A USB dongle is also used for C-Map charts to protect the charts from being
used in more than one place at a time.

I use C-Map charts with 'Software on board' PC based plotter software from
Digiboat.

SOB is free but you need the charts to be able to use it effectively. The
latest version includes AIS,ARPA and Radar displays.

Derek Adams

"Jack Erbes" wrote in message
...
TheJouster wrote:

Can someone explain a dongle to me. Does it come with Nobeltec Admiral 7
or does it come with the charts. I'm not exactly sure what the dongle is
protecting?

It is a piece of hardware that prevents the software from being used in
more than one place at a time. It would normally go on a printer port
(they may have them for USB by now) and the program reads a key off of an
IC attached to the dongle port to verify the presence of the dongle before
it will allow the program to run or maybe do anything meaningful.

If I remember right the dongle unlocked Admiral 7 and the charts had
numerical unlock keys that you had to get either by phone or online.

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)