But what I really need to learn at the moment is how the devices like TomTom 
and Garmen function? I don't have one obviously so is there a hardware forum 
for Microsoft devs? Do they run using batteries? Which protocol is used if 
they can communicate with the vehicle when these things appear to be dash 
mounted with a suction cup? 

"Hillbilly" <nobody@nowhere.com> wrote in
news:ujibLyEbKHA.5348@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl: 

> But what I really need to learn at the moment is how the 
devices like
> TomTom and Garmen function? I don't have one obviously so 
is there a
> hardware forum for Microsoft devs? Do they run using 
batteries? Which
> protocol is used if they can communicate with the vehicle 
when these
> things appear to be dash mounted with a suction cup? 

Standalone GPS devices, without cables, only communicate 
through some
form of wireless technology - generally bluetooth. This 
means they only
work on newer cars with such technology. 

Regardless of method of output, they generally deliver an 
NMEA string.

As for programming ANY GPS device, most that do not have 
some
proprietary assembly programming are programmed with Java. 
This is what
you find on most phones. And, to make things more 
interesting, many of
the devices out there have the Java ME (Mobile Edition) bits 
locked, so
you can't program against them at all. 

Garmin has a developer site (http://developer.garmin.com/) 
where you can
learn how to communicate with a Garmin device. Magellan is a 
bit more
controlled on how they allow you to communicate with a 
device. There are
SDKs on the Pro Magellan site. 

Peace and Grace,

-- 
Gregory A. Beamer (MVP)

Twitter: @gbworld
Blog: http://gregorybeamer.spaces.live.com

*******************************************
|      Think outside the box!             |
*******************************************

Thank you for that insight. I'm really only interested in the small form 
factors that supports touchscreen and are apparently battery powered and 
send receive data wirelessly that GPS devices have in common as there are 
apparently boards that are supporting the MicroFramework.


"Gregory A. Beamer" <NoSpamMgbworld@comcast.netNoSpamM> wrote in message 
news:Xns9CCC7938CC4E5gbworld@207.46.248.16...
> "Hillbilly" <nobody@nowhere.com> wrote in
> news:ujibLyEbKHA.5348@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl:
>
>> But what I really need to learn at the moment is how the
> devices like
>> TomTom and Garmen function? I don't have one obviously so
> is there a
>> hardware forum for Microsoft devs? Do they run using
> batteries? Which
>> protocol is used if they can communicate with the vehicle
> when these
>> things appear to be dash mounted with a suction cup?
>
> Standalone GPS devices, without cables, only communicate
> through some
> form of wireless technology - generally bluetooth. This
> means they only
> work on newer cars with such technology.
>
> Regardless of method of output, they generally deliver an
> NMEA string.
>
> As for programming ANY GPS device, most that do not have
> some
> proprietary assembly programming are programmed with Java.
> This is what
> you find on most phones. And, to make things more
> interesting, many of
> the devices out there have the Java ME (Mobile Edition) bits
> locked, so
> you can't program against them at all.
>
> Garmin has a developer site (http://developer.garmin.com/)
> where you can
> learn how to communicate with a Garmin device. Magellan is a
> bit more
> controlled on how they allow you to communicate with a
> device. There are
> SDKs on the Pro Magellan site.
>
> Peace and Grace,
>
> -- 
> Gregory A. Beamer (MVP)
>
> Twitter: @gbworld
> Blog: http://gregorybeamer.spaces.live.com
>
> *******************************************
> |      Think outside the box!             |
> ******************************************* 

"Hillbilly" <nobody@nowhere.com> wrote in
news:euosA7WbKHA.6028@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl: 

> Thank you for that insight. I'm really only interested in the small
> form factors that supports touchscreen and are apparently battery
> powered and send receive data wirelessly that GPS devices have in
> common as there are apparently boards that are supporting the
> MicroFramework. 

I have not headed that direction. When I worked for the Tracking 
Corporation, the firmware was all assembler based, so I did not program 
the units directly (did make .NET tools that programmed them, but 
through AT command scripting).

I did play a bit with JavaME, which is currently more flexible, as many 
phones have JavaME. Unfortunately, most have it blocked. There are a few 
Blackberry models I found, along with the iDen GPS phones from Sprint 
(ie, Nextel network).

I do know someone that has done a lot of embedded programming, both with 
XP Embedded and Windows Mobile, but I don't have a resource readily 
available for MicroFramework.

Peace and Grace,

-- 
Gregory A. Beamer (MVP)

Twitter: @gbworld
Blog: http://gregorybeamer.spaces.live.com

*******************************************
|      Think outside the box!             |
*******************************************