Iguidance and com port issues.

stonestatue · 09-07-2009, 08:47 PM

I am trying to configure Iguidance 4.0 to work with my BU-353 GPS receiver. I changed the com port of the Serial to USB bridge a few times and it worked at first.

Iguidance seemed to default to com port 1, so I assigned the GPS receiver com port 1. Once I did this, it stopped working. It just stays on the last location it picked up. I tried changing the com port in Device Manager and in Iguidance but to no avail.

I started MS Streets and Trips and chose the com port assigned to the GPS receiver, and it worked. This leads me to believe it's a software or configuration issue with Iguidance and hopefully an easy fix. Any ideas?

trader007 · 09-07-2009, 09:42 PM

make sure you have the latest driver from globalstats website. are you using xport? if not, you pretty much need to. just the fact that streets and trips might have still been in control of the gps while you tried iguidance might be part of it

stonestatue · 09-07-2009, 10:53 PM

Alright, I tried Xport. It seems to just indicate which com port each device uses, unless I missed something.

bratnetwork · 09-07-2009, 11:17 PM

choose the port at the top that the GPS reciever is (dont worry about the list at the bottom) then click enable, then in the open boxes below select the ports you want it to output

(sorry its not real descriptive... i dont have it in front of me, just going off memory)

bratnetwork · 09-07-2009, 11:19 PM

i also have a slight issue with iGuidance 4 with the com port.... i have xPort sending it out to ports 10 and 11 (10 for RR, 11 for iG) and sometimes when i run iG it works, and sometimes it goes back to port 1 and i have to input port 11.... works but is annoying at times... not sure why but ive been too busy / lazy to trouble shoot it yet.

TeamRSX · 09-07-2009, 11:22 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by stonestatue

Alright, I tried Xport. It seems to just indicate which com port each device uses, unless I missed something.

Xport works great. Its purpose is to split the port up so multiple applications (ie. rr and iguidance) can use the port.

You put the input as the actual port that the gps uses in device manager, if your using windows. Then you can specify the output ports that your applications can use.

For example, i connect my gps and in my device manager its assigned as com3. Then in xport, as my input port i would put com3 (i think it will automatically detect the port too), then in my output ports i can use any that aren't in use so they are not being stolen from another application. So, in my output ports i can assign com4,com5. So, in this case if i was using riderunner and iguidance i would assign those output ports to those applications, so that riderunner and iguidance can both use the ports. Make sense?

stonestatue · 09-07-2009, 11:47 PM

I uninstalled Microsoft Street and Trips as well as the USB to Serial driver that came with the GPS on the installation disk. I downloaded and installed the driver from GlobalSat's website just in case it's a later version than the disk. Then I restarted.

Now when I use Xport, it won't even detect the GPS. I also tried to manually select the com port assigned to it in the Device Manager, but it isn't listed in the available com ports in the drop down input com ports list. Device Manager assigned com 4, but 4 isn't listed.

Curiosity · 09-08-2009, 08:53 AM

iGuidance will only remember 1 digit port numbers. Use something lower than 10.

@stonestatue Uninstall the driver that doesn't work. Install the one that does.

Maheriano · 09-08-2009, 11:15 AM

Ya, I think there's some sort of issue with using COM ports above 7, try and use something lower. And don't use xPort3 when troubleshooting, it just adds an extra layer of something that could be broken. Turn it off and just try and pick up the right port in the GPS application. Once you have that working, then get xPort3 working after.

And always have the latest driver, iGuidance wouldn't pick up my receiver neither until I installed the right driver.

Marvin Hlavac · 09-08-2009, 05:40 PM

In iGuidance, beside the com port setting, make also sure to set the correct baud rate. Alternatively, use the "auto detect" feature of iGuidance to find your GPS receiver.

trader007 · 09-09-2009, 12:12 AM

the problem with iguidance is it saves the gps port settings in the registry only up to 4 values.... so COM1 through COM9 are fine, but COM10 gets cut off to COM1 after you close the program... COM34 would get cut to COM3 and the like.

key tricks i use to coax Xport into working.

*Baud rate 4800 in Xport, and the driver port should be set to 9600 or 4800, which should be default anyway.
*If unsure about things, uncheck the 'enable ports' box and close out of xport. restart the pc, then open xport and configure if need to. then re-enable the ports, then restart the pc. if you do this whole process, it seems to clear out xport and then lock it back in to default behavior pretty well. the system restarts are key.
*if you know everything is set right, and you did the process i stated above, sometimes it seems to help to just drive around for 10 min to let the gps puck start sending sequential figures instead of random crap that it seems to give while standing still. i have noticed a few times that if i enable everything as i should but xport still wont 3d fix, i drive around and then it will just start working.
*use the checkbox next to your gps driver inside the xport screen. if you change this setting- leave xport running and do a system restart so when it does boot back into windows xport will load up with that feature enabled right at the start. again, this process of doing a system restart after any major change seems to help greatly.

stonestatue · 09-09-2009, 07:36 PM

Alright, I have a much clearer understanding of Xport now. The GPS and Iguidance were giving me problems when testing them on my laptop, but I installed on the actual carputer (as of this post, not yet installed in the van). Iguidance auto-detected the GPS at first, but still wouldn't zero in on my location. Then I auto-detected it again, but it wouldn't do it that time. So I tried Xport on the carputer and it instantly fixed the problem. I am hoping this will permanently fix the problem. Thanks everyone.

Jistari · 09-10-2009, 12:12 PM

Just so you know (since you mantioned that it wasnt in the van when you tested it), my bu 353 doesnt get a fix from inside my house. If you see it with the GPSInfo app, you're probably good to go.

stonestatue · 09-10-2009, 01:08 PM

I had the GPS on the laptop and drove to Walmart and that didn't do anything then. I got it to register when I drove to a nearby gas station, but it stopped after that. This was before I fixed it.

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