Jul 16, GPS software for developers of GPS applications

There exist so many GPS software programs and many developer's sources are available for others. You only have to find out what is available.

Developers working on Windows Mobile, Embedded, or location-based solutions have a new place to turn to when looking for information online. Focused primarily on Microsoft mobile technologies and paying specific attention to the Compact Framework and Dot Net platforms, www.Mobidogs.com opened their pages to community traffic. According to the editors, "the goal of this new site is to be a leading central repository of the important information and links that a mobile developer needs while developing GPS software for Microsoft mobile platforms".

The MarshallSoft GPS Component for C/C++/C# (MGC4C) is a Win32 DLL that allows any C/C++/C# program to receive and decode standard NMEA 183 sentences from a GPS receiver connected to the RS232 serial port. Requires a 32-bit Windows C/C++/C# compiler. MGC4C includes the following: - Uses the Windows Win32 API for serial port input. - Works with both real and virtual serial ports. - Runs as a background thread unattended. - The most current GPS data is always available on demand. - Most commonly used NMEA sentence types automatically decoded. - Does not depend on support DLLs.

- Several latitude/longitude calculation functions included. Several example programs are provided, including examples for Microsoft Visual C/C++ (MSVC), Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC), Borland C/C++, Borland C++ Builder (BCB), Watcom C/C++, C#, and LCC-WIN32. MGC4C can be used in the development of Win32 applications running under Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/Vista. The shareware version of MGC4C is fully functional. Registration is $105 for email delivery and includes one year free updates. Available with source code for $195. Also available for Visual Basic (MGC4VB).

CodeXchange announced a new evolution in the development and distribution of GPS software. The updated site is a marketplace for computer programmers to buy, sell and trade their code. The improved site challenges the standard business model by empowering developers to write and market their own code on CodeXchange. With new features like keyword and category searches, expanded descriptions of submitted code to make finding the right code fast and easy and the Code Wanted section, the revamped CodeXchange site offers an unbeatable combination of ease of use with top quality rated code. “The exciting thing about CodeXchange is that it empowers developers to pursue the projects they want to pursue. With the addition of the Code Wanted section, project managers can post requests for developers to write,” said Dauren Tatubaev, a research analyst with Evans Data. “Using CodeXchange any developer can operate his or her code as an information product. Developers set their own prices, handle their own negotiations and keep all of the income. Project managers can leverage the already available code to reduce expenses and speed development. CodeXchange empowers both the developer and the IT project manager.”

Ivan Mitrovic's KMaps is the leading Mobile Location Services Platform, built on the top of Google Maps and Google Local Search utilizing the advanced Map Caching Capabilities for offline navigation and featuring the set of Online Location Based Services for people on the go... KMaps is J2ME based and is currently running on Palm based mobile devices, Treo 650, Treo 600 and Tungstens with the ports to other mobile platforms under development... And the worst of all, it is free.

Cristian Streng's Mobile Gmaps is a free piece of GPS software that displays Google Maps and MSN Virtual Earth maps and satellite imagery on Java J2ME-enabled mobile phones or other devices. Mobile GMaps is distributed under the Attribution/NonCommercial/NoDerivs Creative Commons license. You may download, use and distribute the application free of charge for non-commercial purposes. You may NOT use it for any commercial purpose.

