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Cole Maze

"Larry" wrote in message
...
wrote in news:efe8693b-38f6-4f1b-a0c1-
:

I am running an XP comp. When underway, I use winlink
connections to
give position report, but when I am running my Navigation
program
(Cap'n 6.1), the GPS data is unavailable to airmail to get
position,
course and speed info. Is ther ea way to have the GPS feed
more than
one com port so that I can do this without closing the nav
program to
make GPS (or it's com port) visible to airmail? TIA Larry

Unfortunately, for you, both Winlink and Cap'n are rather stupid
programs that cannot share data coming from what both programs
THINK is an old RS-232C serial port, simultaneously. So, only
one program can read the port at a time.

Now there IS a solution! Connect up a SECOND serial port input
from the same GPS data stream the first one is using. Only
connect up the two serial INPUT pins, not output. Airmail only
needs data IN, and doesn't need data out to get GPS information.

As I suspect your computer is using USB ports disguised as serial
ports with converter cables, use two cables to prevent the stupid
softwares from confusing it. Name each pseudo-serial port with a
different com port number...say COM1 and COM2. Hook Cap'n to one
of them...Hook Winlink to the other. Don't tell them they're
wired together and they'll never know...(c;

Too bad marine software is still in the 1980s...RS-232C computers
and RS-422 data networks. How silly.

Not silly. Proven and reliable technology. That's what we want in a marine
environment.
Don't confuse MS windows comport stuff with EIA and CCITT industry
standards.
Cole.