GPSSerial library

[agraham]

With the shiny new GPSDriver library for WM5.0 devices, and later, with internal GPS we now have two incompatible ways of writing GPS apps. The "old" GPS library and Serial2 for serial ports, such as Bluetooth, and the new GPSDriver for GPS Intermediate Driver equipped devices.

I thought that it might be nice to be able to develop GPS apps on my laptops or desktop which use Bluetooth or USB GPS devices then port them to my Diamond which uses the Intermediate Driver. Also GPSDriver returns more information than GPS does and I wanted to be able access that on other platforms than an Intermediate Driver equipped device.

So here is a compatible solution, the GPSSerial library. It looks like GPSDriver to the code but hiding underneath is a SerialPort like in the Serial2 library. Porting code between the two should be a matter of changing your objects to use the correct library and altering the Open method which is the only one that differs between the two libraries.

This is quite a complex piece of code (have peek at the source!) and I have observed that the NMEA sentences from different devices don't all carry the same information in the same way. I have tested it on my Axim X30 (WM2003, Bluetooth) my desktop (Vista, RS232 to USB) and my EEE PC (XP, Bluetooth and RS232 to USB). However some code bugs may remain and there may be incompatibility problems with some devices. However if it will work with GPS and Serial2 it ought to work with this library.

EDIT :- Version 1.1 posted with corrected GPSSerialConverter object.

EDIT :- Version 1.2 posted. See post #16 for details.

EDIT :- Version 1.3 rapidly posted as I didn't get 1.2 quite right . See post #19 for details.

[wolfgang]

Hi agraham,
when I try to compile your code for the device the attached error is displayed (desktop works). Nothing is changed in your code. Downloaded twice, installed in a new folder but no succes. All files are avaiable in the correct folders.

[agraham]

I am afraid that I cannot reproduce that error. I have just downloaded the zip to make sure I have the same code as you. I have put it into an empty folder unzipped it and it optimised compiles fine for both desktop and device and also both with and without the source file in the Libraries folder

The reference to the MicrosoftCE namespace is puzzling as there is no explicit reference in the library to that (or it wouldn't work on both desktop and device). I have checked the compiler response file that Basic4ppc produces for device compilation and only the dlls that Basic4ppc refers to by default for all optimised device compilation are required. Do you get the error WITHOUT the source code in the Libraries folder and can you optimise compile other device applications?

The only thing that I can think of is that you don't have the Compact Framework SDK installed but if this is the case you couldn't have optimised compiled and I would expect a "Cannot locate .Net Compact Framework 2.0 files." error message.

[agraham]

I found it! You have the ImageLibExDevice.cs source file in your library. Delete it and all should be fine. ImageLibEx Device needs a reference to Microsoft.WindowsCE.Forms to optimise compile and as Basic4ppc doesn't know this by default it needs an entry in the compiler LibrariesExceptions.txt file

You could also edit your LibrariesException.txt file to overcome this problem but Erel probably doesn't everyone playing with that file. I'll check with him, in the meantime just delete the ImageLibExDevice source and use the pre-compiled library.

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by agraham

I found it! You have the ImageLibExDevice.cs source file in your library. Delete it and all should be fine. ...

That's it. Thank you so much.

[Erel]

You could also edit your LibrariesException.txt file to overcome this problem but Erel probably doesn't everyone playing with that file. I'll check with him, in the meantime just delete the ImageLibExDevice source and use the pre-compiled library.

This file is intended for cases like that.
However you can just add this line anywhere in your code:

SIP(false)

It will have the same effect.

[agraham]

Originally Posted by Erel

However you can just add this line anywhere in your code:

SIP(false)

It will have the same effect.

I'd forgotten that trick - makes mental note!

[agraham]

Version 1.1 now posted with the corrected GPSSerialConverter. The original code was inherited (copied!) from the original GPSDriver code which turned out to be buggy and which Erel has now fixed.

[schimanski]

Sorry, perhaps I have made a mistake?

Porting code between the two should be a matter of changing your objects
to use the correct library and altering the Open method which is the only one
that differs between the two libraries.

Is the format of the latitude/longitude in the GPSDriver-Lib different to the latitude/longitude of the GPSSerial-Lib?

In my large gps-application, I only have changed the object and the open-method for the desktop, but with the two different formats, it doesn't work. Did I missed something?

[agraham]

Originally Posted by schimanski

it doesn't work.

It should be the same. Can you give me some details of what the problem is?