Johan Franson offers some very useful components that could save you a lot of time in developing your own GPS software. GPSTools is available for Windows and pocket PC as ActiveX and .NET (Compact Framework) components. It includes GPS and mapping support to custom Windows and pocket PC applications. Serial Tools adds serial port support to your C#, VB.NET application and to Internet Explorer. >B>CoordTrans GPS software converts geographic positions between different co-ordinate systems. GpsGate lets you share one GPS receiver between many running applications. You can simulate and log GPS data. HHD Software has several programs for developers. The USB Monitor is an invaluable tool for all developers and engineers, who design, create and connect to PC a whole range of equipment with universal serial bus on board. This tool captures all the USB Request Blocks (URBs) transferred from the device driver to the host controller and back. The Serial Monitor is a monitoring application, which allows you to view, log and analyze serial port activities. The program attaches itself to the serial port driver under Windows NT, 2000, XP and monitors all activity that any software performs via serial ports. The Protocol Analyzer feature allows you to monitor the serial protocol between two different serial devices, connected by null-modem cables to your computer. The Serial Monitor can also be configured to log the entire monitoring session. You can playback the session at a later time, having full control on its flow. CSC makes serial communication development easy and straightforward. Their serial communication libraries, DLLs, TSRs, drivers, tools and multiport cards will bring your project to fruition in a fraction of the allotted time. The serial communication library supports Windows XP, Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 95, Windows 3.x, and MS-DOS. WCSC also provides a complete line of multiport serial communication cards (PCI, ISA, Universal PCI, PCMCIA) for RS232, RS422, and RS485 communications.
COMM-DRV/Lib Pro is a Professional Serial Communication libraries for Windows and MS-DOS. Supports all versions of Windows. Zmodem, Xmodem, & Ymodem file transfer routines provided. Includes modem handling routines as well as string handling routines. COMPLETE SOURCE CODE INCLUDED.
COMM-DRV++ Pro is a professional C/C++ serial communication class library for Windows . It supports both Microsoft Visual C/++ and Borland C++ compilers. Xmodem, Ymodem, & Zmodem file transfer protocols are provided. All Hayes compatible modems are supported. Serial stream token/string lookup is also included. All baudrates provided by the underlying hardware is supported. Callback functions for efficient communication handling.
COMM-DRV/CE Pro is a professional serial communication library for Windows/CE & Pocket PC. It supports ZModem, YModem, and XModem file transfer protocols as well as modem communication. COMM-DRV/CE does not require that you have a Pocket PC to develop serial communication applications. It was developed with eMbedded Visual C++ 3.0 which includes a Pocket PC emulator that behaves virtually identically to any of the Pocket PCs on the market today. Moreover we have included the DLLs necessary to support both the emulator as well as the actual Pocket PC devices. Your time is valuable and every effort was made to ensure that the product is easy to use. Ample examples are included that are ready to compile immediately. The documentation walks you through setting up your environment. You will be able to get started with your project immediately upon installation.
Comm-Logger is a very easy to use serial communication data logger. It can log data directly from the serial port to a standard file. Up to 32 ports may be logged concurrently. The purpose of NemaTalker (NMEA talker) from SailSoft.nl is to provide the user and the developer of NMEA software and/or hardware with a very powerful testing tool. The program will transmit proper NMEA 0183 sentences via a PC serial communications port using the industry standard RS232 interfacing option. This data then can be processed by chart plotters and other devices without the need to leave the workshop or office. From version 1.3.0 it is also possible to send the NMEA data over the internet User Datagram Protocol (UDP) to a UDP client.
Although the name of the program suggests that it only can act as a "talker", it is capable to receive incoming data, so functioning as "listener". Incoming data however is not processed, but the raw NMEA data can be stored in an optional log file and made visible in a convenient trace window. Currently the program can simulate the output of 1 to 6 different instruments simultaneously: GPS, Weather, Sounder, Heading, Velocity and Radar, plus a feature for custom formatted sentences. The program is designed so that extra instruments can be added in a relative simple way.
The GPS instrument is equipped with 2 very exciting options. One option is the automatic running according to a waypoint file, where the program "follows" the waypoints of that file. You can not alter the course manually. The second option is the "navigate" function. The program runs also according a preset waypoint file, but you can alter course and speed, and you will see a simulation of the cross-track error (XTE) on the instrument.
NemaTalker supports both NMEA version 2.20 and 2.30/3.01. GPSSIMUL, also from SailSoft.nl, generates GPS NMEA-0183 output sentences at the communications port (COM1 or COM2) of your PC. It is a useful program for developers of PC-GPS software, because it eliminates the need for a GPS unit during developing and testing. But it is also useful for people that want to test or check any NMEA compatible device like autopilots and chart plotters. Compared to NemaTalker it has less functionality, since it does only GPS, while NemaTalker can simulate many more instruments. GPSSIMUL V2.1 supports the following NMEA sentences: GGA, GSA, GLL, RMC, VTG, ZDA, so it can be used in combination with many popular GPS mapping programs available. IPaNema, again from SailSoft.nl, reads any NMEA data from one of the serial ports (Com1-4) and delivers the NMEA data to any user selectable port and IP address using the UDP protocol acting as UDP server. From version 1.0.1 it can also act as an UDP client, receiving NMEA sentences wrapped in UDP packets and outputs these to a serial communications port (Com1-4). All NMEA sentences received can be monitored while they pass along.
IPaNema can be used to make received NMEA data (like GPS streams) available to any or all clients on an IP network, either wired or wireless using 802.11. Because it can be used both as server or client it gives the user much flexibility in situations were NMEA data must be transmitted over IP networks. Even more flexibility can be obtained when our NMEA simulator NemaTalker is used as UDP server, acting as NMEA talker over an IP network! Note also that several UDP clients can receive the NMEA data simultaneously so that NMEA data can be distributed to several locations in the network. The GPS software program is freeware and may be distributed freely.

We have created a new page new GPS software for developers with all information about new GPS software for developers.

