Software USB to Serial Bridge?

8threeSD · 01-10-2005, 11:22 AM

Hi everyone,

This is my first time posting, but not my first time here (i do allot of reading)

I finally got a PC up and running in my car over the weekend (thanks to allot of help from people here) and I’m trying to get some navigation going.

Here is my problem:

I have routis 2k4 and a Motorola i730 phone, which apparently is NMEA compatible.

The data cable i have on my phone is USB, and Routis wants a device on a serial port. I figure there has to be some software that basically 'tricks' the computer into thinking the usb device is a serial device.

I saw something like this for a Garmin GPS receiver, but can’t seem to find the file again. (And i don't even know if it will work for my application)

Any advise or information to help me with my dilemma would be much appreciated.

Thanks again everyone!

Sam

rando · 01-10-2005, 12:54 PM

There's not likely to be anything generic that works. Check to see if Motorola makes a driver that will create a virtual serial port for you.

Chairboy · 01-10-2005, 01:16 PM

If the phone outputs NMEA, they would HAVE to provide a method for reading it as a serial device from the phone, otherwise the data wouldn't actually be available.

8threeSD · 01-10-2005, 01:24 PM

Yeh, they make a serial cable, but i have the usb cable. I think i'll just have to get a new cable thats serial.

sam

frodobaggins · 01-10-2005, 01:57 PM

Why don't you look in device manager and see if there is a serial device listed.

kingtut · 01-10-2005, 02:20 PM

I'll second what frodo said, most of the USB devices install device drivers that make them look like a serial device to the application. Matter of fact, if you know the USB chip controller model or manufacturer, then you can just go to their site and most likely they will have some SW that will allow you to map the USB interface into serial, for example, I can use Earthmate GPS USB with any map SW providing I install the SW required to make it look like serial, however, I don't need that SW if I am using Street Atlas, know why, cause the mapping to serial is built in.

MatrixPC · 01-10-2005, 02:32 PM

How did you get the cable? any software that come with it?
If not, you have to check with Motorola if you can get the software. Otherwise, you have to get the phone to serial cable.

8threeSD · 01-10-2005, 02:36 PM

I'll check that when i get home. I don't have my data cable here, but when i tried it before routis did not detect the reciever. Street Atlas on the other hand did, but i don't realy like SA.

kingtut:

You said if i know the USB chip controller model or manufacturer, i may be able to find some software on thier website. Are you refering to the chip in the phone or on my PC?

I'm pretty sure if i got the serial cable it would work, but i have the usb cable and don't feel like spending $30 on a new one.

thanx

sam

kingtut · 01-10-2005, 02:45 PM

My bad, I was referring to the USB chip on the phone. You don't have to open the phone, just a visit to mycomputer->properties->device manager under Universal Serial Bus Controller should list it.

Also, try generic interface SW or some of the well known suppliers, I think FTD (not sure the spelling) is one of them, they all use same interface more or less.

rando · 01-10-2005, 03:33 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by kingtut

however, I don't need that SW if I am using Street Atlas, know why, cause the mapping to serial is built in.

No, it isn't. SA just speaks to it natively using the USB HID device driver. Also, other than the Delorme provided USB->Serial driver, do you know of ANY other driver that will do this mapping for a Delorme GPS, other GPS, other USB device at all? Ultimately this probably depends on how the device interfaces with it's onboard USB controller. In the GPS case, most devices produce a native NMEA serial stream (and a proprietary binary one). If that's the case with the Motorola phone, then it probably does just use a simple FTDI interface converter and then the generic driver might actually work.