GPS for Dummies.pdf - Engineering Surveyor

Chapter 9: Interfacing a GPS Receiver to a Computer163 GPS manufacturer software: The commercial mapping programs thatGPS receiver manufacturers sell can all upload and download waypoints,routes, and tracks as well as upload maps to certain models of their GPSreceivers. (Using GPS manufacturer software packages and their featuresis presented in Chapter 10.)GPS receivers that display maps work only with proprietary maps providedby the manufacturer. You can’t upload maps from third-party mappingprograms into your receiver. Sometimes GPS novices believe thatthey can load maps from DeLorme, Maptech, National Geographic, orother mapping companies directly into their GPS receiver. You can’t. Third-party mapping software: Most third-party, commercial map programscan also upload and download waypoints, routes, and tracks —they just can’t upload a digital map that appears on your PC. This is anessential feature so you can overlay GPS data on a digital map to seewhere you’ve been or plan a trip with the mapping software and thenupload waypoints and routes from your computer to a GPS receiver. GPS utilities: Software programs used to interface GPS receivers to computersare utility programs designed specifically to download and uploadwaypoints, routes, tracks, and other information. These programs areusually freeware or shareware and have a number of useful features.GPS receiver interface programs tend to work the same way, although theyhave different menus, dialog boxes, commands, and appearances.When you transfer data between your GPS receiver and PC, you’ll either be Capturing current location coordinates to use with a real-time mappingprogram you have running on your laptop (or PDA). As you move, yourlocation appears on the map. Downloading or uploading waypoints, routes, tracks, or map data.The process to complete both of these tasks is the same. (If you have a GPSreceiver with a memory card, you don’t need a cable to download or uploadwaypoints, routes, tracks, or map data because you’ll be using the memorycard and a card reader to do this. However, you’ll still need a cable to captureyour current location to use with a real-time mapping program.) Take a lookat the general steps involved in transferring data with a cable:1. Connect the PC interface cable to your computer and to your GPSreceiver.2. Turn on your GPS receiver.The GPS receiver doesn’t need to have a satellite fix to transfer dataunless you’re using the receiver with a mapping program that’s plottingyour current location.3. Run the interface program.