Chapter 6 — Hacking the Firmware 145

Magellan

Here are the recovery instructions for a nonfunctional Magellan Meridian or Map 330:

1.If your GPS unit is stuck in a “locked up” state, power it down by holding down MARK/GOTO and the Esc key and then press Enter. This will power down the unit.

2.Start the unit up in Software Upload Mode by holding down MARK/GOTO and the Esc key and press POWER. The GPS receiver should now power up with a “software upload mode active” message on the screen.

3.Run the update software (magup.exe). Select NO at the dialog box, click Expert, and make sure that the Expert Upload setting is checked. In addition, make sure MAP 330/Meridian is selected (not Meridian GPS) as the Unit Type and click OK.

4.Select the firmware file by clicking File Select Code File.

5.Click Upload OK. Make sure that Program Code and Base Map is checked. Also check Upload File.

Summary

This chapter explained how you can update the firmware on your GPS unit, thereby giving you access to bug fixes and updated features made available by the manufacturers.

You also learned several customizations that you can make to the firmware for various GPS units on the market. These customizations can be really handy because they enable you to control what happens when your GPS is switched on and what is displayed on the screen during use.

We looked at a handful of steps that you can take to reduce the chances of things going wrong during a software update. If you take care and prepare before carrying out an update, you should find that things go smoothly.

You also learned what you can do if things do go wrong — a rare event but one you should prepare for nonetheless.

Making

Connections

In this chapter, you will learn how you can connect your GPS receiver to various devices to make use of the data transfer facility. You’ll first look at the different ways that receivers connect to devices, and then examine

how to troubleshoot problems.

The PC — GPS Relationship

Most GPS receivers are self-contained and require no external device or data processor of any kind. The Garmin eTrex (see Figure 7-1) is a good example of a device that incorporates data processing, mapping, waypoint management, and more into a single, portable device.

Other GPS units are purely receivers that need a PC or handheld device to process the data received and to display it. Figure 7-2 shows the Bluetooth receiver from Haicom (www.haicom.tw).

These types of receiver-only GPS devices require an external device to connect to, either through a wired or wireless connection, and as such the connection methods are usually better documented than they are for other devices (although this is not always the case).

In this chapter, we will examine how GPS receivers are connected to PCs and other devices and how you can troubleshoot problems that you are likely to come across.

Unless you have a receiver-only GPS device, you are not required to connect the GPS to any device — but there are a lot of compelling reasons to do so.

chapter

in this chapter

˛Looking at the PC — GPS relationship

˛Serial connections

˛USB connections

˛Wireless connections

˛Troubleshooting connections

˛Common connection issues

148 Part II — Software Hacks

FIGURE 7-1: Most GPS receivers incorporate a way to manage the data that they hold.

FIGURE 7-2: The Haicom HI-401 foldable GPS receiver and a Haicom Bluetooth connecting slipper

Chapter 7 — Making Connections 149

The most common device to which GPS users want to connect their device is a home PC. The following list describes some of the reasons why you should make an effort to connect your GPS receiver to a PC:

You can transfer data (for example, waypoints) much faster than entering it into the device via the input systems offered by most GPS receivers. Figure 7-3 shows the waypoint input screen for the Garmin eTrex.

Transferring data digitally to your GPS reduces the risk of errors and mistakes, especially in transcribing coordinates.

Remember that it’s always a good idea to know how to enter data manually into your GPS because you might need to do this while you’re out. Read the user manual and know how to use your receiver.

With a connection between your GPS and PC, you can take data off your device and analyze it on the PC. The most common way to do this is to download the track and overlay it on a digital map.

Without a connection between the two devices, you won’t be able to update the software on your GPS to the latest versions.

FIGURE 7-3: Waypoint input screen on a Garmin eTrex

As you can see, there are many good reasons to take advantage of a GPS-PC connection. In Chapter 2, we looked in detail at how to make cables for a variety of GPS devices. My advice to you at this stage is if you don’t have a cable, make one. If you don’t want to make a cable, then get one. Either way, the benefits of having such a cable will far outweigh the time it takes to make one or the cost of purchasing one. If possible, and if you have more than one PC (a desktop and a laptop, for example) or if you have more than one GPS, you should make or get more than one cable. A good cable setup is as follows:

A plain data cable for the desktop PC

A combo data/power cable for laptop PC