Juno SC ArcPad 8 GPS Contoler Settings...

[MichaelHamrick]

I've followed the directions through this thread with limited success...

http://forums.esri.com/Thread.asp?c=34&f=2465&t=297867#950121

I have a custom application that I'm trying to deploy for an inventory project. Some days it works, and some days it doesn't. This is very frustrating, and I can't seem to find any information relevant to the settings that I need in each respective software group (GPS Controller, ArcPad, etc.). When I set the NEMA output in GPS Controller everything seems correct, although I'm a little confused as to which port I should be sending the output to. Comm4: GPS is not listed...

It seems to work one day, and then not the next. Sometimes it works one hour and not the next...What are the settings supposed to be in the NEMA output dialog?

I'm using a Juno SC.
OS Version:v5.02
Firmware Version:v2.2
GPS Firmware Version:3.2.5.0.1

GPS Contoller Version 2.22

ArcPad 8.0 with GPS Correct Version 3.00


My application opens as it should, but I get the following errors:

on start up: "Microsoft SQL Server Compact Edition initalization error 80040154. ArcPad will operate with some functionality disabled."

on activate gps: "No data is being received from your GPS receiver. Check cables and configuration options."



Anyway, if anyone could lend some insight into what these settings should be it would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Michael Hamrick


I've also uninstalled and re-installed the software.

[ZoltanKovacs1]

Hi Michael,

I have some tips to solve the problem.

At first, you don't have to configure any NMEA port in GPS Controller. (That's for other applications on older devices, or to output coordinates, but not for AP). So I rather uninstall this app and reset the device. Sometimes GPS Controller's and GPScorrect's settings can mix up the device...
Anyway, using AP+GPScorrect you don't have to set up any GPS port settings, because GPScontroller automatically does it when you press Activate GPS in ArcPad. It recognises your device and knows which port to open and protocol to use. (See Juno's User Guide, page 61.)

You use GPScorrect to be able to use real-time corrections and log data for post-processing, don't you? So why should you use NMEA protocol instead of TSIP? When you use NMEA protocol, you're unable to receive any real-time corrections within AP or to log for post-processing... (However, you can log corrected data using NMEA, BUT only if your receiver corrects data internally and output these corrected data via NMEA to your application...Hope it's not confusing :D)

Anyway, if you use ArcPad without GPScorrect, the correct settings on GPS tab: COM4 @ 4800 baud. You don't have to use GPS Controller to configure, because it is preconfigured on Juno!
(On older devices GPS Controller automatically removed itself when another controller sw was installed. Trimble should've kept this funcionality on newer devices...)

And another trick - just to totally mix you up 😉 -, you can use the FindGPS command (black spy-glass icon) on GPS tab to automatically search for GPS and to configure settings.

To the SQL Server Compact Edt error: It's because you didn't installed/deployed this application to the device in conjunction with AP. (It's not compulsory, but you need this to use advanced functionality of AXF files, like related tables, and so...)

Hope this helps.

[MichaelHamrick]

Thanks for the response Opierreo. I resolved all of the issues (in one way or another) you mentioned. I thought I had everything set up right, I just couldn't explain why the device wouldn't 'connect.' The receiver is working now. Although, sometimes it takes over 30 minutes to get a location fix.

[ZoltanKovacs1]

Hi,

No worries 😄
Anyway, 30 minutes sounds terrible, if you are located on a place with clear view to the sky...
Try to reset (soft/hard) your device. You should get a fix in 2 mins at last under clear view.
If resets don't solve 30 min problem, check if there's any op. sys update for Juno and install it. You can try Reset to factory defaults too (see your Juno guide how to perform.)

Another tip to check if everything is doing well in AP - using GPS -, open GPS debug window. In this, you should see all the messages your receiver sent to your AP. If the content is green, everything is okay. If red, there's something wrong (can't see 4 or more satellites, etc.). If there's nothing in the window after a while, that's definitely a connection problem...

Cheers,

Zoltan

[MichaelHamrick]

That's very interesting. This conversation is almost exactly like the one I had with manufacturers trying to resolve my issues with this unit. Long story short, I thought it was a hardware problem so I sent the receiver in to be tested. There was nothing wrong with the hardware. The software tech support wouldn't discuss because of the customizations. I've been testing this in a large parking lot. The debug screen is always blank. Even with a fix.

The inconsistency of everything is what gets me. Sometimes it fires right up, and sometimes it takes near an hour to fix a position. Sometimes it gets a position inside my office, and sometimes it drops the fix every three steps in an open parking lot.

Anyway, thanks again for your responses. This is my first go with AP. I appreciate the insight.

Cheers,
MH

[ZoltanKovacs1]

Hi again,

Alright 🙂 Anyway, GPS Debug window might be blank if you use GPScorrect - I haven't checked it for donkey's years.
One thing you can check/test - depends on when you bought your GPScorrect (and with what SW maintenance):
If you have a Software Maintenance Extension valid on or after 1 Dec 2009, you are entitled to v3.10. Use your existing installation code to install v3.10. Give it a try if you entitled. I have no further idea.
However, if you use a custom tool/customized application, but GPScorrect handles the connection with GPS - and there's no any customisation/trick in your app with GPS -, there shouldn't be any problem with it... I experienced the same  - no fix - problem, but with an older version (maybe 2.x ?). I reset & updated GPScorrect and fortunately it solved the problem.

For last resort, you can always try factory reset and a clean install to see if there was something sticked in registry...

Zoltan

[NicholasLeete]

in case anyone else sees this thread, one problem i had while following the Mikeyboat's original instructions,  was that it kept saying a competing application was using the com7 port when i tried to use arcpad. 
I eventually figured out that though GPS controller is necessary for the NMEA output, if it's connected, it won't give that NMEA output to arcpad, so you have to actually close GPSController for arcpad to see the sattelites.  or at least, that's what got it to work for me.