Need some practical help re Garmin Etrex cable problem

[+mousekakat]

Ok, so we aren't rich and therefore bought a connector kit to make a connector cable for our little etrex yellow.

 

Followed the destructions, err, directions and as far as I can tell, we have done it all right. Took the casing off the serial cable to check the wire/pin connections and connected everything according to the instructions here, so, theoretically this thang should work!

 

But it doesn't.

 

My question, when we open the serial cable there are a number of small wires all attached to a pin, AND there is what looks to be a larger ground set of fine wires attached to a screw that isn't attached to the pins anywhere and is attached, rather, to the metal thingie that the pins are attached to. It is not attached to anything on the Garmin side, I just trimmed them short since there was nothing there to connect it to.

 

We are not sending any juice through the cable, only using a ground, send and receive wires.

 

SO, any ideas on what we might need to do/be doing wrong?

 

Putting things in by hand is a PIA, but it's ok, we live with it, but it would be a pleasure to be able to just transfer them to the unit via the cable!

 

Thanks in advance,

Naomi

[jholly]

Ok, so we aren't rich and therefore bought a connector kit to make a connector cable for our little etrex yellow.

 

Followed the destructions, err, directions and as far as I can tell, we have done it all right. Took the casing off the serial cable to check the wire/pin connections and connected everything according to the instructions here, so, theoretically this thang should work!

 

But it doesn't.

 

My question, when we open the serial cable there are a number of small wires all attached to a pin, AND there is what looks to be a larger ground set of fine wires attached to a screw that isn't attached to the pins anywhere and is attached, rather, to the metal thingie that the pins are attached to. It is not attached to anything on the Garmin side, I just trimmed them short since there was nothing there to connect it to.

 

We are not sending any juice through the cable, only using a ground, send and receive wires.

 

SO, any ideas on what we might need to do/be doing wrong?

 

Putting things in by hand is a PIA, but it's ok, we live with it, but it would be a pleasure to be able to just transfer them to the unit via the cable!

 

Thanks in advance,

Naomi

 

Don't forget when you look at the BACK of the DB-9 connector (the plugy thingy the goes into the computer) the pins are reversed from the picture of the front. (i.e., pin 5 is on the right and pin 1 is on the left) You can also make a continuity checker with a few pieces of wire, a battery and a flashlight bulb to check that your wired correctly. A paper clip will just fit in the serial cable connector pins. Use that to make sure you have the wires correctly placed.

 

Jim

[+coggins]

You can get the e2PoP connector for the eTrex here:

http://www.clover.se

 

Pris=59,00 SEK

 

I built a cable with this connector and it works perfectly. You do need to set up your GPS interface settings to match what software you are using; go to MENU->SETUP->INTERFACE (SVENSKA:MENY->INSTäLLN.->GRäNSSNIT)and select GARMIN to use the Garmin Communicator.

 

Are you connecting the cable directly to your computer or are you using a serial~USB adapter? If you are using an adapter, make sure that you have the drivers for your system installed. Some people have reported problems with different adapters, I use the IOGEAR GUC232A and it works flawlessly.

Edited August 13, 2008 by coggins

[+mousekakat]

We are using the serial connector directly, no USB conversion in between. I've checked the settings on the eTrex and it's set to Garmin.

 

It's like the computer never even finds the GPS when I plug it in. I get no reaction from XP at all and Garmin's software also claims there is no connected device.

[reef mapper]

You may want to try this utility to verify which COM port is involved:

 

http://www.oziexplorer3.com/utils/gps_port_checker.html

[+mousekakat]

Ok, I am officially stumped.

 

I got a multi-meter and checked the cable. It shows that all three parts of the cable are fine from serial connector to the GPS connector. I then ran then software reef suggested but it says there is no GPS connected to the COM port.

 

The eTrex is set to Garmin interface.

 

Should it show up on the Garmin when the cable is connected? Beginning to wonder if it's the connectors on the GPS that have been damaged somehow.

 

Edited to add: When I set the interface to NMEA out and RTCM/NMEA it does find the GPS however... the question is though, can I use the NMEA setting for stuff like GSAK and Garmin software?

 

Edited again hehe: Nope. Garmin software won't recognize the GPS and neither will GSAK.

Edited August 13, 2008 by mousekakat

[ryleyinstl]

Call me crazy but won't this fix your issues for a few extra $$$:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Serial-Cable-...0/dp/B00004VX23

 

eBay might even have lower priced options.

[+mousekakat]

Call me crazy but won't this fix your issues for a few extra $$$:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Serial-Cable-...0/dp/B00004VX23

 

eBay might even have lower priced options.

 

Yeah.. if we had the money for it...

