Magellan 400 & Nobeltec all USB ???

[Overspendin]

I recently purchased a new laptop with no serial ports, just USB's, I also have a Magellan 400, which also is USB.
Is there any way of getting my Nobeltec v.7 to read my GPS.
I've been playing with it for a few hours, I can get Nobeltec to see that there is a GPS present, but I can't get it to communicate.

[yotphix]

No offense but did you configure the baud rate etc. as per the manual in the gps? Is Nobeltec seeing the GPS but not getting position info from it? In my experience with garmin/nobeltec via serial-usb convertor when it sees the GPS it talks to it. Also, is does the gps have something to send? I mean does it have reception and give a position? Again, no offense if these suggestions are too obvious.

[Overspendin]

No offence taken.
As far as I can tell, the Magellan is sending at 4800 baud and Nobeltec is set up to recieve at 4800.
The documentation supplied with the Magellan was superficial at best, and there doesn't appear to be a way to easily confirm the data transfer rate that the Magellan is sending.
The Magellan unit is very user friendly (if you use it for what it was designed for).
The Nobeltec software on the other hand seems very antiquated in that they didn't anticipate newer gps devices utilizing USB interfaces.

[yotphix]

I see what you mean about the documentation. I just checked out the manual online. I do know that the nobeltec folks are pretty good with customer service and would suggest giving them a call. I didn't see any thing on the Magellan site regarding output to third party nav software but they have probly been asked that one before too. Sorry but I'm not much help to you on this one. Good luck and let us know what you discover.

[sailingdog]

Did you install the software drivers that come with the Magellan. If not, then there's your problem. BTW, most USB GPS's don't run at 4800 baud, unless they're configured in software to emulate an NMEA 0183 connection. This would wipe out most of benefits of using a USB port, which is capable of much higher speeds—480 Mbps theoretical for USB 2.0.

Many USB devices setup a virtual com port, so it would probably help if you knew if the Magellan did that and what com port number it had chosen.

Yotphix— He isn't using a USB-serial converter from what I can see. The GPS is a straight USB device, so the USB-Serial converter advice you've given may be totally unnecessary and way off base.

[Overspendin]

Thanks guys, problem still not solved, and yes the drivers are installed.
I can get info. to and from the GPS within the Magellan software, just not within Nobeltec.
I'll dive back into it today, but I can't be the only person who has run into this.
If anybody has more ideas, I'm all ears.
Thanks again.

[sailingdog]

can the magellan drivers emulate an older serially connected nmea 0183 gps?? if not, and the nobeltec software doesn't specifically say it supports the magellan unit, you're probably sol.

[Overspendin]

Don't know yet about the Magellan driver emulation, but the Nobeltec support site says its compatible with all Magellan devices.

[sailingdog]

Nobeltec's site says that it supports all GPS units that support the NMEA 0183 data protocol. Nowhere on the site does it say it supports all Magellan units for real-time GPS data.

Many of the USB only units do not support NMEA 0183 data protocols. This is probably the case with your Magellan unit and is also true of the Garmin low end units that are USB only. The support page, located here, clearly states that the GPS units must use NMEA 0183 and be connected via a COM Port, whether the COM port is a physical one or a USB-based one, via emulation in the driver doesn't matter. A straight USB-based device will not work with Nobeltec.

[Overspendin]

Thanks Sailingdog, you are clearly more up to speed on all of this than me.
Looks like I'll be returning the Magellan.