Com port confusion

[bitbaltic]

I'd like to be able to run two nav applications (Meridian's Seatrak and Polar Navy) simultaneously on my boat laptop, with (at least) GPS and (ideally) AIS data fed to each. Naiively I had assumed that would be as simple as booting both up while the AIS and GPS feed is coming into the laptop from the two respective USB ports which the hardware is connected to and their derived/virtual COM ports (COM4 for GPS and COM5 for AIS). Of course it isn't that simple, because it seems that only one application at a time can listen to any given COM port, and I am sure this is something I should have known. But of course I didn't.

Do the panel know of some sort of virtual COM port duplicator/splitter software? I found this: http://www.curioustech.net/xport.html linked from an old thread, which looks like it might work for at least the GPS port.

All suggestions gratefully received. I hate computers. When will these gales stop so I can go sailing instead of dreaming up projects!

Cheers

 

[rogerthebodger]

Have a look at Navmonpc. This will allow you to distribute the incoming AIS and GPS signals to your 2 separate nav applications.

 

[yotter]

Have a look at Navmonpc. This will allow you to distribute the incoming AIS and GPS signals to your 2 separate nav applications.

I also use Navmonpc, but could not get the sharing of virtual com ports to work for me, wish I could! So, I used a rather inelegant method. I split the NMEA0183 input into 2 sets of serial leads and fed both feeds to a dual serial to USB convertor (Startech), this only uses a single USB port on the PC, put provides 2 com ports (the advantage with the Startech make was that is also uses com port retention, so less fiddling to get it to work, which is always a bonus

http://uk.startech.com/Cards-Adapte...o-RS-232-2-Port-Serial-DB9-Adapter~ICUSB232C2

Angus

 

[RichardS]

Have a look at Navmonpc. This will allow you to distribute the incoming AIS and GPS signals to your 2 separate nav applications.

Navmonpc worked for me when I needed virtual com ports.

Richard

 

[bitbaltic]

Thanks chaps. Will give Navmonpc a whirl. Hope it works as the alternative sounds a nightmare!

Cheers

 

[Fantasie 19]

I'd like to be able to run two nav applications (Meridian's Seatrak and Polar Navy) simultaneously on my boat laptop, with (at least) GPS and (ideally) AIS data fed to each. Naiively I had assumed that would be as simple as booting both up while the AIS and GPS feed is coming into the laptop from the two respective USB ports which the hardware is connected to and their derived/virtual COM ports (COM4 for GPS and COM5 for AIS). Of course it isn't that simple, because it seems that only one application at a time can listen to any given COM port, and I am sure this is something I should have known. But of course I didn't.

Do the panel know of some sort of virtual COM port duplicator/splitter software? I found this: http://whttp://www.curioustech.net/xport.html linked from an old thread, which looks like it might work for at least the GPS port.

All suggestions gratefully received. I hate computers. When will these gales stop so I can go sailing instead of dreaming up projects!

Cheers

I used XPORT... did what it said on the tin...

http://fantasie19papillon.blogspot.com/2012/04/cheap-plotter-update.html