. I'm assuming you do have the correct cable and driver software installed. You mentioned you couldn't switch from SiRF to NMEA in SiRFdemo. If just clicking on "Switch to NMEA protocol" doesn't work, I would try clicking on "Synchronize protocol & baud rate".

"Switch to NMEA" has no effect and "Synchronize" syncs back to 38400 / SiRF binary It appears to me that none of the SiRFDemo commands are passed to this receiver, even those in "Poll" menu add nothing to received messages.

Earlier I read that the 350 needed some special cable. Do you have that?

I know nothing about the GPS chip your using but I know that some have firmware updates that you can apply.. It's possible that that may solve some of your issues...

Originally Posted by Marvin Hlavac

Earlier I read that the 350 needed some special cable. Do you have that?

Sure I do, it's PS/2-like (no clue what's the right name for it) to USB pigtail adapter.

Originally Posted by IntellaWorks

I know nothing about the GPS chip your using but I know that some have firmware updates that you can apply.. It's possible that that may solve some of your issues...

It has SiRF Star III chip, it's new and I haven't seen any updates for it yet

GRRR man, that sucks. Have you tried any other GPS diag software ??