New GPSDriver library

[agraham]

You will have to ask Erel that, it's not up to me! Anyway the code doesn't exist yet.

[Erel]

The GPSDriver library does support external GPS devices.
You need to first set the intermediate driver to use the external GPS serial port.
On most devices you can set it under Settings - External GPS.
You can also use the attached Settings programs.

[agraham]

Originally Posted by Erel

The GPSDriver library does support external GPS devices

That's good news as I've obviously totally misunderstood what the "External GPS Settings" do and do you know what, I've re-read the help (what little there is!) and still don't really understand it.

[Erel]

There is no real difference between internal and external devices.
The Settings program tells the GPS intermediate driver which port it should open to connect to the GPS.

[agraham]

Presumably there is something magic about the "none" setting on the External GPS Settings Hardware tab that actually connects the internal GPS to the Intermediate Driver - why can't it say something sensible like "internal"

[wolfgang]

Hi,
tested the new GPSDriver on my HTC Cruise 3650 WM6.0 Pro and it works good. But when I try to compile the complete demo for my device an error occurs in line 45:

UTM() = converter.WGS84LatLonToUTM(gps.Latitude,gps.Longitude)

The altitude results are strange too. The sea level altitude is exactly the ellipsoid altitude and the ellipsoid altitude is not displayed. I think this is because off not all GPS chipsets support calculation of MSL (MSL = ellipsoid altitude - geoids separation). The values of the geoids separation are normally stored in a database and this database is missing on some receivers. To make the confusion complete do not all receivers deliver the same NMEA 0183:
Fortuna Clip - On
$GPGGA,161650.417,4841.7902,N,01004.0220,E,2,05,2. 0,578.5,M,48.0,M,2.0,0000*70
578.5 = ellipsoid altitude (MSL = 530.5)
Data Logger i - 747
$GPGGA,080026.000,4841.7900,N,01004.0198,E,1,9,0.9 6,532,5,M,48.0,M,,*5E
532.5 = MSL
The correct MSL is 532 m. The HTC delivers 584 m which is a "good" ellipsoid altitude. What can we do?

[Erel]

How did you declared UTM() ?
The altitude values are parsed from the NMEA strings by the GPS intermediate drive so there is no more information than what you see.

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by Erel

How did you declared UTM() ?

It is exactly your demofile "GPSDriverDemo". I changed nothing.

Sub Globals
    Dim Type (xZone, X, yZone, Y) UTM As double
End Sub

[Erel]

It compiles fine here. Please try to download the zip file again and copy GPSDriver.cs to Basic4ppc libraries folder.

[ClarkVent]

What's the use of the Age parameter in the GetGPSData method?