 

I may love caching but if it comes down to choosing between a cable for 30$ or food... well...

[+mousekakat]

double post

Edited August 13, 2008 by mousekakat

[reef mapper]

The port checker looks for both Garmin data and NMEA. If it detects the NMEA stream then the problem isn't with the cable.

[ryleyinstl]

I may love caching but if it comes down to choosing between a cable for 30$ or food... well...

 

Ouch, sorry dude....there has to be someone on here with one collecting dust in a junk pile.....perhaps they will donate.

Edited August 13, 2008 by ryleyinstl

[+mousekakat]

The port checker looks for both Garmin data and NMEA. If it detects the NMEA stream then the problem isn't with the cable.

 

That's my thought too. As I said, I checked the cable and all three pins are connected and it finds the NMEA. That's what so strange to me... why would it find NMEA and not Garmin interface, just doesn't make sense.

 

When I try to send waypoints from GSAK it will start running for a moment and then stop with the following error message:

 

"Error sending waypoints:

 

[ERROR] GPS_Packet_Read: Timeout. No data received.

Garmin:Can't init COM1"

[reef mapper]

Is COM1 the port where the checker finds the NMEA output?

[+mousekakat]

Is COM1 the port where the checker finds the NMEA output?

 

Yeppers:

 

NMEA Input found on Com Port : COM1 at 4800 Baud

 

I've also tried remapping my COM to make sure there was no conflict, same result. After googling I've only found one solution to the same problem, getting a Serial-USB converter

[reef mapper]

Not quite the same problem though - you first need to find out if the unit is actually capable of outputting Garmin data before you can convert it to USB (and that can a whole other headache). I would suspect a fault with the unit. Can you find someone who has an Etrex-PC setup that is working and connect yours to it, to make sure yours is OK?

[+mousekakat]

Spent 2 hours on the phone with Garmin last night and there is apparently something with the cable that is messing it up. They were confused about the fact that NMEA works but not Garmin.

 

Talked to a really nice lady who would try to see if they could send me a cable

[+Red90]

Cables are $8 with shipping on eBay.

[+coggins]

The port checker looks for both Garmin data and NMEA. If it detects the NMEA stream then the problem isn't with the cable.

Don't bet on that. If your software polls the com port and sees NMEA data then it only proves that you have a halfduplex connection, as there is no handshake with the GPS as it's a device (GPS) to host (computer) data transfer, instigated by selecting NMEA on the device.

 

Pinging the device from the host is another matter. The GARMIN protocol uses commands from the host to the device, and needs a full duplex connection, in the form of a null modem. This method is instigated by the host, and if the device gets and understands the command, returns a ACK message. The host will then send the command to have the device output it's PVT data.

 

In other words, you can received NMEA data and still have a cable problem, preventing the use of the Garmin protocol.

 

edit to add: you don't need to download anything to check the connection, Hyper Terminal will work just fine.

Edited August 15, 2008 by coggins

[+facade66]

Don't you need to jumper RTS & CTS pin 7&8 and then jumper DSR DTR & CD pins 6, 1 &4 to make a 3 wire cable work?

 

Have you done this?

 

I imagine an old mouse cable would have these 2 jumpers in place, but a bare plug doesn't.

[+coggins]

Don't you need to jumper RTS & CTS pin 7&8 and then jumper DSR DTR & CD pins 6, 1 &4 to make a 3 wire cable work?

No, you don't need to jump the pins. 3 wire cable is quite common, but the software must handle the flow control.

 

From Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RS-232#3-wire_and_5-wire_RS-232

A minimal "3-wire" RS-232 connection consisting only of transmit data, receive data, and ground, is commonly used when the full facilities of RS-232 are not required. Even a two-wire connection (data and ground) can be used if the data flow is one way (for example, a digital postal scale that periodically sends a weight reading, or a GPS receiver that periodically sends position, if no configuration via RS-232 is necessary).

[jholly]

Since your using GSAK , maybe something in this thread will be of help. Also do you have any other serial devices, like a PDA? Hot Sync for the palm serial interface grabs a port and GSAK will not be able to transmit. The can't init COMM 1 sounds like something is grabbing the port. Do you have a second port? If so have GSAK use that one. You can go to the xp control panel->system->hardware->device manager to find out what comm ports you have.

 

EDIT: I downloaded the port checker and switched my hot sync over to serial. The port checker reports COMM 1 in use. (no gps connected) With the error message Can't init Comm1 it sure sounds like something has grabbed the port. Look at the output of the port checker again, does it say port in use when you do NOT have the GPS plugged in? If so you need to find out what is grabbing the port. Hot Sync? some other program in your system tray?

 

Let us know and we'll try another guess [;]

 

Jim

Edited August 16, 2008 by jholly