downloading a gps20 without a serial port

[Ted]

I recently lost my laptop and the replacement has no serial port. I
purchased a USB - serial converter cable but Cambridge Aero Explorer
can't seem to connect to the GPS 20. Anybody have a work around for
this problem? Just want to download waypoints and upload flights.

Ted

[JS]

Some of the USB adapters work, some don't.
Otherwise there are network servers like the Moxa serial ports.
Check out the Moxa site:
USB to Serial
http://www.moxa.com/Zones/Serial_Communication/USB_to_Serial/index.htm
Ethernet to Serial
http://www.moxa.com/Zones/Serial_To_Ethernet/index.htm
Jim


Ted wrote:
> I recently lost my laptop and the replacement has no serial port. I
> purchased a USB - serial converter cable but Cambridge Aero Explorer
> can't seem to connect to the GPS 20. Anybody have a work around for
> this problem? Just want to download waypoints and upload flights.
>
> Ted

[Mal]

what operating system are you running did you load the software that came
with the cable ?


"Ted" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>I recently lost my laptop and the replacement has no serial port. I
> purchased a USB - serial converter cable but Cambridge Aero Explorer
> can't seem to connect to the GPS 20. Anybody have a work around for
> this problem? Just want to download waypoints and upload flights.
>
> Ted
>

[Martin Gregorie]

JS wrote:
> Some of the USB adapters work, some don't.
>
Take a look at pfranc.com - I'm using one of their adapters on a laptop
with a busted serial port. So far it's done everything I've needed,
including iPAQ hotsync via a serial cradle.

I'm not connected with them - just a happy customer.

--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. |
org | Zappa fan & glider pilot

[Bullwinkle]

This probably only applies to a small niche (and won't answer your question,
Ted), but I recently had to figure how to use a USB-to-Serial adapter in
order to connect a PowerBook (yes, that's a Macintosh) to an SN10B, and a
Volkslogger. I also use it to ActiveSync my PDA.

The hard part was getting the USB-to-Serial adapter to work with Virtual PC,
but I've broken the code on that.

If anybody is interested, let me know via the newsgroup.

For the record, I'm not interested in any Mac vs PC discussions, since I've
already made up my mind on that.



On 2/1/06 7:11 PM, in article
. com, "Ted"
> wrote:

> I recently lost my laptop and the replacement has no serial port. I
> purchased a USB - serial converter cable but Cambridge Aero Explorer
> can't seem to connect to the GPS 20. Anybody have a work around for
> this problem? Just want to download waypoints and upload flights.
>
> Ted
>

[Stewart Kissel]

Disregard this if you find a ready solution...another
option might be by a cheap PDA and load it with some
freeware flight software, add the cable to connect
it to the GPS20...and you can us the PDA to transport
flights and databases back and forth and leave the
GPS20 in the cockpit hooked up.

[jcarlyle]

Ted, if you provide some more information it would help in finding a
solution your problem.

First, what is the make and model of both the computer and the
USB-serial converter? Second, what operating system are you using (XP,
NT, 98, DOS)? Third, if Windows, have you tried the standard Windows
tricks of looking for hardware conflicts, changing the serial port the
USB-serial adapter is on, setting baud rates, etc.? Fourth, if Windows,
what are the values that have been set by the installer for com number,
bps, data bits, parity, stop and flow control? Fifth, have you tried
booting into a pure DOS environment and using Data-cam with a fully
qualified command line to specify file name and com port?

I'm using an IBM T42 notebook with an IO Gear USB-serial adapter, and
I've had zero problems talking to a Cambridge Model 10 under XP and 98
using SeeYou, Data-cam and Vali-cam. This setup also works well under
DOS using Data-cam and Vali-cam.

So, as you no doubt suspected, it can be done! Taking a wild guess, I
suspect that your problem lies in getting the com port of the
USB-serial adapter to be com 1 or com 2. Most of the time the installer
puts them way up high, and this can lead to trouble (depends upon the
BIOS and the OS).

-John

[Thermal]

There are PCMCIA cards availble which add one or two Serial RS232
ports. computer specialty stores like Compusa have them
such as
http://www.elandigitalsystems.com/interface/sl332.php

I have used 2 used compact flash rs232 adapter on my Casio e100-
Ipaq3635 and Ipaq5555 to view NMEA data from my GPS45 and GPSIII . and
a $10 CF to PCMCIA adapter will fit your laptop and should do it for
you

one rather expensive option is
http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=50021583&pfp=SEARCH

But ill sell ya a setup like mine for much much less ~$50
contact me at atkron95 at gmail.com if that what you would like to do.

[Mal]

Windows 98 is not USB compliant windows 98 Second Edition is !


> First, what is the make and model of both the computer and the
> USB-serial converter? Second, what operating system are you using (XP,
> NT, 98, DOS)? Third, if Windows, have you tried the standard Windows
> tricks of looking for hardware conflicts, changing the serial port the
> USB-serial adapter is on, setting baud rates, etc.? Fourth, if Windows,

[Dan]

I too had the same problem on my IBM T-40, it does not have a serial
port.
I was trying to conect with my Volkslogger
I tried various adapters for the USB port but none worked.
In my case I was successful using a docking station that has a serial
port for this computer.
Dan Rihn

Thermal wrote:
> There are PCMCIA cards availble which add one or two Serial RS232
> ports. computer specialty stores like Compusa have them
> such as
> http://www.elandigitalsystems.com/interface/sl332.php
>
> I have used 2 used compact flash rs232 adapter on my Casio e100-
> Ipaq3635 and Ipaq5555 to view NMEA data from my GPS45 and GPSIII . and
> a $10 CF to PCMCIA adapter will fit your laptop and should do it for
> you
>
> one rather expensive option is
> http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=50021583&pfp=SEARCH
>
> But ill sell ya a setup like mine for much much less ~$50
> contact me at atkron95 at gmail.com if that what you would like to do.

