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First sentence has outdated information. GpsGate is not a free software anymore. A 14-day trial is available, but has to be purchased afterwards (~40 EUR). See https://gpsgate.com/gpsgate-splitter A web search has not brought up any free alternatives, unfortunately.
Page URL: https://docs.qgis.org/3.34/en/docs/user_manual/working_with_gps/live_GPS_tracking.html#ms-windows
Thanks for the information @klainkaliber This part of the docs was written many years ago. As you seem to have configuration for testing, do you know if we even still need to use GPSGate? Afaiu QGIS docs, GPSGate helps identifying the device. Can QGIS do that without using the app? Just by plugging and checking in the Options?
My setup is this: we have a GNSS connected to a Windows laptop using a USB-to-Serial adapter. GNSS delivers an NMEA stream with 9600/8/n/1/no which is imho the most common configuration. We have only NMEA RMC sentence enabled. I do not have experience with gpsd.
We select the COM manually, using Auto connect results in a connection that constantly delivers 0, 0 as coordinates (although the COM delivers correct NMEA streams when I look with Putty). In the GPS-Panel, it takes repeated hitting on connect, before a connction is established (~5 - 10 times) while we get error messages on "time out". Did not found out why these repetition is necessary. Maybe because different baud rates are tried? When a connection finally is established, it works the whole day flawlessly.
So you definitely do not need GPSGate.
I have not looked into the source how QGIS manages the Auto Connect - it should iterate COM ports and maybe baud rates - but this gives no results on my setup. Data bit, parity, stop bit and flow control are the other parameters to configure the COM port, but they are "always" 8/N/1/no (at least I have not seen any different on GNSS devices the last 20 years). However there is no way to manually set them in QGIS. At least a different baud rate is not really exotic.
The main use case for GPSGate Splitter is when you want to fuel two (or more) different apps with just the same GNSS source. Then GPSGate duplicates the input COM port as the COM port cannot be accessed by more than one app at once.
Moreover, the documentation of the GPS panel is lacking information which NMEA sentence has to be transmitted so that the signal tab of the GPS panel shows the bars. IIRC it is "GSV" http://www.nmea.de/nmea0183datensaetze.html#gsv
Sorry for the long reply.
Sorry for the long reply.
Don't. For someone that has almost zero experience with GNSS, it is quite instructive.
Moreover, the documentation of the GPS panel is lacking information which NMEA sentence has to be transmitted so that the signal tab of the GPS panel shows the bars. IIRC it is "GSV"
We welcome updates and fixes. I tried to update this chapter based on elements I could grab from pull requests and my own testing of the GUI (wihout adequate material). So if someone that has actual experience wants to improve, "YES, WELCOME! It is one click top right of the HTML page."
However there is no way to manually set them in QGIS. At least a different baud rate is not really exotic.
Isn't the baud rate issue covered now by https://qgis.org/en/site/forusers/visualchangelog336/index.html#feature-serial-port-sensor-baudrate-selection ?
In the GPS-Panel, it takes repeated hitting on connect, before a connction is established (~5 - 10 times) while we get error messages on "time out". Did not found out why these repetition is necessary. Maybe because different baud rates are tried?
Worth asking on developer list or opening an issue report?
The main use case for GPSGate Splitter is when you want to fuel two (or more) different apps with just the same GNSS source. Then GPSGate duplicates the input COM port as the COM port cannot be accessed by more than one app at once.
But this is not really an issue/a topic of QGIS documentation, right?
Sorry for the long reply.
Don't. For someone that has almost zero experience with GNSS, it is quite instructive.
Moreover, the documentation of the GPS panel is lacking information which NMEA sentence has to be transmitted so that the signal tab of the GPS panel shows the bars. IIRC it is "GSV"
We welcome updates and fixes. I tried to update this chapter based on elements I could grab from pull requests and my own testing of the GUI (wihout adequate material). So if someone that has actual experience wants to improve, "YES, WELCOME! It is one click top right of the HTML page."
Sure! I try a few thing and come back then. The recent rework of the GPS panel has already made the functionality much more intuitive and documentation also improved much. I see the challenge to write the docs OS agnostic. This is fine art! Just from my Windows point-of-view: Blutooth GPS devices are usually working the same way as wired ones, it is just a virtual COM port that is used instead of a physical one. NMEA data stream stays the same. I guess it is just Garmin that has still proprietary protocols.
However there is no way to manually set them in QGIS. At least a different baud rate is not really exotic.
Isn't the baud rate issue covered now by https://qgis.org/en/site/forusers/visualchangelog336/index.html#feature-serial-port-sensor-baudrate-selection ?
I saw this, but we are still on 3.34 - but I will definitely try it out. There has to be already some automagic though as after some attempts 9600 Baud work.
In the GPS-Panel, it takes repeated hitting on connect, before a connction is established (~5 - 10 times) while we get error messages on "time out". Did not found out why these repetition is necessary. Maybe because different baud rates are tried?
Worth asking on developer list or opening an issue report?
I have a second/third device I would try before, let's see together with 3.36 if this changes.
The main use case for GPSGate Splitter is when you want to fuel two (or more) different apps with just the same GNSS source. Then GPSGate duplicates the input COM port as the COM port cannot be accessed by more than one app at once.
But this is not really an issue/a topic of QGIS documentation, right?
I agree.
I recently had time to look more into the GPS connection and behaviour - it turns out that using a different serial-to-usb-driver, the connection instantly works and is stable. How strange ...
As mentioned, I played around with the NMEA sentences. To see both
and (this is currently not covered in the docs)
the NMEA sentence "GSV" has to be submitted by the GNSS device. http://www.nmea.de/nmea0183datensaetze.html#gsv This is also necessary to see the number of Satellites ("16 used (22 in view)") on the GPS information panel (see below).
To see the different accuracies (highligthed in red)
the NMEA sentence "GST" has to be submitted by the GNSS device http://www.nmea.de/nmea0183datensaetze.html#gst
I also add a complete GPS information panel screenshot:
IMHO, the whole chapter 24.2.4. is - although the content is not wrong at all - outdated and of litte use, as the devices may not be available anymore.
My original comment is still valid - no additional software is needed under Windows to connect - only a serial port.