iQue M5 and NMEA externally

[EarthWorm]

Hi!

I'm new on this forum and yet to get me an iQue, at the moment it looks like the M5 one.
I was wondering if it is possible to route the internal com port on wich the
NMEA-messages are outputted on to be transmitted over bluetooth.

In that case it would be possible to use the M5 for PC based NMEA applications.

In my oppinion this option should allready be included.

And if it doesn't exist allready, does anyone here have the knowledge to produce such an app or know anyone who do? :)

(Posted this in the GARMIN Palm forum originally, and crossposted it here since it was the genneral idea. :D )

[JMckie]

So you want your M5 to act like a bluetooth GPS?

If there isn't any available software to do this already, this sounds like a job for AKlopper or Bokkie.

The program will have to 1) read input from a serial port and 2) output it via a bluetooth protocol. There must be a large number of source code examples that do both 1 and 2. All that needs to be done is to combine them together.

[Bokkie]

Not so fast Joseph!:D

I just got my GPS 10 yesterday and only started to seriously commission it this evening.

[EarthWorm]

Originally posted by JMckie
The program will have to 1) read input from a serial port and 2) output it via a bluetooth protocol. There must be a large number of source code examples that do both 1 and 2. All that needs to be done is to combine them together.

Well, don't even think it has to do bluetooth.
My guess is it only has to forward betwen two comports since there is a virtual BT comport as in bigbrother XP.
Correct me if I'm wrong?

[JMckie]

Well, don't even think it has to do bluetooth.

I guess I misunderstood your original post. How do you plan to connect the M5 to the PC - using a serial cable?

In that case the programming would be a lot simpler, but the solution not so elegant.

[EarthWorm]

Well, it seems that you don't know much about BlueTooth.
You can set up a bluetooth connection that looks for applications just like a good old serialcable. In the M5 it would be COM5, since the communication is to be initiated by the other computer with tracking software. There for ypu just would have to reroute traffic from COM2 to COM5 after establihing a Serial-Connection-Over-Bluetooth. :)

[JMckie]

It seems you didn't learn enough manners not to insult people trying to help you.

First you say that "don't even think it has to do bluetooth".

Then you say that "You can set up a bluetooth connection that looks for applications just like a good old serialcable."

How is this unknown utility supposed to take the NMEA serial stream output by the M5 to a virtual com port going to send the data via bluetooth without "doing bluetooth"?

[EarthWorm]

Sorry for the "attitude" problem, english isn't my native language and I might have chosen the wrong words. My appologies! :(

Lets say like this, yes it will have to do BT but that bit we can leave to the built in BT-applications.
Since we can produce two COMports that linked will acomplish the goal, or am I totally out of line here?

[JMckie]

No problem.

After some poking around, I found the Bluetooth serial port service configuration screen on my Axim. There probably is a similar one on the M5 because this is a Windows Mobile feature.

The inbound COM Port in my case is hardwired to 8 and outbound hardwired to 7.

However, in the Bluetooth connection wizard, I couldn't find an option on how to "share" or link an existing virtual COM port. Further research is required.

[EarthWorm]

Yes, now where talking! :D

This is what I'm talking about, and it's here this comlinking app I'm looking for enters the picture.

See what you can come up with, or if someone else has an idea. :D

[AKlopper]

I thought of proxying traffic between the internal COM2 and a Bluetooth serial port when I first discovered that COM2 was connected to the GPS. Perhaps this is an incentive for me to get the PPC development environment installed so that I can poke around. I did something similar on the PC (connecting one COM port to another using software) but I don't know how portable that would be to the PPC. The serial port API under Windows isn't the friendliest of environments to work in. Hopefully the PPC version is better.

[AKlopper]

Hmmm... In theory you should be able to do this with GPSGate. I'll let you know if I get it to work.

[AKlopper]

Easier done than said. Works like a dream.

Install GPSGate on the M5 and configure the input as COM2 (you might have to press the close button before you can change the COM port) and add physical port COM4 as the output port.

On the PC, connect to the serial port on the M5, and Bob's your uncle (assuming the Bluetooth software on your PC is setup correctly, of course). The just connect your NMEA app to whatever COM port your bluetooth software assigned and you have your very own bluetooth GPS.

I've only tested the NMEA input using Hyperterminal, but as soon as I can find an app that supports NMEA (pesky Garmin apps) I'll give that a try as well.

[AKlopper]

Plus I just saved myself a whole heap of coding... :)

[JMckie]

Good stuff. I've been meaning to download this GPSGate.

It occurs to me GPSGate isn't just for GPS isn't it? You can sharing serial data streams of any kind, correct?

Now where can I buy a bluetooth dongle for cheap?

[AKlopper]

Aaarrggghhh! My Garmin Mapsource help file is in Spanish...

[AKlopper]

OK. After some trial and error, it appears that Mapsource can speak NMEA and does display the correct GPS information, but it keeps alternating between Garmin and NMEA formats (I assume because the data stream is probably read only, i.e., the M5 doesn't reply to any requests).

[AKlopper]

Originally posted by JMckie
Now where can I buy a bluetooth dongle for cheap?

Got mine from CompUSA for $20 (the house brand).

[AKlopper]

Originally posted by JMckie
It occurs to me GPSGate isn't just for GPS isn't it? You can sharing serial data streams of any kind, correct?

I would imagine so, but I'm too lazy to read the documentation at the moment (it is 1:30am for me after all). :)

On a different note, it seems that the GPS data received from the M5 using Bluetooth and GPSGate is a little choppy (a few regular updates, followed by a 3 to 4 second pause, followed by more regular updates, etc.), which probably explains why Mapsource keeps switching between NMEA and Garmin formats (the NMEA connection times out after 1 or 2 seconds). Netstumbler also keeps losing the connection to the GPS and then reacquiring it almost instantly (another timeout issue probably).

Since I don't personally need a Bluetooth GPS, I'll leave it as an exercise for the reader to work out all the kinks in this setup.

[EarthWorm]

Well, that kind of solves it then! :D

That makes the chiose between 3600 and M5 a bit easier!

Now I only have do get the money...
I guess this will be sometime in june.. :(