[Ted]

Am running windows XP. Did load the software which came with it.

[Ted]

Actually I can do that for the GPS 20I have a 1550 with flash. However
my real problem is loading my Zander SR 940 which has only the serial
port for communication.

[Ted]

It's a bottom of the line Gateway laptop w/XP home. The converter is
Manhattan.The installer sets to Com 4 Have not tried playing with
parity etc. or working in DOS environment.

[Mal]

Do you have active sync installed on the machine this can stuff it up.

Try run it its own profile on the machine.

Make sure no other programs installed that use com ports like active sync.

[jcarlyle]

Ted, we can try something with the information you've given. First,
we'll make sure the ports are OK, then change the adapter to a lower
one. Then, we'll try doing a download under a DOS window using
Data-cam. I'll use the abbreviation LC for single left click, DLC for
double left click, and RC for right click.

1. Check ports - from the desktop, RC My Computer, LC Properties, LC
Hardware, LC Device Manager. Examine the tree, make sure that there are
NO red exclamation points or yellow triangles! Report back if you see
these! Then LC the + sign on Ports. Write down everything you see with
a COM in its name.

2. Change ports - You said that the installer put your adapter at Com
4. See if Com 1 or Com 2 is available. If not, we can take the least
needed device that is on Com 1 or Com 2 and temporarily move it. To do
this, as an example for Com 2, RC the Com 2 entry under Ports, LC
Properties, LC Port Settings, LC Advanced, use the list box under Com
Port to select an UNUSED port, LC OK, LC OK again. Now repeat this last
sentence for the adapter, moving it to the now vacant Com 2. You can
reverse this all later, but write down what you are doing!!

3. Make Cambridge test folder - DLC My Computer, LC Folders under
Explorer Bar, LC the icon for C: drive. RC somewhere in the right pane,
LC Folder under New, type in Cam and hit Enter. Leave this window open,
we'll be using it again!

4. Get Data-cam program - LC Start, LC For Files and Folders under
Search, LC All Files and Folders, type in data-* and hit Enter. If it
finds Data-cam.exe, great! Write down the information in the In Folder
column. If it doesn't find it, you'll have to download it from here:
http://www.fai.org/gliding/freeware Once it downloads, repeat the
first sentence in this step to find out where it was placed. Now, go
back to the open Windows Explorer window used in step 3. In the left
pane, do a series of LC until you have finally clicked out the
information in the In Folder column during the Find. You should now see
Data-cam in the right pane. RC data-cam and while holding the click,
drag the outline into the left pane until the Cam folder is colored
blue, and release the click. Now LC Copy Here.

5. Run Data-cam - LC Start, LC Run, type in Command and hit Enter. Type
in cd \cam Enter, and you should see C:\cam in the window. Do a Dir
Enter and you should see Data-cam.exe listed in the right column. If
not, you need to review the steps above and fix something! If you do,
plug the end of the adapter into the Cambridge 20, and turn on the
Cambridge. Type data-cam -p2 Enter, and the download should start.
Note: the 2 in the last command depends on where you moved the adapter
in step 2. If it was Com 1, then you'd type data-cam -p1 Enter. Purists
like Mal will note that for Com 1 you could actually have just typed
data-cam Enter! ;-)

If all is well, you'll get a download from the Cambridge. If not,
you'll get an error message. If you do, tell us what it says. Also,
repeat step 1 and be sure that the adapter is actually at the Com port
number you used in step 5, and that no yellow trianges or red
exclamation points have shown up. If so, fix the Com number problem, or
report back the error.

Assuming the download under the DOS window works, try downloading with
your Windows software. There will be some means in the program to
change the Com port to the number that your adapater was set to in step
2. If you got a download under the DOS window, you'll get a download
under Windows!

Hope this helps, and that it gets you a download!

-John

[jcarlyle]

Ted, I just re-read your first message carefully. I may be guilty of
jumping to a misconception! First, try downloading with Data-cam.exe
that I detailed above. If it works, then do this:

Get Cambridge Aero Explorer running. When the window opens, LC Tools,
LC Options, LC General. Use the down arrow on the Recorder Com Port box
to select the proper com port for the adapter (1 or 2 if you changed
the Com port as described in the DOS Window downloading post, 4 if you
didn't). LC OK.

Now connect the adapter to the Cambridge 20 and turn it on. In CAE, LC
Recorder, LC Connect, and report back what happens. Hopefully things
will work!

-John

[Ted]

Thanks John and all others who gave me a great!! education on serial
ports. I found a simple fix for the GPS 20. See You connection wizard
finds it and I can up and download using See You. My glider is in
Florida so I have'nt tried talking to my Zander SR 940 yet. Will get
down there next week and give that a try. Thanks again to all for the
superb suggestions.

Ted