GPS to Laptop connection for electronic chart plotting

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Colvic26

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I have a Garmin GPS 126, with a Garmin PC interface cable going to a 9-Pin connector and thence via an adaptor to a USB plug. I have set the Garmin intrface to None/NMEA (& also tried the other available options) but cannot get my laptop (running Windows XP) to find the signal output from the Garmin. Anyone had any experience of making this connection?

Cheers!
 
I have a 128, and it should be straightforwards.
Check your wiring, has it ever worked?

If it has worked in the past, check that your USB converter hasnt jumped to a different serial port number - this will happen if you plug it into a different USB port.

I think Blue is NMEA out - I can check later.
 
The PC connector I am using is a Garmin product - 1 plug into the GPS, 1 socket to connect the existing Garmin plug (which has just the live and neutral wires for 12V power actually conneected) The output is to the 9-pin connector. This was newly purchased last month so I have to assume that the connections are OK. (Assumptions will make an ASS of U and ME......!) Anyhow, being an electronics numskull, i had thought it would be a straightforward plug - in via the USB. Are there any changes to make in the laptop? Via Control Panel, the COM port appears to be recognised.
 
If you go to device manager, it will tell you what com port your USB dongle has chosen (and make sure that the software is set to that). Try one of the following delete the device, unplug it then plug it back in. Or unplug it and plug into a different port.
 
Does the USB/Serial port driver look as though its working OK? You should see the virtual serial port listed if you check the XP Device Manager. This'll give you the port number so you can configure the software you're using to read the GPS output. Apologies if this is way too simplistic and you've checked all this already.
 
I have the Garmin GPS48 & mine works fine. The only difference I can see is that I have the Interface set to NMEA/NMEA & 4800 Baud.

Martin
 
I had a similar problem with a Furuno GPS talking to my chart plotter...it ended up being the sentences...that was being sent from the GPS to the plotter...

There is some software that you can use to examine the sentence to see if it is correct
 
Thanks all for your responses, they have given me something to work with. While no success so far, I will keep pegging away.
 
using a usb port means you have to have driver software which will either have come to you on a disc or you will have to download.

once you have this on your lappy, go into settings>control panel>system>device manager and check that the driver is there and enabled. right click on the driver, select properties and check which port it is using, speeds etc

go into your plotter software and again check on ports and settings. make sure they are the same.

if the driver is from prolific, be prepared for some pratting around because windows will sometimes recognise the nmea sentences as a serial mouse and your cursoer will hop about the screen. if it does that, simply remove the usb connector , close down, re boot and re-connect in that order.
 
It is not just plug in and it works ...

You have to see what port the lead is installed by XP to and then go to config of your plotting software and set the same com port number ....

I assume you do have driver software for the serial to usb cable ?

Ignore all the bits about sentences etc. - as long as Garmin is set to NMEA and software is NMEA - default sentences etc. should be fine.

Stick to the simple bit of com port first ... then if not working we look at driver for cable .... etc.
 
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