Ed Henderson wrote in news:12a5n1g4svc5o38
@corp.supernews.com:

Anyone out there know how to make a program like Excel (or whatever)
capture NEMA data from the GPS and put it into a spreadsheet or
database. What I'm trying to do is set up some kind of an auto ship's
log so that when I'm sailing the GPS will create a log for me every 15
min or 30 min or whatever. My old Nobletec nav program had that
capability but I've recently switched to Fugawi and I don't get a log
book from it. My GPS currently imputs info to my laptop and Fugawi, I
just haven't figured out if that info can be captured along the way and
utilized by another program to accomplish what I'm trying to do.
Ed


Turn off your nav software in the computer and boot up Window's dumb
terminal program, Hyperterminal. You access it from START - Programs -
Accessories - Communications and you'll find it in that group.

Once it boots, a popup window opens. Type in NMEA DATA WINDOW so it will
create a new connection for you. Another popup "Connect To" opens up.
Click the pick arrow under "Connect using" and pick your COM port. I
only show COM3 on my computer. When you pick it everything else will
grey out. Click OK and yet another window opens so you can configure the
Port Settings for the com port. You need to know what your NMEA network
is running at, probably 4800 baud, 8 bits, NONE parity, 1 stop bit and
Hardware flow control (which doesn't matter for this). If it prints
jibberish, try a different port speed until it starts printing NMEA
statements one on a line later on.

Click OK to save the settings.

To start reading the NMEA data, just click the little telephone to
"connect" to the port. NMEA data will pour in, probably faster than
you'll ever read. If you click TRANSFER then CAPTURE TEXT you can store
data to a disk file for playing with it later....putting it into your log
as you like.

It's crude but it works. It also lets you see the stupid errors some of
the equipment makes trying to have more than one talker online trashing
the data.....test equipment!