ArcGIS Mobile 10.1.1 not seeing inbuilt GPS on Trimble Nomad

[DustinEdge]

Hi everyone


I've loaded 10.1.1 on a Nomad and I can't get it to get a GPS fix.

I tested the GPS settings with the default Sat viewer program and I get a lock but nothing happens when I try it 10.1.1

I then tried an external Bluetooth GPS and had a win there. But it would quite silly to use another device for location when there's a very capable chip in the device.


Any suggestions?

[DouglasBraeckel]

Have you verified that you can see the GPS sentences from another app like SatViewer or some terminal program?  Have you verified the chipset has been set to output NMEA and not SiRF Binary?

On our Nomads, the hardware port is COM2.  I typically shut off the automatic GPS management in Windows and go right for the hardware port rather than try to use the software defined port in Windows Mobile.

It takes a while for the GPS to pull down a full ephemeris before it will show a fix.

Doug

[DustinEdge]

Hi Doug

Yup....Satviewer showed everything working perfectly.

Will try switching off the auto windows mngt option.
Thanks

[DouglasBraeckel]

Dustin,

In GPS Controller you have the ability to turn on the NMEA Output (see image). Once you turn it on, you need to click the Wrench button next to the combo box to configure which sentences you want to see. I usually turn them all on.


[ATTACH=CONFIG]26555[/ATTACH]

[DustinEdge]

Hi Doug

thanks for the reply.

Where did you access that GPS controller interface?
Are you running ArcGIS for Windows Mobile 10.1.1 or is that ArcPad?

All I can access is the very basic GPS config window within AGM. See attached.

I've tried the windows intermediate GPS port, I've tried the direct GPS port....with no luck at all.

When I use Trimble's SatViewer program with the same options as above, it all works. So I know the hardware is working fine. It's just the software.

Cheers

[AECOM_AustraliaGIS]

Found GPS Controller. Will try it and report back...

[AECOM_AustraliaGIS]

Hi Doug

a quick question about GPS Controller. In the NMEA Output Settings page, what did u use for the Primary Receiver Port setting?
Even though the GPS is on COM2, the only two options are None & Port 1.
Also, I'm assuming the baud rate should be 9600.

Do u have it running in the background when using AGM?

Thanks again

[DustinEdge]

oops...logged in with the wrong account for those previous posts

[DouglasBraeckel · Accepted solution]

Dustin,

Port 1 is okay.  Doesn't make sense, but if you try Port 2 you get a bad value error.  Here are my settings for my Nomad 900G:


Windows Hardware Settings:

GPS Program Port: COM7 GPS Hardware Port: COM2 Baud Rate: 4800 Access: Manage GPS Automatically NOT CHECKED (probably really doesn't matter) Enable Assisted GPS is checked

GPS Controller Settings:

NMEA Output Settings Output Interval: 1s  Receiver Port: Primary:  Port 1 Secondary  None Baud Rate:  4800 Data Bits:  8 Stop Bits:  1 Parity:   None General X GGA X GLL X GSA X GSV X RMC X VTG X ZDA

Hi Doug

a quick question about GPS Controller. In the NMEA Output Settings page, what did u use for the Primary Receiver Port setting?
Even though the GPS is on COM2, the only two options are None & Port 1.
Also, I'm assuming the baud rate should be 9600.

Do u have it running in the background when using AGM?

Thanks again

[DustinEdge]

woohoo!! Success at last!

Thanks alot Doug. It might have been the Baud rate that was stuffing it up (even though I think I tried that in the past)
But I noticed on another forum post that the only NMEA strings that AGM needed was GGA, GSA & RMC.

I can sleep soundly again 🙂