Scientific Component has released GPS ToolKit.NET version 2.0 for Windows 98, ME, 2000 and Windows XP, a native .NET managed component for adding GPS support to any Visual Basic .NET, C#, or C++ project. GPS ToolKit.NET provides .NET software developers with an API that adds full support for reading real-time data from GPS units. The GPS software provides access to dozens of data sets, including position, speed, course, satellite, and navigation data, in a number of formats and units. Additionally, GPS ToolKit.NET notifies the application each time a new fix is received, or navigation or satellite data is updated. Version 2.0 adds support for automatic detection of connected GPS units, notification of unit disconnection, sending of data and commands to GPS units, and automatic system port detection. GPS ToolKit.NET works with all types of GPS units, including RS232, USB, and Bluetooth units, and can read from an unlimited number of GPS units simultaneously. The software also allows for playback of NMEA 0183 input files at various speeds, including real-time playback. GPS ToolKit.NET is a native .NET managed component and comes complete with six example applications in Visual Basic.NET, C#, and C++.

From Storm Source Software comes the GPS.NET Global Positioning SDK that will let you write GPS-enabled .NET applications in minutes for your desktop or mobile device. This rich object model contains over fifty classes designed to make GPS tasks easy, and works with almost every GPS device, including Bluetooth, Compact Flash, and Secure Digital. GPS.NET is certified by the National Software Testing Labs (NSTL0050) and has been accepted into the Windows Mobile certification program. SoftMap Pro from SoftMap Technologies 2002 Inc. is a GIS software (Geographical Information System), powerful, easy to use and low priced. It is the desk-top version of the SoftMap Plus software, used in consumer products. SoftMap Pro is fully programmable in VBA and allows the development of applications in many key areas. It is designed to be easy to learn, thanks to the user friendly interface, a multimedia tutorial and navigation on seamless maps: this characteristic is the trademark of SoftMap family of software. SoftMap Pro offers intuitive management of databases and great precision in all geometric calculations or changes in coordinate systems. The GPSTk provides both fundamental and advanced GPS processing algorithms to the open source community. A wide array of functions are provided by the GPSTk library, notably: RINEX I/O, ephemeris calculation, atmospheric refraction models, and positioning algorithms. GPSTk applications provided more concrete benefits to the user, including: cycle slip detection and removal, calculation of the Total Electron Content (TEC) of the ionosphere, and RINEX file manipulation. GPSTk is distributed under the GNU LGPL. This license makes the library free to use, share, and improve, and allows you to pass on the result. Software developed under any license scheme can use this library. Notably, it is possible for commercial projects to use the GPSTk. Bruce Stemplewski’s GarXface C++ library and DLL makes communicating with Garmin GPS devices a breeze. All you need to do is use the C++ library to make easy to use function calls to the included DLL. The GarXface GPS DLL does all the the complicated work of communicating to the Garmin GPS for you.
The GarXface OCX is an ActiveX control that can be used in Visual Basic type applications. It can actually be used in any application that can use ActiveX controls. This includes but is not limited to Excel, Access, Word, Lotus Notes, Visual FoxPro and Delphi. The control can even be used from a web page, which would make it perfect for geocaching websites. GarXface OCX can be used in C++ but if you are a Visual C++ programmer then you may find the associated C++ library easier to use. GPS ToolKit Pro ActiveX from Scientific Component makes it easy to add GPS support to any Visual Basic, Visual C++, Delphi, Excel or scripting project that supports ActiveX controls. Access lat/lon, speed, course, altitude, and dozens of other datasets from a GPS or NMEA 0183 log file with GPS ToolKit. PortController.NET and PortController ActiveX are powerful, easy to use components that make RS-232 serial port communications simple. The Global Positioning SDK is a multi threaded framework for Visual Studio.NET and Visual Studio 6 to develop precise, efficient, and reliable location-based services. Over fifty classes in one lightweight assembly gives you precise, high-performance features and gets your product to market fast.

The team at MobiForms has added signature capture and sketching capabilities into the latest release of MobiForms 2.21. It also includes additional commands in the simple MobiScript language such as if, end if and loops providing true programming power. MobiForms 2.21 has improved support for Oracle and Sybase databases. Alternatively, with no database installed it can be programmed to read or write to any ASCII file format instead. It is a revolutionary rapid application development (RAD) tool for mobile applications on Windows CE, Pocket PC, EPOC/Symbian and Palm and lets you develop professional applications like asset collection, field service, inspection, market research, site surveys, stock control or workshop management. MobiForms gives you the power of a whole army of unrelenting programmers by automating the development process. An application that would traditionally take days to write in Java or C++ can be built in minutes.

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