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[0161coop]

Hi

I have an ND-100 which I am trying to set up on a Windows7 64bit laptop.

I have a flashing blue light on the dongle. I have installed the Win7 64bit driver (3.3.10.140) and Win7 version of GPS Info (S-0PC-07-0703191).

When I run GPS Info I get a string of data, but it does not look like the data in the screenshots. When I toggle to the satelite view it doesn't contain any values. If i run Microsoft Autoroute it displays a message which says that the GPS device is communicating, but it doesn't appear to be NMEA compatible.

Any ideas?

Please see www.didsburyplumbing.co.uk/gps for my screenshots

[GS_TECH01]

Did you download the drivers from the CD or from the USG Website? Also, have you tried plugging the device to a different USB port?

Please uninstall the driver. You can do this by going to Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a program > select PL 2303 USB-to-Serial. Turn off your computer and wait for a few minutes. Power up your computer and download this driver: (http://www.usglobalsat.com/store/download/650/win_7_usb_driver.zip). Make sure to extract the file and install the exe file.

Plug in the device with the provided extension cable and check the Device Manager. You can do this by right-clicking on Computer > Manage > Computer Management > System Tools > Device Manager > Ports (COM & LPT) > Prolific to USB Serial Comm Port (COMXX).

Remove the previous GPSInfo utility and install this one: (http://www.usglobalsat.com/store/download/62/vista_64bit_gps_info_utility.zip). Open it up and extract it. Bring your computer outside where there is clear access to the sky and there are no tall buildings or trees around that area.

Click on the GPSInfo program, select the correct com port, and choose the appropriate baud rate. Press 'Start GPS'. You should see some scrolling data below. Also, check if the blue light is blinking.

Let me know how it goes.

[0161coop]

Thanks for the prompt reply.

I've followed the procedure you set out but am still unable to get a fix.
I do get scrolling data but no fix - the data is in the form of alphabetic and special characters rather than numerical and is similar to my earlier screenshots.

Changing USB port doesn't seem to make any difference.

When I first inserted the extension cable into the USB port I got a message that said that although the prolific driver had installed ok, the microsoft ballpoint driver hadn't. I didn't get this message when I swapped USB ports.

I noticed this "NOTE: For Windows 7, please use RC build 7100 or above." when installing the driver, but I don't understand what it means.

Many thanks

[0161coop]

Sorry, I meant to say that I do get a flashing blue light on the dongle (even inside!) but no fix in GPSInfo.

[GS_TECH01]

Have you tried removing the previous driver and installing the recommended one? Afterwards, you can try plugging in the device to another USB port.

Also, have you checked the Device Manager to see what com port is being used by the device?

One more thing, have you tested the ND-100 with another computer? What results did you get?

As for those unconceivable characters, can you perform a Cold Start in your device? First, you need to install this program, MiniCDU: (http://www.usglobalsat.com/store/download/650/minicdu.zip). Download and extract the file. For more information on how to use this program, refer to this guide: http://www.usglobalsat.com/store/download/650/ug_nd100.pdf

Afterwards, please bring your computer outside. Please open up the MiniCDU program, plug in the device along with the cable, and press the Connect button. You'll see some data in the blank fields. Now, go to Command and select Cold Start. Check the Terminal window to see if you're getting the proper NMEA data. It takes about 45 seconds to get a fix.

Let me know how it goes.

[0161coop]

Hi

Yes I followed the procedure in your first post:  un-installed the original driver and installed the recomended driver. I've also tried different USB ports with no luck.

I've also done the same thing on a different (vista) machine and get exactly the same results.

I've installed MiniCDU as per your latest post, run it as administrator, set up the COM port and although MiniCDU connects, I get no output whatsoever in any of the panes/ boxes. The blue light on the dongle is flashing. If I try a cold start nothing changes - still no output and no dialogue in the terminal pane.

[GS_TECH01]

I have one more question. Does it have a yellow packaging or a blue one? If it's yellow, the baud rate that you should use is the 38400, whereas the blue packaging should have a 4800 baud rate. To make sure what baud rate to use, look at the back of the packaging and you will see the Baud Rate under Electrical Characteristics.

Now, follow all the steps stated in the previous posts. Let me know how it goes.

[0161coop]

Many thanks - I'd been using the wrong baud rate!!

I still cannot get Microsoft Autoroute to work with it though - looks as though Autoroute only works at the slower baud rate. Any suggestions for a similar street mapping software that is compatible with the higher baud rate?

cheers
Neil

[0161coop]

.....or can I change the baud rate of the dongle to 4800 to match the software?

[GS_TECH01]

Yes, you can change the device's baud rate to 4800. This is possible by using the MiniCDU program which you have installed before. Plug in the device with the provided USB cable and open up the said program. Go to Mode > Setup COM Port. Select the proper com port and baud rate and click the OK button. Now, press the Connect button and you will see some scrolling data on the Terminal window. Then, choose Command and navigate to SetBaudRate. Select 4800 and click OK. Press the Connect button to disconnect and close the program. You can now open up the Microsoft AutoRoute program and test your device.

Let me know how it goes.

[0161coop]

The command menu only brings up "cold start", "warm start" or "hot start"

[GS_TECH01]

Please uninstall the MiniCDU program on your computer. I just sent you the latest version by email. Please check it and keep us posted of your results. Thanks.

[0161coop]

Many thanks. I've uninstalled MiniCDU, but when I try to install the version you emailed I get a "error opening file for writing" message. I've also tried installing from this link http://www.usglobalsat.com/ND100_MiniCDU-v1.03.zip but get the same error.

[0161coop]

I get the same error trying to install it on my Vista desktop and Win 7 laptop.

[GS_TECH01]

Make sure to extract the zip file first. Restart your computer and wait for a few minutes. Navigate to the extracted folder and run the exe file as an administrator. You can do this by right-clicking on setup icon and selecting "Run as administrator".

Let me know how it goes.