Plug-In Request: GPS Gateway (David?)

RPM_VR4 · 03-12-2006, 11:18 PM

I would love to see a "GPS Gateway" plugin with the following features:

1) Connects to your GPS device in setup & handles hibernation well.
2) Serves NEMA data to virtual com-ports for other apps.
3) Serves NEMA data to other CF plug-ins.
4) Displays your GPS Speed (and maybe a compass) on the CF title bar.

If David or someone else could make this, I think it would make many future plug-ins better by allowing them to easily take advantage of GPS data. Infact, #4 could be a seperate plug-in of its own making this plug-in have no UI other than setup... easy right?

siliconkibou · 03-28-2006, 10:06 AM

This would be nice, I agree.

Have you tried Xport?

Don't have a link right off hand, but do a search here for it.

It runs as a service and takes your "real" GPS COM port and maps it to several virtual COM ports for sharing with multiple GPS programs.

Doesn't work with every GPS program (Mboffin.com's Earth Bridge chokes on it), but it does work pretty well for most.

-P

RPM_VR4 · 03-28-2006, 04:24 PM

Yeah, I have used XPort. Right now I just use the Delorme serial emulator which allows you to assign up to 3 ports. I just think this is a perfect task for a plug-in though as it would allow other plug-ins to use GPS data much easier (and allow the main interface to display GPS data).

siliconkibou · 03-29-2006, 01:10 PM

Yes, that's a good point.

It would be handy if this plugin could dodge some of the issue other GPS gateway programs experience.

I know that some programs just refuse to work with the virtual COM ports, expecting to open a 'real' port.

I think a built in NMEA logger (log to text file) would be a nice addition to CF and/or this plugin.

-P