Re: [NTLK] Newton GPS prob: "GPS: 0" -----

From: DJ Vollkasko (DJ_Vollkasko_at_gmx.net)
Date: Thu May 05 2005 - 10:42:36 PDT


Subject: Re: [NTLK] Newton GPS prob: "GPS: 0" -----
From: Adriano <adriano.angelillis () gmail ! com>
Date: 2005-05-05 16:19:13

>Il giorno 05/mag/05, alle 17:37, RAParker ha scritto:
>
>On Thursday, May 5, 2005, at 08:27 AM, RAParker wrote:
>
>> but give this a try: Use the GPS mouse antenna without it and
>> have the antenna already powered up when you launch GPS Map.
>
>or...isn't there a way to turn on NewtNav first, using the sound
>control?
>
>Hi Ron,
>
>GPSmap app will "push" the power to the AQ-300 when starting-up.
>The author made this option automatic for a specific reason, so there
>is no way for locking-off the power, sorry.
>Although so, following your idea (as in your previous mail) a solution
>could be powering the AQ-300 before opening GPSmap:
> - start a recording session, pause it and start GPSmap.
>[As i never tried this before, i don't know which could be the results,
>the same as i think that bad things could happen to the GPS if powered
>before opening GPSmap...]

I have done this just now:

1. in Unfiled/Prefs/Recording, switch to Line-in (there's also
somewhere a nice hack to to this from Button-bar, I think).
2. in Notes, open new Recording, start audio recording, pause recording
(else you'll create a huge recording of nothing, until all free storage
is used up and the Newton gets a hiccup from that). GPS: LED lights up,
acquires fix (LED starts flashing).
3. Start GPS Map:
3.1 "Waiting for GPS Data!"
3.2 "GPS: n/a" (LED still flashing...)
-- aborted test after a few minutes w/o any change (besides message
that the recording had filled up the storage on my Newt). Brilliant
idea, well worth the attempt, thanks for thinking about my prob, but no
success.

Observation: I got "GPS: n/a", which means the app didn't get to see
the GPS receiver at all. When I'd sent the Newton to sleep and woke it
up again, I got a popup telling me "Device in use by another
application".
Interpretation: The recording apparently "grabs" the serial input, and
GPS Map doesn't get to read it. Or what do you make of it?

The current problem just has to be the too-many-sentences,
too-short-intervall prob, check the GPS Map-FAQ
http://tools.unna.org/wikiwikinewt/index.php/GPSMap which I've started
yesterday. But what really frustrates me is that Adriano didn't use ANY
Init string, and got it working two weeks ago -- the very same
receiver, just on his own Newton! With exactly the same settings!
Arrrgh! Rats! ;=}

>I succefully tested NewtNav on a freshly installed GPSmapLite:
> - after choosing the NMEA driver option and restarting the app (for
>having a forced NMEA driver loading), the AQ-300 started receiving
>succefully from the clear sky. 5 satellites in 1 minutes. [The maximum
>number of satellites accepted by the AQ-300 is 12, but i do not think
>there are so much satellites passing up here]

And that was with the very same AQ-300 I have right now in front of me!
And the same settings! Rats!

>So my question is:
>could the problem be related to a corrupted soup or preference, or to a
>lack a memory heap?

How can I found out which soup or pref is corrupted? Or if I want to
delete all related packages and reinstall -- how can I find all soups
and stuff so I can eliminate them?

>When i read that the Teletype app crashed, i was a bit amazed,
>cause i have never had a single application-crash in NewtonOS,
>(when/if everything was freshly installed and fully compatible with OS
>2.1)

I had some strange observations before, e.g. my Newton is the only one
in the whole multiverse where Eckhart's SmallExtras doesn't work.

TeleType GPS didn't totally crash, though. Just the Monitor crashed,
reporting the error I'd mentioned last week. Then I could still switch
to other screens in the application and even close the application
nicely. I think the Monitor just stalls, because it has a case of GPS
overload... Less sentences, more seldom, that should fic that, too (but
at least TeleType GPS DOES get a position fix!).

>On my own experience, modifing a app preferences frequently
>(i.e. frequently changing the paired devices directory in Blunt)
>i had to delete any file related to the app and re-install everything
>for having things again in a working state.

Haven't matched this to some funny behaviour before... And in our case
here, it concers two applications who are not so happy. So I think as
they don't share any soups and prefs (I guess), that's not very likely
to be the cause, no? But then, the receiver worked for Adriano...
Arrrrrgh! Rats!

Is there a way to log on to such a device on Newton's serial via
terminal and configure it? Like, dunno, telnet to it or something?
Maybe the GPS can be configured this way...? What could I try?

D.

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