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Serial connection between eTrex and Palm?


Guest jeremy

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Guest jeremy

Anyone successfully interface with a Palm Device and an eTrex unit? I'd be interested in hearing how such a thing would occur. A simple NMEA output to a PalmOS screen is what I'm looking for.

 

Thanks,

 

Jeremy

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Guest RCharlier

I don't know about the nmea communication spec for the garmin, but Garmin does publish the Garmin communication interface spec on their website. I have been considering writting something for a Windows CE device using the Garmin interface spec when I get some time. The communication protocol appears to be straight forward if you are familiar with serial port cummunications and know how to write C code. As I recall the easiest method to program on the palm is to use pocket-c. I believe there is support for serial communications. My silly thoughts have been to the effect of a simple java applet that could directly load waypoint info from a website into a GPS unit. I wouldn't think this would be very difficult to do. If I had a good reason, I might be tempted to play around with pocket-c on my CE device to see if I could come up with something that works. This could be a good challenge for me in my spare time....

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Guest jeremy

A friend of mine already cracked the protocol for VB (C++ is much much easier). For the uses I was thinking of, getting the Garmin protocol to work isn't really important. I just want to know of someone either knows of a way to do it or knows of a cord that exists already for a serial connection.

 

Believe me, you don't want to mess with the Garmin protocol. Lets just say it's ... interesting.

 

Jeremy

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Guest Moss Trooper

Jeremy.

 

I have connected my Palm 105 to my Etrex Summit, it isn't difficult. All I done was to make a short cable using 2 x femail 9 pin D connectors to allow conection between the Etrex data cable and the Palm hotsync cable. I connected Data out of Etrex to data into Palm cradle, and visa versa (don't forget the ground).

 

Its relativley simple. Except yer got miles of cable!!! icon_biggrin.gif.. next job is to make a proprietry cable so I can mount Etrex at one side of dashboard and Palm at other.

 

There are quite a few programs available over the net for the Palm for use with a GPS.

Moss

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Guest Moss Trooper

Jeremy.

 

I have connected my Palm 105 to my Etrex Summit, it isn't difficult. All I done was to make a short cable using 2 x femail 9 pin D connectors to allow conection between the Etrex data cable and the Palm hotsync cable. I connected Data out of Etrex to data into Palm cradle, and visa versa (don't forget the ground).

 

Its relativley simple. Except yer got miles of cable!!! icon_biggrin.gif.. next job is to make a proprietry cable so I can mount Etrex at one side of dashboard and Palm at other.

 

There are quite a few programs available over the net for the Palm for use with a GPS.

Moss

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Guest tnunnery

o, J., what's up your sleeve? icon_wink.gif

 

[This message has been edited by tnunnery (edited 11 July 2001).]

 

[This message has been edited by tnunnery (edited 11 July 2001).]

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Guest tnunnery

o, J., what's up your sleeve? icon_wink.gif

 

[This message has been edited by tnunnery (edited 11 July 2001).]

 

[This message has been edited by tnunnery (edited 11 July 2001).]

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Jeremy,

 

You can hook up your gps to your palm pilot simply by taking you hotsync cable and pluging it into yout PC cable for your GPS. To make the connection of the two serial plugs you will need and female-female gender changer and a null modem adapter.

 

mcb

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Guest jeremy

quote:
Originally posted by joshgray:

is the trouble really worth it? can you do much on the pda that you can't on the gps? (I have a etrex basic and palm V)


 

No. At the moment it isn't worth the trouble.

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Guest chrome

quote:
Originally posted by jeremy:

No. At the moment it isn't worth the trouble.


 

I suppose that would depend on what you were doing with the data. I recently developed a product that used almost any 3rd party GPS with a PalmVII or a Handspring Visor to report the location of a driver/vehicle. I can't get any more specific than that without busting an NDA. But believe me, some use of what you are looking at are well worth the trouble. Maybe just not for geocaching. - Chrome

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Guest DrPork
I just put together a Visor and Garmin 12 with a cable I bought from Chris Pyle at SeaPea@mail.com for $35.He makes cables for most units. It is 2 feet long and is well made. The software I use is Solus Pro3 from Delorme $49. A demo version is free with Street Atlas 7 and the maps are easy to download. I haven't used this on the road yet but works well walking around the neighbor hood. Good Luck with this, Don
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