Open CPN GPS Problem

Norman_E

Norman_E

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I have Open CPN working perfectly with a U-blox 7 GPS USB dongle on my Linux boat PC.

I have just installed on a Windows 10 PC and cannot get a fix. Windows 10 installs the U-blox GPS but I cannot get Open CPN to connect to it. I remember something about Windows 10 needing some legacy software installing to make it accept COM port connections. Anyone know what to install or where to find it? I really don't know why I am still fiddling with Windows when Linux works so well.
 
Go to 'Device Manager' and check which COM port its using, put that into OpenCPN connections.

Works fine for me on windows 10
 
mersey said:
Go to 'Device Manager' and check which COM port its using, put that into OpenCPN connections.

Works fine for me on windows 10
Click to expand...

Tried that. Device manager set to view devices by connection just shows it as connected to USB. In U-blox software I have it connected to COM4 which is the only one available. I do remember having to download some software before when trying to get a COM port to work in Windows 10.
 
So if you download putty/terminal emulator of your choice, and connect to COM4 serial 4800 , 8N1

1. can you connect?
2. do you see the NMEA 0183 messages?
 
The problem is that W10 now treats the GPS as a "sensor" and installs a driver that doesn't communicate through a virtual COM port - you can check that in device manager.. And even if you revert the driver, it will get replaced by the next major update:(

If you go to the u-blox site here you should be able to find a driver compatible with your device. Keep a copy of it for when W10 wipes it out again!
 
Last edited:
Thank you Hoolie, That is the problem, I downloaded and installed the U-blox virtual COM port driver and all is well. I took your tip and saved a copy. Amazing how my Elementary Linux system on the boat computer needed no fiddling to get it working.
 
Hoolie said:
The problem is that W10 now treats the GPS as a "sensor" and installs a driver that doesn't communicate through a virtual COM port - you can check that in device manager.. And even if you revert the driver, it will get replaced by the next major update:(

If you go to the u-blox site here you should be able to find a driver compatible with your device. Keep a copy of it for when W10 wipes it out again!
Click to expand...

Thanks for that Hoolie! Found your post just after I ordered a win10 compliant puck. Ah well, another spare to carry.
 
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