GPS Receiver supplies several applications

  • Thread starter Thread starter J?rgen Stolz
  • Start date Start date
J

J?rgen Stolz

Hello together,

I´m new with the Compact Framework and I have the following problem. A
GPS receiver is attached to a PDA. Several application (2) should be
able to use the informations from the GPS receiver.

First I thougth I use DCOM but now I think there is no way to create a
DCOM server and now I have no second idea.

Could anyone give me an idea or better a short example how I should
start?

Kind regards
Jürgen
 
How about a simple "service" exe that broadcasts the GPS data periodically
via windows messages?
 
I'm not a GPS/prog specialist. I do own a gps that is connecting to my PDA
however and I think I remember seeing somewhere that it you can't open more
than one connection to your GPS receiver. Might be worth having a look at
that issue first .. it might just be that it's just my GPS that doesn't
allow multiple connections..

thought i'd let you know
 
I think this is possible. Do you have a short example for me?

Kind regards
Jürgen
 
J?rgen Stolz said:
Hello together,

I´m new with the Compact Framework and I have the following problem. A
GPS receiver is attached to a PDA. Several application (2) should be
able to use the informations from the GPS receiver.

First I thougth I use DCOM but now I think there is no way to create a
DCOM server and now I have no second idea.

Could anyone give me an idea or better a short example how I should
start?

Kind regards
Jürgen
Click to expand...

If you want to start setting up the connection with the GPS receiver I would
recommend you to use the CFSerialClass.dll
(http://www.hardandsoftware.net/). I used this dll for the same issues and
it was very useful to me.
But no matter if you are using a Bluetooth or a cable-connected GPS device
you can always only open ONE connection to this device.
 
Hi,

Are the "several separate" applications ones that you are to write, or are
they standard, "off-the-shelf" apps? If the second, then you would have to
use a virtual serial port. The only one that I know of is from Eltima
(www.eltima.com). I HAVE NOT used the PPC version of this device driver, so
I cannot assure you that it will work as you might desire. However, you can
download a demo version.

If you are writing all of the possible applications, then there are other
mechanisms that can be used. I have done several of these sorts of
things -- but you do have to have full control of the software development.

Dick

--
Richard Grier (Microsoft Visual Basic MVP)

See www.hardandsoftware.net for contact information.

Author of Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to Serial Communications, 3rd
Edition ISBN 1-890422-27-4 (391 pages) published February 2002.
 
Hi,

one of the applications I write myself. My problem is not to access the
GPS receiver or read the data. This works fine. I need a mechanism that
several apps can use the same GPS data. (like a DCOM Server)
It is clear that all apps uses the same interface (mechanism) in the
worsest case read the data from a file
(;-)).
One of the repliers above (Chris) pointed to a windows service to send
the data as broadcasts periodically
via windows messages. This seems to be a good idea. Chris do you have a
small example of such an service and how this broadcasts are defined?

Thanks to all repliers.

Jürgen
 
Hi,

Personally, I prefer to use Socket services for this, rather than Windows
messages. See the System.Net.Sockets namespace. There are examples online
for various communications systems that employ sockets.

This boils down to a matter of style. My approach is to use high-level
"things" as much as possible. Also, I prefer to use Web services for web
"thingies" and not for other, more proprietary, scenarios. I don't use
Windows messages, because these require a lower-level (read: more complex)
understanding of the Windows messaging system.

Dick

--
Richard Grier (Microsoft Visual Basic MVP)

See www.hardandsoftware.net for contact information.

Author of Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to Serial Communications, 3rd
Edition ISBN 1-890422-27-4 (391 pages) published February 2002.
 
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