GPS/DirectPack Settings Files
To use a GPS/DirectPack from within the Geographic Tracker specify the name of the GPS/DirectPack settings file ( *.gdp ) after selecting "Configure Connection..." from within the "Options" menu. A GPS/DirectPack settings file contains settings required to link the Geographic Tracker directly to another Windows application.
The following GPS/DirectPack setting files are included within this release of the Geographic Tracker:
mapinfo.gdp - Direct link to MapInfo Version 4.0. Please refer to the on-line User's Guide for the MapInfo GPS/DirectPack for instructions regarding using the Geographic Tracker with MapInfo.
You can create your own GPS/DirectPack settings file to create a custom link to your specific application.
The following is a sample GPS/DirectPack setting file:
[Settings]
Server=GeoView
Topic=BMG
Message=map mark point 0 "LON" "LAT"
Notice that a GPS/DirectPack settings file is in the standard Windows initialization file format. The "Server" item should specify the DDE application name of the destination application. The "Topic" item should specify the DDE topic specifier the destination application. The "Message" item should specify the DDE execute command that the Geographic Tracker will automatically send to your destination application at each specified update interval
Within the Message item "LAT" and "LON" are special reserved key words that must be specified within quotation marks. Before the message is sent from the Geographic Tracker to your destination application the current valid latitude and longitude will be inserted into the message, replacing the "LAT" and "LON" key words.
For example, if the current valid latitude and longitude values are 45.5, -69.75 the message above would be sent to the destination application as:
map mark point 0 -69.75 45.5
UPDATE is also a special reserved key word as a complete Message. If you specify UPDATE as the complete message item the Geographic Tracker will send a robust message containing many GPS parameters.
If you only want the special UPDATE message sent to your destination application please specify "UPDATE" (without quotes) as the Message item.
The following is sample GPS/DirectPack setting file using the special UPDATE message:
[Settings]
Server=MapInfo
Topic=GeoTrack.mbx
Message=UPDATE
The special UPDATE message has the following format:
UPDATE VER,LAT,LON,GEOIDHT,ELLIPHT,SPEED,HEADING,PDOP,TIME,DEPTH,
The fields within the UPDATE message represent:
VER - a version number, currently 2.
LAT - current latitude.
LON - current latitude.
GEOIDHT - current geoid height, units as per preferences settings.
ELLIPHT - current ellipsoid height, units as per preferences settings.
SPEED - current speed, units as per preferences settings.
HEADING - current heading, true or magnetic as per preferences settings.
PDOP - current PDOP.
TIME - the number of seconds since Midnight.
DEPTH - the current water depth in meters. This variable is only output if the NMEA 0183 message type is selected and a serial port multiplexor is used to interface to output from a depth sounder.
Notice that the fields are comma delimited. An empty fields indicates an invalid parameter at the time of update.
If you only want the special UPDATE message sent to your destination application please specify UPDATE as the Message item.
As well as sending UPDATE or custom DDE execute commands to your application, The Geographic Tracker application also sends other commands that inform your application of user operations within the Geographic Tracker. This capability affords a high level of customization of the integration between a destination application and the Geographic Tracker.
Supported DDE Execute commands include:
Off - sent when the GPS communications is turned off.
Live - sent when the GPS communications are put in Live mode.
Playing - sent when the GPS communications are put in Simulated GPS Data mode.
Pause - sent when the playing of a GPS simulation file is paused.
Forward - sent when the playing of a GPS simulation file is resumed.